Wenyen Gabriel. Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics move to shore up their big man rotation after trade

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 10/1/23

Robert Williams is heading to the Portland Trail Blazers. The explosive big man moves across the country after being part of the deal to send Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics.

Williams is one of the most impactful big men in the NBA when healthy. However, Williams is yet to have a season that isn't marred by injury issues.

Nevertheless, Williams' departure leaves the Celtics short of front-court options. Boston has Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet on their roster heading into the new season. Given Porzingis' injury history, Horford's age, and Kornet's limited role, the Celtics need to add another impactful big man.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics are signing Wenyen Gabriel to a training camp deal. Gabriel, 26, is a Massachusetts native who has amassed 145 regular-season NBA games since entering the league in 2019.

Free agent 7 footer Wenyen Gabriel has agreed to a training camp deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 1, 2023

Gabriel would provide the Celtics with additional size and length off the bench. The veteran big man played in 68 regular-season games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season and proved himself capable of anchoring an NBA defense.

He can also play the power forward position, which would help give head coach Joe Mazzulla some flexibility in his rotations and lineup management.

Still, Gabriel isn't guaranteed a spot on Boston's roster. He will need to impress during training camp to earn a contract for the upcoming season. Stevens could also look toward some older free-agent centers. Dwight Howard, Nerlens Noel and DeMarcus Cousins are all still available.

According to MassLive's Brian Robb, Boston isn't done making changes to their roster.

"A league source tells MassLive that Boston is not done tweaking the roster after acquiring Holiday with training camp on the horizon this week. The timing of subsequent moves will be dependent on a few factors though."

Celtics fans will be hoping the next move Stevens makes is one that shores up their frontcourt rotation. Whether that's signing Gabriel for the upcoming season or a veteran big man, as long as the Celtics replenish their depth, they should be viewed as favorites to make the NBA Finals in 2024.

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