2019 NBA Mock Draft: When simulating the lottery gets wonky
The Celtics’ roster figures to change dramatically this summer one way or another. They stayed mostly static heading into this season, believing they could compete for a NBA championship, and have mostly been proven right. However, with many core players headed for free agency and their main trade target Anthony Davis expected to be on the market, Boston is going to be making moves.
Here’s how things stack up heading into an important summer:
Terry Rozier, 25 years old, $9.151 million cap hold
Kyrie Irving, 27 years old, $21.3 million player option
Al Horford, 32 years old, $30.1 million player option
Aron Baynes, 32 years old, $5.4 million player option
Marcus Morris, 29 years old, $10.2 million cap hold
As it pertains to White, the North Carolina guard who soared from the late first-round to the mid-lottery over the course of the season, the guard rotation is all that matters in Boston. We can expect Marcus Smart, fresh off a big new contract, and Brad Wanamaker, whom the Celtics brought in last year to shore up their depth, will be big parts of next year’s rotation.
White, however, is a slightly different player than either guy. He is a lot closer to the Isaiah Thomas/Rozier mold the Celtics sought out before trading for Irving — a springy guard who can shoot from distance and compete on defense (far more than Thomas).
It’s tough to say for any of the Celtics’ picks if they might be included in a draft package for Davis, but White is worth keeping considering the questions facing Boston’s backcourt.