The Boston Celtics lost a lot manpower at the center spot with the departure of Al Horford and the trade that sent Aron Baynes to the Phoenix Suns. Yet the organization has lined up the right potential replacement in Vincent Poirier, a French center who played for European powerhouse Baskonia for the last couple of seasons.

Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge, one of the team's top scouts, raved about the Frenchman's size, athleticism and ability to rebound the ball:

“We've been scouting him for a few years,” Ainge told Brian Robb of the Boston Sports Journal. “In my opinion, when he had the move to Baskonia two years ago, he really improved very rapidly. They did a great job with him in development. He really improved and has become a very good player. This year, we obviously started talking with him and his agent throughout the season and we're excited that he chose to sign with us.

“As far as his game, he's really big. He's 7-foot-1 in shoes. He's athletic, he rolls really well and he's a presence at the rim. He's a good rebounder so he's a big physical active player.”

The Celtics still have Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis ahead of Poirier, but the hope is their offseason signing will get some run and develop with the training staff to become a useful cog.

Boston has made a killing by bringing in gems from overseas, as was the case with Theis (Germany) and Baynes (Australia, formerly of the San Antonio Spurs). Their experience with acclimating talent to their surroundings could prove useful in Poirier's development over time.