Will Celtics be active on buyout market? Udoka shares team's mindset

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The Boston Celtics brought in two new players Tuesday night. But they reserve the right to further tinker with their roster.

After signing Malik Fitts and Kelan Martin to 10-day contracts, the Celtics still have the roster flexibility to add a player on the NBA buyout market before the March 1 deadline.

Head coach Ime Udoka offered some pretty good intel Wednesday into how the C's are approaching the buyout market."As far as the buyouts, we’ll see what happens," Udoka told reporters. "There are names that are being floated out there as far as possibilities. If something makes sense, obviously we have roster spots, so you can do something.

"But for the most part, we’re focused on the guys we have and incorporating Derrick (White) and Daniel (Theis) back into the mix and having them build with the lineups and players we have. So, that’s really the focus, and we’ll see what happens down the line as far as anything else."

The Celtics are the NBA's hottest team at the All-Star break, winning nine of their last 10 and 11 of their last 13. White appears to be fitting seamlessly with Boston's core group of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams. So, there's an element of, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" here.

Boston could use some depth, however, as they're essentially operating with an eight-man rotation after trading Dennis Schroder, Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford. The C's are kicking the tires on the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Martin and the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Fitts, but if neither player pans out, then it may make sense to see who's available via buyout.

"We’re looking for a specific skill set, body type and some of the things that match well with our team," Udoka said of Martin and Fitts. "We think those two fit into that role."

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As for who's available on the buyout market, NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine recently identified three big men -- Robin Lopez, Derrick Favors and old friend Tacko Fall -- who could make sense for the C's. Gary Harris, Tomas Satoransky and Paul Millsap are other names to monitor as well.

But as our Chris Forsberg explained recently, the Celtics may prioritize developing young players like Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith instead of adding a veteran via buyout. Udoka didn't rule out another addition, though, so keep an eye on the transaction wire between now and March 1.

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