The Boston Celtics lack frontcourt depth, which makes them a perfect fit for a veteran power forward or center on a minimum deal. Well, it just so happens that a stretch big who helped bring LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a title in 2016 might soon become available for the Celtics.
Hoops Wire’s Sam Amico provided an update on Utah Jazz big man Kevin Love over the weekend.
Following up on a report from The Stein Line’s Marc Stein in August that Love would be bought out by Utah, Amico reiterated that Love is expected to become a free agent soon.
“Kevin Love was part of the July 7 trade that sent Norman Powell to the Heat and John Collins to the Clippers, landing him in Utah on an expiring $4.15 million contract,” Amico wrote on Sunday. “Two months later, it looks more and more like his stay with the Jazz won’t last long.”
“Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported in August that Love was “actively exploring potential pathways out of Utah,” including a buyout. Now, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes that Love is “widely expected to be traded or bought out” before the season begins. Utah, coming off a league-worst 17-65 season, doesn’t appear to be the right fit for the 37-year-old veteran.”
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While the Denver Nuggets have been floated as a potential landing spot for Love, there’s no reason the Celtics shouldn’t put their cards on the table for the former UCLA Bruin.
Love’s three-point shooting and veteran leadership would absolutely help stabilize the Celtics at this point, and while a Jayson Tatum-less Boston isn’t considered a contender on the level of Denver, the Celtics should be in the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference, and anything can happen once the postseason begins.
If a title is what Love is seeking above all else, go ahead and join the Nuggets or another team on the cusp of a Finals berth. However, Love wouldn’t be far off from contention by joining the Celtics, and he’d have a much bigger role in Boston than in many other potential spots, Denver included.
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A Love-Celtics union makes sense for both sides.