Boston Celtics to keep offseason acquisition in ‘developmental pipeline’

The Boston Celtics plan to keep recent G-League acquisition DJ Steward, whose player rights have been transferred to the Celtics as part of a three-team G-League trade involving the Mexico City Capitanes, the Stockton Kings, and the Maine Celtics, in their “developmental pipeline” according to Celtics Wire’s Justin Quinn.

“Presumably done so the Celtics can keep Steward in their developmental pipeline should the parent club elect to go in another direction or keep that third two-way slot open, the Chicago native caught the attention of many during the NBA’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League with his impressive playmaking skills,” Quinn wrote.

Playing for Sacramento’s G-League affiliate, Steward averaged 13.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting over 45% from the field in 2021-22 and 2022-23; this after averaging 13 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists at Duke during the COVID-19-stricken 2020-21 college basketball season.

The Boston Celtics must find win-now veterans as they bring along young guns

Steward has the potential to blossom into a potential Boston Celtics depth piece eventually, but right now, he isn’t someone who substantially moves the needle for a franchise that has more pressure than any other in the league to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Few free agents are available that could make or break a title team, but sometimes, adding a bit of championship depth is what’s needed to preserve the bodies of stars to facilitate a deep postseason run. Boston needs to be on the lookout for such free agents, with the wing trio of Louis King, T.J. Warren, and Lamar Stevens already on the C’s radar.

It could take waiting for the buyout market next March to attain the quality of free agent the Celtics truly need, but in the meantime, the front office needs to keep the team’s cap sheet flexible.

Which Stevens has done consistently since taking the lead front office role in 2021.

• Published on 09/09/2023 at 6:00 AM EDT
• Last updated on 09/09/2023 at 6:00 AM EDT