The Boston Celtics have an extremely crowded frontcourt, with over half a dozen bigs all fighting for minutes at power forward and center.
They also have 16 guaranteed contracts on a roster that's only allowed 15 players. Between now and opening day, they can make trades to balance things out a bit, or waive/stretch a player to appropriately trim the roster.
If no trade happens, one player who could be the odd man out is Perry Jones III. Here's ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg on why that is:
"Let's say the Celtics cannot find another move before the start of the season, at least without taking 50 cents on the dollar for one of their bigs. Typically you'd be looking at the player with the lowest salary to eat, but that might not ultimately be a major issue for a team that projects to be well under the tax line. Initially, it's likely Perry who will face the longest odds. In sending cash considerations as part of last week's trade, the Oklahoma City Thunder are essentially paying his salary regardless of whether he's on Boston's roster (and Boston got Detroit's second-round pick in 2019 for its troubles)."
Jones never stuck in Scott Brooks' rotation when he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he has the build and athleticism to thrive in the NBA. He's also a free agent next summer, meaning the Celtics have one year, if they choose to keep him, to see if Jones should be apart of their rebuild.
There are no easy answers right now.
(h/t: ESPN Boston)
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