The Boston Celtics are going to look different in the 2023-24 NBA season. Much different. Grant Williams and Marcus Smart are both gone. Kristaps Porzingis and Oshae Brissett are among the notable new faces in Beantown. But the roster is not yet complete with one more spot needing to be filled. According to Adam Taylor of Green With Envy, the Celtics should look in the direction of Kelly Oubre Jr. 

The Celtics don’t have a pressing need to add a forward. They already have the two Jays in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but Boston can still use some more depth in the position. Oubre has his limitations, but as a backup, his scoring ability and defensive potential can be a tremendous boost for an already-loaded Celtics squad.

However, luring Oubre to Boston might require some advanced financial gymnastics by the Celtics’ front office. Oubre’s last contract had a cap hit of $12 million. He could be looking for a greater annual average value than that in his next deal (even if he played only 48 games last season) and the Celtics don’t seem to have the space to do give that.

Last season, the former Kansas Jayhawks star averaged 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, while posting just a 49.7 effective field goal percentage and 53.4 true shooting percentage. His shooting efficiency and apparent lack of passing acumen are major drawbacks, but if he’s just to come off the bench, the Celtics can live with those.

A veteran minimum deal with a team that has a legitimate shot at winning the NBA title could be good enough to entice Oubre, though. If he can’t find the lucrative contract he’s seeking this offseason, a one-year, prove-it contract with the Celtics to rebuild his stock sounds sensible.