Report: Celtics Don't Have A 'Plan B' After Bogut Chooses Cavs
BOSTON (CBS) -- If you were hoping for the Celtics to find some rebounding help on the free agent market after they did nothing at last week's trade deadline, Tuesday night brought you more bad news.
Andrew Bogut, though thoroughly impressed with Boston's sales pitch, has ultimately decided to join the best team in the Eastern Conference. He'll sign with the Cavaliers this weekend, leaving Boston without a late-season addition to help their rebounding woes.
Sources: Andrew Bogut strongly considered Houston and Boston, made decision on Cleveland tonight. He's expected to sign this weekend.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2017
To make matters worse (at least if you really wanted some help under the basket), the Celtics have no "Plan B" according to The Boston Herald's Mark Murphy:
And for the time being, the Celts don't have what a source called a "Plan B" to improve their obvious weakness on the glass.
The source said free agent forward Terrence Jones is off the table, though management hasn't ruled out adding Jared Sullinger, the former Celtic traded from Toronto to Phoenix and then bought out, "somewhere down the line, if it is needed."
Sullinger, for all of his conditioning and health issues, did indeed make the Celtics a better rebounding team last season.
"But there's nothing imminent, (the Celtics) will continue looking and see what happens," said the source, who added that the Celts may be forced to improve their rebounding with existing personnel.
A reunion with Sullinger, who averaged just 2.5 rebounds in his 11 games with the Toronto Raptors this season, would do little to close the gap with Cleveland. That "existing personnel" means Al Horford, Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk will have to step up their game under the glass.
The Celtics have been out-rebounded in 42 of their 60 games this season, with guard Avery Bradley the team's leading rebounder at 6.7 boards per game.