Celtics Predicted to Sign Former Rival Free Agent

The Boston Celtics are 15 games into the 2023 NBA and it's clear that their offseason moves paid off. The C's currently rest atop the Eastern Conference with a 12-3 record, cementing themselves as not only the team to beat in the conference, but potentially in the Association as a whole.

But any basketball fan knows that contenders are rarely satisfied with their roster as is. After all, the Celtics still have one open roster spot remaining, meaning general manager Brad Stevens will likely add one more player at some point to help Boston with its championship pursuit.

That's why it's interesting to see one certain name floating around as a potential addition for the C's.

Celtics Roster Rumors

Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus predicts that the Celtics are the perfect landing spot for free agent Justise Winslow. The 27-year-old wing is currently with the Raptors 905 in the NBA G League after spending the 2022-23 campaign with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The main reason why Pincus sees Boston as a fit for Winslow is due to a lack of playmaking. After moving on from Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon, the Celtics went from averaging 26.2 assists per game last year (No. 7) to just 24.7 APG this season (No. 23).

Although he's been injured for a large chunk of his career, Winslow is still a solid playmaker when he's on the court. He's averaged 3.4 assists or more in three of the last four campaigns and even averaged 6.2 helpers per 100 possessions last season — the second-best mark of his career.

That's without mentioning how he's a decent defender, having averaged at least 1.4 steals per 36 minutes in back-to-back campaigns.

Signing the former 2015 10th overall selection would add extra versatility to Boston's lineup, too. Winslow has spent time as a shooting guard, small forward, and power forward throughout his NBA career, opening the door for how head coach Joe Mazzulla uses him.

And, of course, adding Winslow to the roster would stick it to the rival Toronto Raptors. What's not to love about that?

Considering how the Celtics are the 2023-24 NBA Finals favorites across the majority of sportsbooks, time will tell how a potential Winslow signing would further improve those odds.

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