The <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-top-3-possible-targets-for-celtics-to-bolster-roster-20230531-SPD-3666.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Celtics</a> were the most heavily favored Eastern Conference team to go to the NBA Finals. But against the No. 8 seed Miami Heat, they were unable to pull off the upset.



Despite Jayson Tatum’s best efforts, his team lost. Some people think it’s time to split up Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart since neither has played up to expectations.



Obviously, it would only occur if they were able to acquire a player with All-Star potential. Even though there may not be many of them, we’ll examine three viable targets they might go for.



<h2>3. Karl-Anthony Towns</h2>



<a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-top-3-most-likely-destinations-for-jaylen-brown-in-case-of-celtics-exit-20230526-SPD-3657.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karl-Anthony Towns</a> was out for a significant chunk of the season. The Minnesota Timberwolves undertook a risky experiment by putting him on the court alongside Rudy Gobert.



They haven’t been successful so far, and it doesn’t seem like they ever will. Due to their size disadvantage, the Celtics might benefit greatly from adding a shooter.



<h2>2. Damian Lillard</h2>



Many experts believe the Portland Trail Blazers will completely overhaul the team and trade All-Star point guard Damian Lillard or the No. 3 overall selection in order to build around Lillard. A third possibility is moving on from Lillard and starting over.



Keeping Jaylen Brown as their franchise player while trading away their aging star is a viable option for the Blazers.



<h2>1. Zach LaVine</h2>



The Chicago Bulls apparently worry that Lonzo Ball may never play professionally again. Marcus Smart is the ideal point guard and tough defender they’ve been looking for. They would have to use some fillers and draft choices, but they could accomplish it.



With Zach LaVine’s rocky relationship with Billy Donovan and the team’s lackluster core, the Bulls may be better off starting over. LaVine has been in a virtual dead heat with other groups throughout the course of the previous two seasons.

NBA: Top 3 possible All-Star targets for Celtics for next season - thesportsdrops NEWS

NBA: Top 3 possible All-Star targets for Celtics for next season

miniaturas

The <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-top-3-most-likely-destinations-for-jaylen-brown-in-case-of-celtics-exit-20230526-SPD-3657.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Celtics</a> have not changed much since last year. In the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-top-3-possible-targets-for-warriors-to-bolster-roster-20230529-SPD-3660.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA Finals</a>, Joe Mazzulla’s squad fell behind the Miami Heat by a score of 3-0 and subsequently lost Game 7 by a margin of a single point.



The Celtics are as skilled and deep as they are unpredictable. Some people believe they need to split up their elite pair since that’s the one thing they haven’t tried and it might solve all their problems.



Though that seems very improbable at the moment, we may look at three low-profile players they might trade for or acquire to assist Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.



<h2>3. Chris Boucher</h2>



Chris Boucher’s playmaking abilities were a poor match for Nick Nurse’s starting lineup in Toronto, but they are a great fit for the Celtics’ offense. He won’t be a liability to their offense or defense.



Like Robert Williams III, Boucher can be relied upon to guard the rim and grab boards. Unlike his coworker, though, he is in better physical shape and can make shots from beyond the arc.



<h2>2. Doug McDermott</h2>



If Danilo Gallinari had been healthy earlier, maybe things would have turned out differently. However, they should consider a toned-down version of Gallinari since there is no way to count on him being healthy.



Doug McDermott is not a great defender, but he can make some impressive shots. He’d be a versatile offensive threat who can play both forward positions and help them spread the floor.



<h2>1. Jalen McDaniels</h2>



The Boston Celtics don’t have to make many changes to their roster before they can be considered serious title contenders. To that end, they may try to poach one of the NBA’s most underappreciated players from the Philadelphia 76ers.



The addition of Jalen McDaniels would provide Joe Mazzulla with a versatile player who can contribute defensively in a number of different roles. You should be able to get him for cheap, plus he can hit the rare three-pointer.

NBA: Top 3 possible targets for Celtics to bolster roster

NBA: Top 3 possible targets for Celtics to bolster roster - thesportsdrops NEWS

The <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-top-3-most-likely-destinations-for-giannis-antetokounmpo-in-case-of-bucks-exit-20230510-SPD-3629.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Celtics</a> are struggling recently. They were predicted to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, but have struggled to keep up with the Miami Heat’s ferocity.



