He was a good player in Europe. Transitioning to NBA speed/talent isn’t as easy for players coming from Europe. The Cs wanted this guy for a few years based of rumors and the contract they gave him signifies their intent to bring him over. His first year was basically a red shirt year. If they could get improvement from him to be a second unit contributor, it would be a big plus for the team and could allow Ainge to dangle Theis/Timelord in deals to improve the team.