While the offseason hasn't officially begun for the NBA yet, we're starting to see some rumors surrounding the Boston Celtics. According to The Stein Line's Marc Stein, Nikola Vucevic is expected to leave the Celtics and play elsewhere next season.
Vucevic was acquired by the Celtics at the trade deadline from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Anfernee Simons. After being traded to Boston, Vucevic struggled to find consistency, and his play suffered. In the final game of the Celtics' season, Vucevic was a DNP against the Philadelphia 76ers.
While Vucevic wasn't the biggest contributor for Boston, it does leave the center rotation thinner than before. So, how can Boston look to address it?
Celtics have minimal free agent choices
Unfortunately for Boston, the free agent market for centers this season isn't that strong. The top name that could be available is Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein has a team option with OKC, and even if he hits the open market, he's more than likely out of the Celtics' price range.
Two names that could be interesting are New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe. Of the two, Robinson is the least likely, as the Knicks should be prioritized to bring him back. If not, Robinson could be out of the Celtics' price range after this playoff run, and other teams with more money to spend may need a center.
Sharpe, on the other hand, will come down to whether the Nets pick up his team option. Should Sharpe hit the open market, he'd be a good target for Boston.
Finally, Boston could look at a reunion with either Al Horford or Robert Williams. Horford has a player option with the Golden State Warriors, so he may not be available, and is near the end of his career, so he'd only be a temporary fix at best. With Williams, the obvious caveat is his health concerns, but when he's been on the court, he's still been impactful for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Celtics could look for help in the draft
In the draft, the Celtics have a couple of options to help out in the frontcourt. While he may not be a full-time center, Zuby Ejifor out of St. John's could be a solution to the Celtics' frontcourt issues.
If you want a legit center, two names that stand out are North Carolina's Henri Veesaar and UConn's Tarris Reed Jr. Looking at Veesaar, he'd fit the mold of a stretch-five in the Celtics offense, shooting 42.6% from three this past season on three attempts per game and scoring 17 points per game. He has legit size as well, measuring in at 6'11.25 barefoot at the NBA combine. Defensively, Veesaar may struggle, but if he can hold his own, he could be a fun addition to Boston's center rotation.
Celtics fans may already know about Reed due to his local connection. Compared to Veesaar, Reed is the polar opposite of a prospect. Reed will make his impact on the court defensively, with his offense being the concerning part. If he's available for Boston at pick 40, Boston should consider him with the pick.
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