The Oklahoma City Thunder have announced their decision to waive former first-round pick Usman Garuba, who was initially selected by the Houston Rockets as the 23rd pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Despite his potential, Garuba struggled to secure significant playing time during his time with the Rockets. Would it make sense for the Boston Celtics to sign him? A recent analysis by Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krivitsky explored the idea, perking our interest as well.
Garuba, on one hand, averaged ten minutes per game in his rookie season and 12.9 minutes per game in the following season, putting up 3.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and just under an assist per game during Houston’s 2022-23 campaign while shooting 48.6% from the field and 40.7% from deep on limited attempts.
