C's Offseason Acquisitions Recap - July 2015

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The Boston Celtics have been very active this summer, bringing in a variety of talent via trades, free agency and the 2015 NBA Draft. The organization has added veteran leadership in the frontcourt and youthful tenacity in the backcourt as it approaches the start of the 2015-16 NBA season.

In case you’ve missed any of the offseason action, we’ve put together a recap of Boston’s acquisitions over the last month.

Six-foot-nine power forward David Lee is the most renowned name that the Celtics have brought on board during this offseason, and he arrives in Boston with an impressive resume. Lee is fresh off an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, who dealt him to the C’s on July 27 in exchange for Gerald Wallace and Chris Babb. The 10-year veteran has maintained career averages of 14.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, making two All-Star appearances along the way. He didn’t see a lot of court time last season due to a leg injury and the emergence of Draymond Green in Golden State’s frontcourt. However, Lee should see a significant rise in minutes with the Celtics, and he has the potential to be Boston’s No. 1 rebounder and top-scoring big man.

The C’s have needed a large, physical presence to clog the lane for quite some time. They filled that void by signing 6-9, body-banging forward Amir Johnson on July 9. The 28-year-old, 10-year vet is known for his defense; particularly his ability to contest close-range shots. But he’s also had success on the offensive end, boasting a phenomenal .573 career field goal percentage. Johnson is not one to fill up the stat sheet, proven by his career averages of 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, but his grit and team-first attitude made him a fan-favorite in Toronto over the last six years. That should translate over to his upcoming season with the Celtics, as Johnson’s personality and scrappy playing style should sit well with Boston fans.

Boston’s acquisition of 23-year-old Perry Jones on July 14 flew somewhat under the radar, but it may turn out to be one of the most underrated moves of the 2015 NBA offseason. The C’s essentially landed the 6-11 forward for nothing, dealing a conditional 2018 second-round pick to Oklahoma City in exchange for Jones, a 2019 second-round pick and cash considerations. Early in his collegiate career at Baylor University, Jones was projected to be an eventual NBA lottery pick, but knee injuries hindered his draft stock and he fell to the Thunder late in the first round of the 2012 Draft. Those knee issues have lingered, but Jones possesses roof-raising potential and uncanny athleticism. Unfortunately, he was unable to showcase his talents often in OKC, as he was buried near the bottom of the Thunder’s loaded rotation over the last three seasons. Coming to Boston will provide Jones with a fresh start, and hopefully it’s the place where he can kick-start his career.

Zoran Dragic was traded from the Miami Heat to the Celtics on July 27, leaving his older brother Goran behind in South Beach. In the deal, the Celtics also landed a 2020 second-round pick and cash considerations from the Heat in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick. The trade was nearly identical in structure to the deal with Oklahoma City that occurred two weeks earlier. Last season was Dragic’s first in the NBA, and he spent the first half of it in Phoenix before being traded with his brother to Miami on Feb. 19. Though he does not have a lot of NBA experience, the 26-year-old is a veteran professional, having turned pro in his home country of Slovenia at the age of 15. At this point in his career, the 6-5 guard/forward does not bring the full package that Goran, a former NBA all-leaguer, has to offer, but the younger Dragic is a relentless, quick-handed defender who possesses great ability to disrupt the passing lane.

When Rajon Rondo was traded to Dallas last December, who would have guessed that Jae Crowder would turn out to be the most valuable piece the Celtics received in return? The 6-6, 25-year-old small forward quickly went from an unknown member of the C’s to a fan-favorite, and he fully earned the long-term deal he signed with the organization on July 27. Crowder is as hard a worker as any current Celtic, he's arguably the most tenacious defender on the team and his versatility at both ends of the court will fit perfectly within coach Brad Stevens’ system for years to come.

Crowder wasn’t the only versatile mid-season acquisition the Celtics obtained last season. They also brought in the sharp-shooting Swede, Jonas Jerebko in a trade with Detroit on Feb. 19. The Celtics fell in love with the 6-10 forward’s energetic style of play, momentum-swinging shot and ability to defend multiple positions, so they rewarded him with a multi-year deal on July 9.

Terry Rozier’s endless motor and willingness to learn stood out among NBA hopefuls who attended the Celtics’ pre-draft workouts in June. That’s why Boston took the 6-1 point guard with their top selection in the 2015 NBA. The 16th overall pick displayed uncanny speed, persistent defense and made numerous clutch shots for Boston’s summer league squad last month. The organization signed him to a multi-year deal on July 27.

R.J. Hunter was one of the top collegiate scorers in the nation last season, and that scoring ability carried over to the Las Vegas Summer League in July. Boston’s 28th overall pick from this year’s draft averaged a team-high 15.6 points per game in Vegas, and the C’s officially signed him to a multi-year contract on the same day they inked Rozier.

Jordan Mickey may turn out to be one of the biggest steals of the 2015 Draft. During his last season at Louisiana State University, the 6-8 forward, led the nation in blocked shots per game, with the help of his 7-3 wingspan. The Celtics selected Mickey in the second round with the 33rd overall pick, and during the summer league he was their most consistently productive performer. He was the No. 1 rebounder and shot-blocker on the Vegas SL squad, and was also second on the team in scoring, posting 13.8 points per game on 53 percent shooting. On July 19, Mickey became the team’s first 2015 rookie signee when the Celtics signed him to a multi-year deal.