Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets have agreed to move on from one another according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the longtime Rockets General Manager and the team reportedly mutually agreeing it is time for the split.
As one might expect when it appears a title contender is on the verge of stripping itself down for parts to retool or rebuild front offices around the NBA are likely salivating over what players they might be able to pry free from Houston, and the Boston Celtics and their fanbase are no exception.
However, with few contracts on the books in the mid-range area between rookie deals and maximum or near-max deals, there isn’t much the Celtics could realistically put together to make a play for a worthwhile target without the prospect of taking on several million dollars in salary.
ESPN Sources: Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is stepping down. https://t.co/NTmplVtWcl
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 15, 2020
And that’s including a player — Enes Kanter — who hasn’t even opted into the final season of his deal nor can he until the guarantee date arrives in (likely) December.
A player like Robert Covington might be a good pairing in the frontcourt to counterpoint center Daniel Theis’ more defensively-oriented style of play, spending more time with second unit players to provide spacing and bench offense.
But with $12 million in guaranteed salary, it’s unlikely that Boston will float a more attractive deal even if Kanter did opt in than the teams they’ll likely be competing against in the bidding.
While a remote possibility could hang around for Boston of a deal at the trade deadline, this situation is worth monitoring more for how it will likely shape the Celtics’ competitors than for any splashy deals for themselves.
