The Boston Celtics have signed Svi Mykhailiuk to a one year deal, likely worth the veteran minimum. The 6’7” forward was reportedly choosing between Boston and Greek team Panathinaikos.
He split time between Charlotte and New York last season, playing in just 32 games but shooting 42.4% from 3. He started eight of 19 games in Charlotte.
He’s a career 36% 3-point shooter, but he’s now heading to his seventh team in six seasons.
Karalis’ analysis:
The Celtics were looking for cheap wing depth, and they found it in Mykhailiuk. He’s just 26 years old, so he’s just about heading into his prime. I’m not sure if that means much for him, but it’s possible he could find a gear that makes him a little more than he’s been.
And Panathinaikos is a high level European team, so it’s not like he was going over to try to dominate in some small league. He was pursued by one of the better franchises. That’s worth something.
At the same time, there’s a reason why he’s bounced around. But he won’t be asked to do too much with the Celtics. He’ll have a chance to earn some minutes behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and give the Celtics some shooting with size. He’s not going to be a 3-and-D guy, but if he gets the 3 part down, that might be enough to get him some minutes.
This puts some pressure on Sam Hauser to step up and earn his spot above Mykhailiuk on the depth chart. Hauser and Mykhailiuk are both here to shoot the rock, so Hauser will have to set himself apart on the defensive end. It might come down to which player is more capable on that end, which is an odd quirk in the competition between wing shooters. 
It’s a minimum deal, so it comes with minimal risk. I feel like the Celtics are still going to carry one open roster spot into the season. There’s no reason to fill that unless there’s a surprise around the corner. As I’ve said before, there are some interesting names still on the market who might be waiting for a Damian Lillard trade so they can fill some gaps somewhere. But if that trade doesn’t come this summer, there might be a scramble to get some of those guys onto rosters.
So if that happens and Boston can sneak a cheap deal, then they can either fill that 15th spot, or waive one of the non-guaranteed guys (Dalano Banton, Luke Kornet) to keep a spot open. The open spot can be filled down the road, especially if Brad Stevens sees the necessity for a trade. The $6.2 million TPE from the Grant Williams trade could really come in handy.
The bottom line is Mykhailiuk has the potential to hit some shots for the Celtics and give Tatum and Brown a few extra minutes on the bench. He adds some depth that Boston needs on the wing. He finished the season strong in Charlotte, so if that’s a sign of things to come, then this could be a steal. If it’s not, it’s not a big deal because it’s a minimum deal. And if the competition pushes Hauser a little in camp, even bette