If they win the Game 6, there is still hope that they can salvage the series. There has never been a comeback from a 3-0 series disadvantage in NBA postseason history, and the Heat currently have a 3-2 advantage.



With the Celtics’ season potentially ending this week, we’ll discuss the speculation surrounding <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-top-3-most-likely-candidates-for-suns-coach-coach-position-20230525-SPD-3653.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jaylen Brown</a>‘s future with the team and the three teams that make the most sense for him to join.



<h2>3. Houston Rockets</h2>



The Houston Rockets just hired Ime Udoka, who has a tight relationship with Brown. They have a lot of promising young players in the backcourt, but none of them can contribute at Brown’s level just yet.



They are apparently trying to reconnect with James Harden, suggesting that they are now competing. The Celtics may be able to recover part of their investment in the Rockets by acquiring their draft selections and young players.



<h2>2. Atlanta Hawks</h2>



Jaylen Brown is a native of Georgia who is said to have deep ties to his hometown. He may try to return to Atlanta, where the Hawks may be a good fit for his strong moral character.



It’s been said that they want to get rid of Trae Young. Even if he isn’t exactly what the Celtics need, he would be a fine backup to their rising star.



<h2>1. Boston Celtics</h2>



A supermax contract extension was available to Brown when he was named to an All-NBA team, and not many individuals would turn down an extra $50 million.



His contract with the Boston Celtics still has a year remaining on it, and he apparently wants out. However, he has the best opportunity to win a championship with that squad, as well as the greatest financial reward.

NBA: Top 3 most likely destinations for Jaylen Brown in case of Celtics exit

NBA: Top 3 most likely destinations for Jaylen Brown in case of Celtics exit - thesportsdrops NEWS

There comes a moment every year when this happens. The <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/top-3-centers-in-2022-23-nba-season-20221124-SPD-3193.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022-23 NBA season</a> started on October 18. The Golden State Warriors are seeking to add to their dynasty by winning a fifth championship in eight seasons. The Los Angeles Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the drama-filled Brooklyn Nets are just a few of the clubs attempting to end their championship drought.



It’s for this reason that the game is played, even though some teams have more reasonable expectations than others. There are established powerhouses this season, but there are also promising young squads like the New Orleans Pelicans and the Cleveland Cavaliers.



We have ranked the league’s top clubs as of now based on their early season performance and their overall record from the previous year’s context. These are the three best teams in the NBA right now.



<h2>3. Phoenix Suns</h2>



The Phoenix Suns have gotten off to a good start this season, despite all the controversy and commotion they endured this summer leading up to preseason. With the same nucleus of Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and Chris Paul, this team was two victories away from the NBA Finals two years ago. There was a club last year that won 64 games before losing in the playoffs. 



The playoffs will be a better indicator of how good they really are, but for now, expect Devin Booker and company to keep piling up victories. While the team’s chemistry off the court remains questionable, they have shown they can play well together on it and win basketball games.



<h2>2. Milwaukee Bucks</h2>



It’s not unreasonable to think that the Milwaukee Bucks when at full strength, are one of the greatest teams in the NBA at the moment and maybe even the best in the East. Aside from PJ Tucker, the 2021 NBA Finals starting lineup still consists of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the championship team’s core players.



Although Giannis and Jrue Holiday have missed several games this season, the Bucks have had a strong start. While the impending return of Khris Middleton should give its opponents pause, the club may not be back to full strength until January.



<h2>1. Boston Celtics</h2>



Even though the Celtics were eliminated from NBA championship contention in six games by the Warriors last season, the team’s future seemed promising. With All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the wings, plus the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari in the summer, the Celtics seemed ready to take another step forward in the new NBA season.



There was some doubt that they could repeat their second-half dominance and Finals run from last year when Gallinari tore his ACL in Eurobasket play, starting center Robert Williams required another knee treatment, and head coach Ime Udoka was banned for the whole season. However, their performance so far this year has put such concerns to rest. There was no noticeable drop-off in play when Udoka was replaced by Joe Mazulla, and the Celtics have continued to perform well.

Top 3 teams in 2022-23 NBA season so far

Top 3 teams in 2022-23 NBA season so far - thesportsdrops NEWS

Despite finding many infractions of club policy, owner Wyc Grousbeck stated Friday that the defending Eastern Conference champion <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/warriors-set-to-re-sign-andre-iguodala-for-his-last-nba-season-2824-20220923-SPD-2824.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Celtics</a> will not reinstate coach <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/warriors-set-to-re-sign-andre-iguodala-for-his-last-nba-season-2824-20220923-SPD-2824.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ime Udoka</a> following a months-long inquiry by an independent law firm.



