He has made the right decision for entire Boston Celtics.

Celtics Consider More Than Just Trades When Choosing Four Players.

The contracts of Dalano Banton, Svi Mykhailiuk, Lamar Stevens, and Luke Kornet were all guaranteed by the Celtics. One of the reasons they did so was to maintain trading flexibility.

The NBA has until Tuesday to choose whether to convert non-guaranteed contracts for the current campaign. The Boston Celtics decided ahead of time to apply it to the four players on their roster, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.
It should come as no surprise that contracts with Luke Kornet, Lamar Stevens, Dalano Banton, and Svi Mykhailiuk are guaranteed for the 2023–24 campaign.

Now, Kornet is assured of the remaining $2.4 million on his deal before it expires. After missing more than a week due to a right adductor injury, the seven-foot-two center is playing some of his best basketball as a Celtic. He recently filled the stat sheet with a season-high 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in a 120-118 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Boston has signed Stevens, Banton, and Svi Mykhailiuk for slightly more than $2 million apiece.

By keeping them on the roster, the C’s minimal flexibility to arrange a trade before the deadline on February 8 is preserved.

They are primarily looking for a big wing, a position that President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens would love to fill internally. Oshae Brissett recently strengthened his candidacy for the position. However, their most valuable tool in achieving that goal is a $6.2 million traded player exception (TPE) that Grant Williams received.

Though it’s possible that one or more of these four players will be leaving the Celtics in the coming month, signing them wasn’t only done for possible future trades.

Similar to Brissett, the six-foot-six Stevens can help the squad in its quest for a big wing. He has been a good rotation player for the Cleveland Cavaliers the past two seasons.

Banton can play and defend anywhere on the perimeter and is between six feet seven and six feet nine inches tall, depending on where you look. He also boasts a wingspan of over six feet ten inches.

He’s shown glimpses of what makes him a crucial member of Boston’s long rotation, known as the “Stay Ready Crew,” when given the chance.
There is a $2.2 million club option in the 24-year-old Swiss army knife’s contract for the 2024–25 season. Although there is no assurance that this option will be exercised, it is still worthwhile to collaborate with him.

Mykhailiuk has only played in 15 games, averaging 7.7 minutes per game, but he has developed the reputation of being a proficient shooter. If he were put in a more regular capacity, he could contribute thanks to this skill.

“I’ve been really pleased with all those guys,” Brad Stevens said on Thursday of this group. “I don’t want to say what we do or don’t do,” he continued. I don’t want to say anything about males in black and white, but I’ve been genuinely impressed with all of them.

They’ve all arrived and performed admirably for us.”
The Celtics therefore have an open space, a $6.2 million TPE, plenty of draft capital to acquire a viable target, and reasons to move forward with each of the four players whose contracts they recently guaranteed, even though they will assess their external possibilities to bolster their squad.