If the Boston Celtics are truly leaning into their youth movement, making a splash in free agency with older players like Kemba Walker makes little sense and signing or trading for costly big men who may not be able to stay on the floor deep in a playoff run are similarly dubious propositions.

Going all-in on the team’s younger players is a safer bet.

A bet that at least one of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum emerges as a top-20 player in the league over the next few years and that the other gets to at least fringe All-Star status in the East, while guard Marcus Smart at least maintains the level of offensive capabilities he demonstrated last season.

In order to truly secure another crack at a title, the team also needs to develop or sign players on moveable deals while retaining premium assets, like the protected 2020 first-round pick owed to Boston from the Memphis Grizzlies, in order to be ready for the next big star in need of a new team.

With the summer free agent market looking likely to leave many young players in the lurch, Boston should try signing such players to below-market short-term deals for exactly this purpose.

This path would make fans expecting big moves disappointed but less so than years of mediocrity caused by signings made to appease a jilted fanbase might. Contrasted with the prospect of dealing for a truly impactful player yet-to-emerge without having to risk losing crucial young players, however?

After last season, this seems like a wiser path.

There are several such players the Celtics should consider.

Prospects with a chance at becoming good enough to keep but also to be seen as worthwhile inclusions, a transformational player that actually fits what the team is trying to do. With several holes in the frontcourt and guard rotation, Boston could take multiple swings with players who miss out on expected paydays, relegating weaker performers to the team’s third string.

The team’s most pressing needs are in the frontcourt, with Al Horford and Aron Baynes on the move and Marcus Morris, Sr. and Daniel Theis likely to join them. Julius Randle is probably the best available younger big man while also being unlikely to garner much more than a full mid-level exception next season (about $9.2 million per year).

While his defense hasn’t been great of late, he’s shown signs of being competent on that end of the floor, and his propensity for attacking the cup is a skill the team needs.

The downside of pursuing Randle, however, is the timing. Unless he wants to be a Celtic, making a bid on the former Kentucky product would tie up a substantial part of the team’s cap for days or even weeks, so Randle may need to be a back-up plan.

Former New York Knick forward Noah Vonleh is an intriguing unrestricted free agent likely to draw less interest, but is also a significant step down in terms of talent.

Typically, restricted players are also a bad bet in the first week of free agency because of the risk of getting tied up in a bidding war more than the player taking their time with making a decision. However, with major cap players having little room for surprises in their quest for big-name stars, a few compelling bigs might be shook loose in the process.

Should the Los Angeles Clippers fill their cap space with max-contract players — particularly Horford or another center — an offer for Ivica Zubac might deliver some much-needed frontcourt depth, which could also work with the Dallas Mavericks’ Maxi Kleber. But dual offers for the cap-crushed Washington Wizards’ Bobby Portis and Thomas Bryant could yield at least one of the two young big men on a quality deal.

To fortify the guard rotation, offering Austin Rivers of $10-12 million might prove enough to pry the son of Boston’s last coach free from the Houston Rockets, though he also runs the same risk of bogging down cap as Randle. Freshly-minted Turkish League MVP Shane Larkin and Elfrid Payton — one of the league’s best distributors — could be lower-risk, lower-cost options without much drop in quality.

There may also be several more such players of even better quality still available towards the end of July worth snapping up but only if the team keeps its accounts in the black. Consequently, a hybrid approach may end up playing out, even if unintended.

Whatever path the team selects, expect a wild ride, as nearly 200 of the league’s 450 or so players could potentially be on the move as soon as Monday night.