Vincent Poirier was an intriguing signing for the Boston Celtics this past summer. The 7-footer made the All-EuroLeague Second Team and was a contributor on the French national team.
The Celtics hadn't had much luck with signing French players in recent years (looking at you, Guerschon Yabusele), but they desperately needed some size. Poirier, along with new addition Enes Kanter, would provide that.
Unfortunately for the French big man, things haven't worked out too well in his first NBA season. We're only 19 games into the 2019-20 NBA season and Poirier has only played in garbage minutes, appearing in just 31 minutes over six games.
The development of fellow big men Daniel Theis and Robert Williams III are a main reason why Poirier hasn't gotten minutes, but it was reasonable to expect a player with his size and international experience to be more of a mainstay in the rotation.
Most of the Celtics' role players have played pretty well this season, or at least have shown potential to be solid pieces in the future. So, when looking at someone to possibly move at the deadline, Poirier would be the logical option.
Poirier is only getting paid $5.1 million over two years, so he should be easy to move when he becomes trade-eligible on Dec. 15. Furthermore, in addition to the other Celtics centers, they have a 7-foot-5 monster waiting in Maine who is not only three years younger, but also presents much more of a higher ceiling.
Tacko Fall is an obvious fan favorite not just for Celtics fans but for the entire NBA. His marketability is obvious and he actually played well enough in NBA Summer League to prove that he could one day be a solid contributor in the league in the same vein as someone like Boban Marjanovic.
All in all, this is less of a knock against Poirier and more of a reflection of how well other Celtics rotation players have played so far. Third-year forward Semi Ojeleye could be another option for the Celtics to get rid of at the deadline, but the defense he brings is fairly valuable. Ojeleye's 3-point shot, while still a work in progress, has also improved.
If Poirier were to go anywhere, the Utah Jazz could be an option so he could team up with French national team teammate Rudy Gobert, though Ed Davis should be returning from an injury relatively soon.
The Washington Wizards are thin at center with Thomas Bryant out for a while and Ian Mahinmi still injured. Moe Wagner also recently suffered an ankle injury, though he's not expected to miss much time. Still, perhaps the Wizards go after Poirier to address the depth issue in the frontcourt.
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