The Boston Celtics, despite not having any open salary cap room, would make an interesting destination for Culver given they have several trade exceptions at their disposal. The Kemba Walker exception that they received this offseason is worth about $6.8 million, which Culver’s cap hit would fit right under.
Additionally, the Boston Celtics would be acquiring even more perimeter defense as well as another prospect to develop. The Celtics picked 14th in the 2019 NBA Draft – and there were rumors at the time that indicated that they were interested in moving up in the draft.
While Culver is not a player that would necessarily be a game-changer for the Celtics, they have been a team that has gotten the most out of their players in the past, and Jarrett Culver is one that does, in a sense, need fixing.
While Culver certainly would not get many minutes in Boston, it would also mean that there would be less pressure for him to perform well immediately. Perhaps he could spend time with the G-League affiliate or just be a reserve for the A-team.
Whether the Celtics believe that Culver would be worth the shot at both his $6.3 million price tag and 45th overall pick is another question – but I’m sure Boston would, at minimum, consider it.