One of the biggest names left on the NBA free agent market is officially off the table with Leandro Barbosa agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports via Twitter:
Free agent guard Leandro Barbosa has reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics, league sources tell Yahoo! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 17, 2012
Last year, Barbosa played the majority of the season with the Toronto Raptors and then was traded to the Indiana Pacers before the NBA trade deadline. The Pacers neglected to re-sign the former Sixth Man of the Year making him an unrestricted free agent.
After an impressive outing with the Brazilian national team during the 2012 Olympics this summer, Barbosa was thought to attract a few suitors for his services in the NBA. Unfortunately, not many teams showed interest and as a result he was left unsigned until now.
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It has been rumored for quite some time that there was a mutual interest between Barbosa and the Los Angeles Lakers. Barbosa would’ve been a perfect addition to the bench for the Lakers with his ability to play both positions in the backcourt and as a force from beyond the arc.
Things started to heat up in talks with Barbosa as it was rumored that the recently acquired Steve Nash had been recruiting his former teammate to sign with the Lakers. Unfortunately, the Lakers were only offering the veteran’s minimum and possibly a very limited role in a crowded backcourt.
Nash also attempted recruit Grant Hill over the summer, but lost that battle to the Los Angeles Clippers.
It’s uncertain why the Celtics brought in Barbosa after signing Jason Terry and Courtney Lee recently. The only logical reason would be as an insurance policy for Avery Bradley at the point guard position.
As a combo guard, Barbosa serves many different purposes and it’s possible that the Celtics’ front office felt it was the right move as a low risk, high reward situation.
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