Report: Boston Celtics Spurned By Free Agent In Favor of Miami Heat

 He began the year with the Washington Wizards, but with his playing time at the lowest it had been since his rookie season, nine-year veteran guard Delon Wright got himself a buyout from the Wizards, and according to a report, spurned the Boston Celtics on the buyout market in order to sign with the Miami Heat. But this had nothing to do with the weather. 

“The Celtics wanted [Delon Wright], by the way. And Miami promised him playing time—so you know.” - @BillSimmons pic.twitter.com/nX8PffJ8oE

— Dru (@dru_star) March 8, 2024

“The Celtics wanted him, by the way," said Bill Simmons, "And Miami promised him playing time—so you know.”

Interestingly, with the Heat, Wright's playing time has been extremely volatile. He burst onto the scene in South Beach playing 35 minutes in his Heat debut. However, that was when starting point guard Terry Rozier was out due to injury. He returned the next game, and Wright's minutes began to fall off a cliff, from 16 minutes in his second game, to just over three minutes in his next outing, to three straight games nailed to the bench — DNP-CDs.

It's doubtful this is what Wright thought he was signing up for. 

Overall, in his three games played with Miami, Wright is averaging five points and three assists while shooting 50% from three-point range. But maybe he's feeling a bit of a pang of regret with his newfound DNP-CD role?

Over 497 career games, Wright has averaged 7.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists, playing about 20 minutes per night, for now eight different teams. He began his career as a staple in the Toronto Raptors 'bench mob' for a couple of seasons before being traded at the 2019 trade deadline to the Memphis Grizzlies in return for Marc Gasol, as the Raptors went on to win the title that year. 

Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports