Previous player of interest to the Boston Celtics Davis Bertans is reportedly heating up as a free agency target of several teams around the league — including multiple contenders hoping to sign-and-trade the Washington Wizards, according to NBC Sports Washington’s Chase Hughes.
Heading into the 2020 NBA trade deadline, the Celtics reportedly tried to pry Bertans loose of the Wizards, only to be rebuffed with the hope of resigning the Latvian forward themselves.
Now, it seems, confidence is wavering — or perhaps the offers are improving.
An unrestricted free agent, Bertans could choose to sign outright with a number of interested teams as well as signing-and-trading to a contender.
Davis Bertans is expected to receive interest from multiple teams eyeing sign-and-trade scenarios in free agency, @NBCSWashington has learned. That's in addition to teams with cap room looking to sign him outright.
Details: https://t.co/kmqDDRAZze
— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) November 9, 2020
“The teams were not specified, though one source said there are two Eastern Conference teams and one from the West who are interested in sign-and-trade scenarios involving Bertans,” related Hughes.
“That is along with at least three teams – the Hawks, Knicks and Suns included – expected to target Bertans early in free agency using their cap room … Though the teams looking at a sign-and-trade are not known, the dots could possibly be connected to those who were interested in Bertans before the trade deadline. That list included the Celtics, Lakers and Nuggets.”
Taking Bertans onto the team via a sign-and-trade would hard cap the team for the season, making any necessary adjustments later in the season should injury or other issues pop up a fraught proposition.
Channing Frye proposes steep trade for CJ McCollum to Celtics https://t.co/rGZWkoLALM
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 8, 2020
But the Wizards forward remains one of the best options on the market this offseason to provide the sort of shooting Boston so desperately needs coming off the bench.
However, Bertans may be looking for a bigger role than the Celtics could provide regardless of the financial and contention-oriented incentives Boston can offer.
Particularly if veteran forward Gordon Hayward opts into the final season of his current deal as expected and isn’t part of the haul going back to the Wizards.
It’s probably best to keep our expectations very low regarding this news breaking the Celtics’ way given the number of “ifs” involved for that to happen.
[jwplayer blVQTZ5W]
[lawrence-related id=43106,43096,43091,43087]
[listicle id=43017]