BOSTON — The NBA Finals ended on June 16. And on Friday, hours into free agency and two weeks after that numbing Game 6 loss and admitting he needed shooting, playmaking and depth, Brad Stevens addressed the lion’s share of his needs during an extremely buddy morning.
The Celtics bolstered their bench by reaching agreement with Danilo Gallinari, the 33-year-old Italian veteran and a so-called stretch four, and then sent a large trade package to Indiana for point guard Malcolm Brogdon.
The Celtics are sending Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nic Stauskas, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts and their 2023 first-round pick. Stevens was able to land Brogdon, who has three years and $67.6 million left on his contract, including $22.6 million next season, while also keeping the core of his NBA Finals team intact.