Celtics Reportedly Reach Out To Free Agent Chase Budinger
BOSTON (CBS) -- Rumors surrounding big name players like Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook have been swirling around the Boston Celtics.
But Thursday came and went without a mega-deal coming to fruition, as have so many other days this offseason. But don't think pulling off a blockbuster is all Danny Ainge is working on this summer.
The Celtics, in need of someone to help stretch the floor, have reached out to free-agent forward Chase Budinger, according to The Sporting News' Sean Deveney.
SMall bit of @celtics news ... Still looking for shooters, source said they reached out to free-agent Chase Budinger.
— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney) July 14, 2016
A seven-year veteran, Budinger is a 43 percent shooter from the floor and a 35 percent shooter from long distance for his career. He played in 66 games last season between the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers, making just 28 percent of his shots from beyond the arc while averaging a career-low 4.1 points per game. He's averaged 7.9 points per game over his career, split between the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwovles, Suns and Pacers.
Boston took 26 threes a game last season, ranking 11th in the NBA, but hit only 34 percent of those attempts -- 28th in the league. They do have young shooters on the roster in R.J. Hunter and James Young, but with neither doing much in their brief NBA stints, it's easy to see why Ainge would explore some veteran options.