The Celtics will be looking to a young, unproven leader as they navigate this difficult time. After Ime Udoka was suspended for the whole season, president of basketball operations&nbsp;Brad Stevens announced on Friday that <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-news-kyrie-irving-opens-up-on-nets-brutal-loss-to-celtics-last-season-2794-20220920-SPD-2794.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joe Mazzulla</a> will serve as temporary head coach of the Celtics.



Stevens chose the 34-year-old as an assistant coach in 2019, despite his lack of previous experience, and the Celtics are highly sure that he is the ideal guy for a challenging task.



<h2>What Brad Stevens&nbsp;thinks of Joe Mazzulla</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“He is an exceptionally sharp and talented person. Joe’s the best choice to [take over] by a long shot. As you go through the whole process it all hits you, but we have the best people in place to do that, and Joe is the best person to do that in our organization.”</blockquote>



After two successful seasons as head coach of the Fairmont State men’s basketball team during which they went 43-17, Mazzulla joined the Celtics’ coaching staff in 2019 and has been there ever since. He had previously worked as an assistant at Glenville State. Along with his time spent coaching at the university level, Mazzulla also worked as an assistant with the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ G League side.

Joe Mazzulla promoted as temporary Celtics' head coach after Ime Udoka’s suspension - thesportsdrops NEWS

Joe Mazzulla promoted as temporary Celtics' head coach after Ime Udoka’s suspension

The <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/celtics-new-signing-danilo-gallinari-tears-acl-on-international-duty-for-italy-2661-20220902-SPD-2661.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Celtics</a>‘ rise from last season’s worst team to the NBA’s best was one of the league’s most inspiring tales. The Celtics made it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 because of their oppressive defense and the play of rising players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.



Unfortunately, they were ultimately eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Many fans and analysts believe the Celtics will repeat as Eastern Conference winners and even go all the way to the NBA Finals because of the team’s second-half domination last year, the team’s relative youth, and the offseason signing of important player Malcolm Brogdon.



Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, on the other hand, is not making any premature judgments. He told The Boston Globe‘s Adam Himmelsbach that he doesn’t believe the team should have sky-high expectations after last year’s triumph.



<h2>What Wyc Grousbeck said of Celtics’ recent success</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“I loved being right there with them. It was thrilling. The other side of the coin is I think that we’ve now been overrated. I think that performance was a bit overrated in the public mind, or my own mind, because I’m the one saying it. </blockquote>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“[We were] a finalist and two wins away from winning it, but when you look back, Brooklyn was a tough series, and then we had to go seven games [against the Bucks and Heat]. Then we lost [to Golden State]. So, we’re not a hands-down team to repeat as Eastern Conference champions. I think we’re a quality team.”<cite>Grousbeck was quoted as saying by Boston.com</cite></blockquote>

"We have been overrated" &#8211; Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck

"We have been overrated" - Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck - thesportsdrops NEWS

"We have been overrated" – Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck

It seems that the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/no-kobe-bryant-draymond-green-of-warriors-reveals-his-all-time-starting-five-2522-20220814-SPD-2522.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Celtics</a> will be without one of their reinforcements for the upcoming 2022-23 season indefinitely. After signing a two-year, $13.3 million contract with the Celtics last month, <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/bill-russells-no-6-jersey-retired-by-nba-the-last-players-to-wear-no-6-for-each-team-2510-20220812-SPD-2510.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Danilo Gallinari</a> suffered a non-contact knee injury while competing for Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifier on Saturday.



On Sunday, during Italy’s FIBA World Cup qualification game, Gallinari was first diagnosed with a damaged meniscus in his left knee. However, subsequent investigation revealed that Gallinari had a torn ACL in his left knee, so the Celtics made an announcement.



While there is no official word on when the Italian will be back, tearing an ACL may set a player back about a year. The forward’s 2013 ACL tear sidelined him for the whole 2013–2014 season since it occurred in the same knee.



