The Boston Celtics had one of the better returns in 2022 NBA free agency, but that does not mean all players on the Celtics’ 2022-23 roster will equally benefit from how well the Celtics did with their signings.
Boston has not made any balance-shifting signings given they have not had the cap space to ink a player to a max deal or even anything near one. Even Boston’s $17.1 million traded player exception (TPE) could not be used to sign players outright before it expired last month due to arcane rules that only would have allowed a player (or several) to be signed and traded into it, and the current roster’s hefty cost would have also prevented that route due to related, also-arcane rules.
But with signing veteran swingman Danilo Gallinari to the mini-midlevel exception, and returning forward Sam Hauser to a three-year, $6 million contract, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley sees those two Celtics as clear winners from Boston’s free agency.
However, Payton Pritchard is on the short end of the stick in Buckley’s assessment, which seems odd at first, given the Oregon product was not a free agent — restricted or otherwise — this offseason.
Reading between the lines, the increased depth the team has picked up certainly won’t make it easier for Pritchard to get playing time next season (especially with the addition of Malcolm Brogdon via trade).
Gallinari’s assessment as a winner in Boston’s free agency is far more clear cut, however, with his role perhaps being a smaller one than when he was with the Atlanta Hawks last season, but with his body aging, that might be an ideal way to add a ring to his resume.
“In Boston, he might find even more open looks being able to play off the likes of Brogdon, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown,” suggests the Bleacher Report analyst.
“Not to mention, the Celtics have the quality and quantity of stoppers needed to mask Gallinari’s defensive limitations.”
As for Hauser, just getting the nod from the front office that they believe in his ability to develop his game to the point where it was worth tendering a contract with multiple seasons guaranteed should help with his confidence moving forward.
“If (Hauser) can prove to be a reliable defender, he has a realistic shot at forcing his way into the rotation,” suggests Buckley.
“The Celtics are deep everywhere other than small…
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