Andrew Bogut expected to join Cavaliers when he reaches a buyout with 76ers
One of the Celtics potential free-agent acquisitions to help shore up their rebounding woes and protect the paint might be off the market before he even reached it, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN says Andrew Bogut is expected to sign with the Cavaliers pending his buyout with the Philadelphia 76ers:
Two Mavs sources say they expect Andrew Bogut will choose to join the Cavaliers once he receives a buyout from the 76ers.— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 26, 2017
Bogut would have been a solid addition for the C's as he would provide some rim protection, rebounding, and veteran leadership to an overall young roster. The Celtics would be able to trump an offer from the Cavs financially, but they can't quite match the contender status and chance for a another ring for the aging big man that LeBron James and Cleveland can offer. The oft injured 7-footer comes with some concerns as to whether he'll be healthy when the Celtics would need him most come playoff time, so maybe he's not the ideal choice to bring in when the C's will have to part with one of their younger players in order to add Bogut. His skill set falls right in line with what the Celtics need on their roster and the risk might not outweigh the potential reward. Bogut has played against Cleveland in the last two NBA finals and proved a tough matchup for LeBron and Co, and he was able to stay on the court for both of Golden State's previous playoff runs.
The Celtics did express some interest in the big man, as yesterday they were in touch with his representatives even after Danny Ainge stressed Friday on Toucher & Rich that he was cautious of adding any of the players likely to be bought out:
Celtics are one of five teams who have reached out to Andrew Bogut https://t.co/mxbh0A2f68 pic.twitter.com/kPPIQw6oe5— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) February 27, 2017
Bogut's former teammate in Dallas Deron Williams has already reached a buyout with the Mavericks and is signing with the Cavaliers today, so that could also be a factor in his thought process. If Bogut is in fact heading to Cleveland that shortens the list of potential additions for the Celtics, with Terrance Jones, Jared Sullinger, Omri Casspi, and the newly released Luis Scola (via Brooklyn). The playoff eligibility deadline is Wednesday, March 1st, so we'll get our answer if the Celtics are going to add some depth in the front-court sooner rather than later.
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