Though the Boston Celtics have revamped their roster almost completely this offseason, no move compares to the trade they pulled off with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They landed a bonafide star in Kyrie Irving in exchange for their presumed franchise point guard Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick.
While there may be some unforeseen circumstances holding the trade back, the Celtics seem confident that the trade will go through as the team has already kicked off their hunt for that last roster spot. There have been multiple names already linked to that empty spot and among the most notable is center Andrew Bogut. According to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, Bogut and the Celts have had ‘preliminary contact’ on a potential deal:
According to a league source, center Andrew Bogut’s camp had preliminary contact with the Cs this week: https://t.co/4KklNVHE9R
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) August 25, 2017
Bogut last appeared in game for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season when he broke his leg in his first action as a Cav after being bought out by the Philadelphia 76ers. According to Himmelsbach, Bogut was also in discussions with Boston last year before ultimately inking a deal with the Cavs:
The Celtics this week have been in contact with representatives of several free agents. According to another league source, that group includes center Andrew Bogut, who considered signing with Boston last February before ultimately agreeing to a deal with the Cavaliers…
Still, his discussions with president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and coach Brad Stevens resonated, and a source close to Bogut said he is very interested in joining Boston and is expected to be fully healthy at the start of training camp.
If Andrew Bogut does end up signing with the Celtics, he would give them an immediate interior presence, filling one of the few holes left on the talented Boston roster. Adding the Australian big man would only make the Celtics more formidable than they already are atop the decimated Eastern Conference.
