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Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics

All the noise surrounding the Boston Celtics is currently focused on Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nevertheless, Brad Stevens will undoubtedly be planning his offseason moves.

The Celtics have the full non-taxpayer mid-level-exception at their disposal, along with a $27.7 million traded player exception. A new point guard and some depth at the center positions appear to be the priorities. However, Stevens may also look to add some veteran depth on the wings.

According to Ben Handler of Hardwood Houdini, one forward Boston should be targeting this summer is Dean Wade. The Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter is heading into unrestricted free agency and may be open to moving teams.

“Perhaps, with a change of scenery and a bit of a reduced role, Wade could make a big impact on a team where he’d be much more of a role player than a guy who was unfairly expected to be one of the Cavs’ key wing players,” Handler wrote. “Boston has the full mid-level exception to play with. They could offer Wade a solid chunk of that, roughly $15 million annually.”

“That should be an intriguing prospect for Wade who could stay in the East and join a contender where he could fit into a natural role and focus on accentuating his strengths without being asked to do things outside of his comfort zone,” Handler continued.

Wade suited up for 59 games this past season, averaging 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per night. He shot 36.2% from 3-point range and 62.2% from two-point range.

The Celtics Wing Depth Is Loaded

The issue with targeting a player like Wade is that Boston’s wing depth is already loaded. Joe Mazzulla has Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez to call on.

Unless the Celtics make some moves to free up playing time on the wing, Wade’s addition would be questionable. After all, if he did receive playing time, he would be doing so at the expense of developing some of the Celtics’ younger talents. And if he didn’t earn playing time, his addition would be a waste of the MLE.

Therefore, it’s hard to see the Celtics prioritizing a veteran wing this summer, unless the roster undergoes some drastic changes.

Adding Giannis Is Still A Possibility For Celtics

In fairness, if the rumors are to be believed, Boston is contemplating making some significant alterations to the current squad. A potential trade for Giannis has become a consistent talking point surrounding Boston.

According to Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal, the LA Clippers have now emerged as a potential third team to help facilitate moving Giannis to Boston. In return, Jaylen Brown would be routed to Los Angeles. Young talents and draft picks would then head to the Milwaukee Bucks in return.

“A potential multi-team trade framework making the rounds in league circles would bring Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Boston Celtics and send Jaylen Brown to the Los Angeles Clippers, with the Clippers’ No. 5 overall pick going to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the return, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal,” Grant Afseth reported.

Should the Celtics firm up their reported interest in Giannis, and part with more wings than just Brown, Wade may emerge as a viable candidate to provide spacing off the bench. However, if Stevens opts to move forward with the current roster, Wade will need to look elsewhere for a new home.