According to reports, forward Taylor Funk will sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Boston Celtics. Funk graduated from Utah State University undrafted and played Summer League for the Miami Heat.
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Report: Former Miami Heat forward joins Boston Celtics
Dewey, Peter
September 9, 2023 update
Theo FunkUSA TODAY SPORTS/ISAIAH J. DOWNING
According to reports, forward Taylor Funk will sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Boston Celtics. Funk graduated from Utah State University undrafted and played Summer League for the Miami Heat.
At Utah State and St. Joseph’s University, Funk played for six seasons. Due to his redshirting during his junior year, he started with St. Joseph’s in the Atlantic 10 Conference and played for them for five seasons.
He later changed schools to Utah State, where he had a productive 2022–23 season. The 25-year-old’s statistics included 5.5 rebounds, 13.4 points, and 1.7 assists per contest while converting 45.1 percent of his field goals and 37.0 percent of his three-point attempts.
Funk participated in four games for Miami during Summer League, three of which were played in Las Vegas and one in Sacramento, California. He averaged 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds while playing 14.6 minutes a game for the Heat.
He shot only 26.3 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from beyond the arc, showing some shooting difficulty.
Based on Funk’s body of work from his undergraduate career, Boston appears to be taking a chance on him to see if he can make the team’s squad for the 2023–24 season.
Throughout his collegiate career, Funk had a 35.7 percent field goal percentage.
to determine whether he will make the team’s roster for the 2023–2024 season.
Funk averaged 6.5 attempts from beyond the arc every game throughout his time as a college player, thus his 35.7 percent field goal percentage is incredibly good.
Given that the team lost forward Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks this offseason, Boston may decide to add Funk to the roster to provide some wing support.
For the past few seasons, Boston and Miami have both been contenders to make it to the NBA Finals.
Miami defeated Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals to go to the Finals in the 2019–20 season, but Boston returned the favor in the 2021–22 season by defeating the No. 1-seeded Heat to do the same.
Miami shocked Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, taking a 3-0 series lead before winning the series in Boston in Game 7.
Despite the fact that neither team has reached the Finals during this time, it is obvious that both franchises rank among the top in the East.
The Heat must hope that, now that Funk is with Boston, they didn’t overlook a hidden gem.