<h2>What Danilo Gallinari said of his injury</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“This has been a tough week for me as I learned the extent of my injury, This game means everything to me, and not being able to be on the court with my Celtics teammates hurts. I plan to give everything I can to the Celtics organization and my teammates as we hunt for a title. “I will work tirelessly with the Celtics staff to return to the court as soon as I can and I appreciate the unwavering support from the fans, my teammates, and the entire NBA family.”</blockquote>

Celtics new signing Danilo Gallinari tears ACL on international duty for Italy - thesportsdrops NEWS

Celtics new signing Danilo Gallinari tears ACL on international duty for Italy

It has been reported by ESPN that the <a href="http://o-sign-new-three-year-contract-2054-20220706-SPD-2054.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Celtics</a> have reached an agreement with veteran forward <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-rumors-trail-blazers-and-kings-among-teams-interested-in-hawks-john-collins-1716-20220623-SPD-1716.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Danilo Gallinari</a> to sign him to a two-year, $13.3 million deal. The power forward has been connected to Boston for more than a week, but since he needed to clear waivers after his trade from Atlanta to San Antonio after the July moratorium, the two sides were unable to make it public until today. 



In order to bring in Gallinari, Boston will make use of a taxpayer mid-level exemption. Option for the player will be part of the agreement. The Italian was a salary-matching element in the Dejounte Murray trade that San Antonio made in June. 



In an effort to help make the arrangement work, the $5 million partial guarantee on his $21.45 million pay for 2022/23 was upped from $5 million to $13 million. As a result, Gallinari’s salary-guarantee date was moved from June 29 to July 8. They may save $8.45MM on his non-guaranteed contract for 2022-23 by releasing him now.



<h2>Celtics to acquire Danilo Gallinari on two-year contract</h2>



It is expected that Gallinari will be allowed to sign with the Celtics on Sunday after clearing waivers, and he has already agreed to terms. On his new deal, he will allegedly get $13 million over the course of two seasons, with a player option for a third. The Celtics are utilizing their taxpayer mid-level exception to complete the signing process.



An already-deep Celtics squad could benefit from his addition. It’s possible that Ime Udoka’s presence in Boston will make Gallinari’s defensive shortcomings less obvious. Welcoming him to the team will be a big help offensively.

NBA Rumors: Danilo Gallinari to move to Celtics for next two years after being released by Spurs - thesportsdrops NEWS

NBA Rumors: Danilo Gallinari to move to Celtics for next two years after being released by Spurs

Before the <a href="https:\/\/news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-news-knicks-missed-out-on-stephen-curry-to-warriors-in-2009-nba-draft-1246-20220602-SPD-1246.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Golden State Warriors</a> take on the Boston Celtics in the <a href="https:\/\/news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-attendance-history-what-is-the-highest-attended-game-of-all-time-141-20220502-SPD-141.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA Finals</a>, n the lead-up to the Warriors’ NBA Finals showdown with the Boston Celtics, <a href="https:\/\/news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/2022-nba-playoffs-luka-doncic-waxes-lyrical-on-warriors-draymond-green-898-20220519-SPD-898.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Draymond Green</a> provided fresh insight into the behind-the-scenes lifestyle of Warriors players. For the first time in his career, <a href="https:\/\/news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-news-stephen-curry-of-warriors-named-western-conference-finals-inaugural-mvp-1110-20220528-SPD-1110.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Curry</a>, <a href="https:\/\/news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/which-is-the-most-valuable-nba-team-176-20220503-SPD-176.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thompson</a>, and he have stopped hanging out off the court with each other, according to an interview with ESPN‘s Malika Andrews.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“I think we’ve changed a lot. I think number one, the most importantly, we’re in totally, totally different places in our lives. When I look back at us during that time, we all hung together a lot more. We were just around each other. We don’t hang together very much at all anymore now. “Why? We have children, families, and that takes up all your time when you’re not here. But our bond is no different than it was when we hung together like that, and I think it’s in large part due to the foundation that we built.”<cite>Draymond Green to ESPN</cite></blockquote>



<h2>Warriors need their unity against Celtics</h2>



There’s no doubt that the Warriors will have their work cut out for them when they take on a squad like the Celtics. Game 1 of the NBA Finals ended in a 120-108 defeat for the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. 



Curry led the squad with 34 points, while Green finished the game with only four points. On Sunday, the Warriors will try to avenge their Game 2 setback by defeating Boston in San Francisco.

Boston Celtics