Celtics Sleeper Contracts to Pursue in NBA Free Agency

On paper, the Boston Celtics enter the 2023 NBA offseason with few obvious needs.

They arguably have the league's deepest, most talented roster, which surely ramps up the frustration factor with this group's inability to take home a title.

However, the Shamrocks are clearly close to that breakthrough, having reached at least the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the past four seasons.

Because Boston is so loaded, it has only niche roles to fill. That's just as well, since the Celtics won't have real spending money no matter how Grant Williams' restricted free agency plays out.

That means every cent will matter in free agency, which is why the Celtics could have interest in the following three discount hoopers-for-hire.

The Celtics need wing depth. That's not always easy to spot, since Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown put this position group so far ahead, but there just isn't much behind them.

They also need extra shot-creators. When Tatum and Brown take a breather, this offense sometimes grinds to a halt. The Celtics need more players who can create for themselves and their teammates, ideally someone who can attack the basket and hit a respectable amount of outside shots.

They need a player like Will Barton—or at least the player he always was prior to this season. His production fell off a cliff in this campaign, which he split between the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. His 6.8 points and 2.0 assists were his fewest since 2014-15. His 37.9 field-goal percentage was the worst of his career.

If this is the 32-year-old's new reality, he might be washed. But people should be cautious about making that claim already. Travel back just one season, and he was giving the 2021-22 Denver Nuggets nightly contributions of 14.7 points (on 43.8 percent shooting) and 3.9 assists (against 1.8 turnovers).

If the Celtics can get that version of Barton with the discount of this season's decline baked into his contract cost, he could be a steal.

The Celtics should add a big man this summer. And yes, that's true if Grant Williams stays or goes.

Al Horford is 37 years old. Robert Williams III's many bouts with the injury bug just limited him to 35 games. Insurance policies behind these players are an absolute must.

Thomas Bryant could be a sneaky-good option to stick on the second unit, though. He's a 6'10", 248-pound ball of energy who runs the floor and adds value on both ends.

The 25-year-old can't create offense or switch assignments on defense, but he'll contribute on the interior with blocks, boards and easy buckets.

Bryant is even comfortable popping out for perimeter shots (career 118 treys on 36.6 percent shooting), which could help him carve out a regular role on Boston's bench.

Boston's need for wing depth could steer the organization toward Anthony Lamb, who parlayed a two-way contract from the Golden State Warriors into a rotation role on a team with championship aspirations.

He's not at all a shot-creator, and that could be what gets him dropped in the bargain bucket. If the 25-year-old lands there, though, the Celtics should give him a look.

He could step right into this switch-heavy defensive scheme, while adding another long-range threat to the offensive mix. His three-ball can run hot and cold, but he still finished this season with more than one three-pointer per game on 36.7 percent shooting.

If Lamb landed in Boston, he might not be guaranteed floor time from the jump, but his three-and-D skills could get him on the court sooner than later.