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The NBA trade deadline passed at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the Boston Celtics were busy.
Earlier in the week they acquired Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic and a second-round draft pick in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick. On Thursday, the C’s traded forward Chris Boucher and a second-rounder to the Utah Jazz, they sent Josh Minott the Brooklyn Nets and they also dealt center Xavier Tillman Sr. to the Charlotte Hornets.
All of these trades have put the Celtics below the first apron and below the luxury tax line. They also have two open roster spots, giving them the ability to add a player in the buyout market.
Which players who have been waived, or could maybe be waived at some point, might make sense for the Celtics as buyout candidates?
Let’s look at a couple.
Cam Thomas
The Nets weren’t able to move Thomas before the trade deadline, and soon after they reportedly waived him. Thomas is likely the best player on the buyout market.
He can provide any contender consistent offense off the bench. He averaged 15.6 points in 24 games for the Nets this season. For his career, Thomas has a 43.5 field goal percentage, a 34.3 3-point percentage and a 85.8 free throw percentage.
Thomas can clearly score, but he is not a quality defender and his playmaking ability is nothing special. He’s also missed plenty of time due to injuries of late. He was limited to just 25 games last season and has played only 24 this year.
Still, Thomas is pretty confident he can help another team over the next few months.
“Super excited ready to actually help and contribute to another team,” Thomas told Marc Spears of Andscape shortly after Thursday’s deadline. “My next team is getting elite scoring, good playmaking and a good combo guard.”
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Mike Conley Jr.
Conley was waived Thursday by the Hornets, who acquired him from the Chicago Bulls shortly after they got him from the Minnesota Timberwolves. After being traded twice this week, Conley is now a free agent.
He is the ultimate veteran. He is highly respected, he is a great teammate and he has 19 years of experience (including 108 playoff appearances).
Conley has struggled offensively this season. He is scoring just 4.4 points per game and shooting 32.2 percent from 3-point range. But he did shoot around 40 percent on 3-pointers over the previous three seasons and remains one of the league’s best free throw shooters. Conley is also a very good playmaker who has averaged more than five assists per game almost his whole career.
How much does Conley have left in the tank? It’s a valid question, but on a contender like the Celtics he wouldn’t have to play a huge role.
Lonzo Ball
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Lonzo Ball could be one of the most sought after players on the buyout market.
The Jazz waived Ball not long after acquiring him from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade.
Ball’s potential has been hindered by injuries since he was selected by the Los Angles Lakers with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. But when healthy, he can be a productive player at both ends of the floor.
At 6-foot-5, he would give the Celtics some much-needed size at guard. He’s a decent defender, he’s a good rebounder and his playmaking ability is impressive.
Ball has never been a good outside shooter, though, and he’s hitting just 27.2 percent of his 3-pointers this season. He does a lot of things well, but if the Celtics are looking for someone who can bring instant offense off the bench, then Ball is not the best option.
Khris Middleton
Middleton has not been waived after being acquired by the Dallas Mavericks, so he’s not officially on the buyout market yet. If he does get there, he would be an intriguing option for the C’s.
Middleton has played great against the Celtics throughout his career, so he would probably be comfortable playing at TD Garden. He’s not the same dynamic offensive player at age 33 that he was with the Milwaukee Bucks in the late 2010s and early 2020s, but he can still provide consistent offense off the bench and knock down free throws. He can still create his own shot but doesn’t need to have the ball in his hands a ton to be effective.
Middleton also has averaged 20.6 points over 80 career playoff games, including a championship with the Bucks in 2021. He’s also a great veteran presence and teammate.
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Gabe Vincent
Vincent was recently acquired by the Atlanta Hawks after spending the last two-and-a-half seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has not officially been waived at this time.
The veteran guard didn’t make the kind of impact many people expected in L.A., but if bought out, he could still be useful to a contender in the right role.
Vincent isn’t a great defender and lacks great size, but he’s a solid offensive player. He is shooting 36.9 percent from beyond the arc this season and is a quality free throw shooter.
The 29-year-old veteran also has 54 games of playoff experience. Celtics fans probably remember Vincent playing very well for the Heat during the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals when Miami beat Boston in seven games. Vincent averaged 15.8 points on 51.6 percent 3-point shooting in that series.
Injuries have limited Vincent to just 29 games played this season. Durability is a concern, but if healthy, he could give the C’s some decent backcourt minutes.