2:54pm: The Celtics will sign Hollins after he clears waivers and passes a physical, tweets USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt. If Hollins still needs to pass through waivers, the signing is far from official, as we learned with J.J. Hickson. But it appears Boston will land Hollins later today.
1:43pm: The Celtics are working on a contract for the recently waived Ryan Hollins, and are expected to cut Chris Wilcox if they land Hollins, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
Hollins, 27, parted ways with the Cavaliers earlier this week in a move Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal characterized as a mutual decision. The Celtics, in need of a big man after losing Jermaine O’Neal for the season and missing out on Ronny Turiaf, were reported to be the frontrunners to land Hollins. Blakely adds that the Celtics may continue to search for a big man even if they sign Hollins (Twitter link).
Wilcox is sidelined for the rest of the season due to a heart issue which required surgery. Cutting him would open up a roster spot for the Celtics, though his $3MM cap figure for this year would remain on the team’s books. Wilcox is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.