With the end of the NBA’s regular-season upon us, teams have begun to fill out any remaining roster spaces they had, which has boded well for former Boston Celtics big man Moses Brown.
Brown, who joined the Celtics during the off-season as part of the Kemba Walker trade, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks as a makeweight in the deal to bring Josh Richardson to Boston, meaning the young center never had an opportunity to play at the TD Garden as a Celtic.
Still, the seven-foot-two big man has earned himself another crack at the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who converted his two-way contract into a full-time deal on Saturday, April 6.
Brown originally signed with the Cavaliers on March 10 on a ten-day contract but showed enough to eventually be converted into a two-way player for the team, before inking a full-NBA deal on Saturday. The young center has played 13 games for the Cavaliers this season, starting five of them, and has averaged 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 12.8 minutes of playing time per game.
Brown Could Have Played a Role in Boston
While Brown is still a raw prospect who has proven to be limited defensively, his size and motor could have provided the Celtics with a different option off their bench. Brown is a prototypical rim-runner, capable of protecting the rim, owning the glass, and offering a lob threat on offense.
Sure, the 22-year-old center would have spent most of the season in the G-League with the Maine Celtics, but now, with the Celtics missing Robert Williams due to injury, Brown could have been a viable member of the team’s bench unit heading into the playoffs.
Still, the New York native has found himself with the perfect opportunity in Cleveland, with a young Cavaliers roster that likes to play big in the middle. But, with Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen all on the roster, Brown has his work cut out when it comes to earning playing time once the Cavaliers are back to full health.
Robert Williams Progressing Well in Rehab
It’s a well-known fact that if the Celtics are to have any chance of a deep post-season run, they will need Williams back in the rotation, and close to full health. A lot has been said about the big man’s recovery time, and how he should be ready to go by the second round of the playoffs, but sometimes it’s hard to separate wishful thinking from actual medical updates.
Luckily, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens recently gave an update on the Timelord’s recovery from surgery and noted the timeline the team is aiming for.
“Everything up today has just been progress. Just making really good progress. I don’t know if I mentioned this the other day, but I think he was two or three days out from surgery and he was on the leg extension machine. Obviously super light. He’s walking around like he had nothing… But it does feel like he’ll be back on the court in a fairly short amount of time when you consider what it could have been,” Stevens said during a recent appearance on Toucher and Rich for 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Willams was having a breakout season before suffering a torn meniscus, and was quickly making a case for Defensive Player of the Year, and will most likely be present on one of the league’s All-NBA defensive teams. Williams, 24, recently signed a contract extension that will keep him in Boston until 2026.
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