After tearing down their championship roster, the Boston Celtics are a team in transition in what is widely expected to be a gap year in the wake of Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury.
The departures of veterans Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet and likely Al Horford created a massive vacuum on a Celtics team that is still hoping to be, at least, a playoff team next season.
With limited spending power, the Celtics are looking to fill those holes with veteran minimum signings.
Will they find a deal in that price range that will provide real value?
Oddsmakers at offshore sportsbook Bovada believe they can, as they have installed the Celtics as the odds-on favorites to sign former No. 1 pick Ben Simmons at +185. The Phoenix Suns have the second-best odds of landing the former NBA Rookie of the Year at +255. Tied at third are the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings, who were also previously reported to have interest in the two-time All-Defensive First Team member.
The Houston Rockets (+600), Cleveland Cavaliers (+750) and Toronto Raptors (+950) round up the betting list for Simmons’ next team.
If the Celtics land Simmons, it will be interesting to see how coach Joe Mazulla will incorporate him into his 3-point-heavy schemes.
Ben Simmons Looking for Redemption
Getty Ben Simmons’ stock is at an all-time low.
Among the teams on the list, the Celtics and Suns can offer the most opportunity for Simmons to get his career back on track. But the Suns have more money to offer following their newfound flexibility created by buying out Bradley Beal‘s enormous contract.
Simmons is taking his time deciding where to play next after his underwhelming stint with the Los Angeles Clippers following his buyout with the Brooklyn Nets.
Simmons signed a $1.08 million deal with the Clippers after reaching a buyout with the Nets for the remaining portion of his five-year, $170 million rookie extension contract he originally signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 6-foot-10 Simmons has fallen off the cliff since he left Philadelphia over mental health and mysterious back issues. His once promising career went south in Brooklyn.
Last season, he averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in his final 33 games in Brooklyn. He only played 17 games for the Clippers and was an afterthought, averaging career-lows 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
At 29, Simmons is still in his prime. A motivated Simmons for the veteran minimum is a huge win for any team that will get him.
Celtics Considering Adding Underrated Big Man
Former second-round pick Charles Bassey has impressed in the Celtics’ Summer League team and he could be on his way to earning a contract in Boston.
A Celtics front office executive told Keith Smart of Spotrac that they are trying to work something out with the 6-foot-10 Nigerian big man.
“Considering he got added to our team so late, this was an awesome run for him. No idea if we’ll have roster space for him or not. But we’d love to keep working with Charles and see if we can make something work,” the team executive told Spotrac.
Bassey averaged 15.3 points and 11 rebounds per game, showing mobility, rebounding, and rim protection.
The 23-year-old journeyman has bounced around between the NBA and the G League since the Philadelphia 76ers selected him 53rd overall in 2021. Last season, he played 36 games for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Celtics Eye Bold Addition, Oddsmakers Give Them Edge appeared first on Heavy Sports.