The addition of Danilo Gallinari would have given the Boston Celtics, fresh off a 4-2 defeat in the NBA Finals at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, solid depth on the wing behind stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While the 34-year old Gallinari has lost a step, he still would have provided the Celtics a much-needed scoring punch off the bench, capable of creating shots for himself on isolation and draining catch-and-shoots alongside other stars.
Alas, Gallinari's knee injury he suffered playing for Italy changes things for the Celtics, who are now looking to replace the taxpayer mid-level addition with a low-cost flier. Carmelo Anthony, who was solid for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, looms as a potential option, capable of supplying Boston with a skillset similar to that of Gallinari's.
But no, the Celtics did not sign Carmelo Anthony. Instead, the Celtics will take a chance on Minnesota Timberwolves outcast Jake Layman, signing him to a training camp deal in hopes that he will find the promise he showed back with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2018-19 season.
Source to @CLNSMedia: Jake Layman will be joining the #Celtics on a training camp deal with a chance to make the roster. The six-year veteran forward last played for the Timberwolves over the last three seasons after starting his career with the Blazers.
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) September 12, 2022
It's a bonus for Boston that the 6'8 Layman hails from Norwood, Massachusetts, around 30 minutes away from what would be Layman's new home court should he impress in training camp. Layman was solid in that aforementioned 2019 season, playing in 71 games (33 starts), scoring 7.6 points per game on an efficient 51% from the floor. His three-point shooting has always been work-in-progress, never shooting above 33% from three for his career which is a bit disappointing from a purported sharpshooter.
Nevertheless, Layman is a smart cutter who knows his role and won't try to do too much, which can be helpful in a setting such as the Celtics' who have Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White to handle playmaking duties alongside Tatum and Brown. If Layman can show that he's capable of buying into a Celtics system that's built off staunch defense, which led the league in defensive efficiency last season, then he could prove to be a worthy addition to a roster that's in need of somebody to step up.
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