The trading deadline is just over three weeks away. celtics will benefit players and property this season. With Boston wanting more athleticism on the wing and potentially looking for another multi-level playmaker, who could they give up to make those changes?
An obvious candidate for this roster, Pritchard has several reasons to welcome a trade. He’s been out of restricted free agency for just over a year and will turn 25 later this month. Jason Tatum By the time Pritchard starts him, he is past the halfway point of his second contract, with Pritchard being about a month older than Tatum.
a good sign of an untenable situation in NBA That’s when your role drops from your rookie season. What happened to Pritchard is more about opportunity than ability. The game is not growing.
The three guards ahead of him on the depth chart are trading long term, Sam Hauser Most of Pritchard’s time was opened when he was injured as coach Joe Mazzura dug deep down the bench. There are teams out there who feel he has more leeway and that opportunity will allow him to grow into a rotation player.
very similar to Aaron Nesmith When Romeo Langfordperhaps Pritchard could show signs of realizing his potential in a consistent role. Pritchard and his teammates have made it clear that he deserves more chances elsewhere, so this may be the best thing for both sides.
Verdict: Should be available.
There’s a year to go before Pritchard’s audition, but the spotlight is fixed on Grant Williams. He guaranteed $48 million preseason and turned down a four-year extension offer with additional incentives.
But since Rob Williams’ return, Grant Williams’ game has taken a hit. He didn’t play more than 30 minutes in his three weeks. He stopped closing matches. His rhythm is just broken.
His 3-point percentage dropped from 46.5% in the first 28 games of the season to 29.3% in 15 games since the other Williams returned. But he’s been pushing matters lately, attacking the rim more aggressively and putting up big performances in wins. Dallas, Chicago When brooklyn over the past two weeks.
Williams looked like a great bet when the season started and his attacking game has clearly changed. But role consistency is taking a toll on his market value.Most of the cap space this summer will see if Williams can become a leader through a rebuild if he throws a bag at him. Because I belong to a lottery team that is trying.
He has reasons to deal, but the Celtics are well positioned for his free agency. Their main need at the moment is athletic wing/forward depth, and while Williams may not have the length or dangerous verticals, he is one of the best to come off the bench in the league. has proven to be one of his 3-and-D players. It’s hard to upgrade him, especially given his long-term growth potential.He’s 24 and the Celtics have his matching rights.
Al Horford With just $10 million in revenue next season, the luxury tax bill has room to give Williams the money he wants and potentially a starting spot. Derrick White Instead of Williams, there is an opening most of the time, so even if Williams re-signs, it doesn’t mean he’ll be in the first four. should be able to resolve
Verdict: Celtics should listen, but don’t shop.
Brad Stevens has boldly built a backcourt rotation of big combo guards. The group is very well balanced, with 2 out of 3 seemingly making an impact every night.
White and Malcolm Brogdon have two years left on their contracts. Don’t worry about being lame. The fit is working for now. Marcus Smart and White seem to contribute more to the team’s success, often closing out nights out, but Brogdon has enough big games to take over offense that Tatum and White have left him behind. I have clarified why I want to Jalen Brown Inevitably hit a wall in the postseason.
This dynamic works and there is no reason to break it.
Verdict: Hold the fort unless something special happens.
Al Horford
Horford just signed a two-year, $19.5 million contract extension last month.
Verdict: why are you asking?
Blake Griffin. (John E. Sokolowski/USA Today)
Griffin does get real roles from time to time, but he and Jackson are mostly there for the vibe. The team maintains a strong rocker-his-room culture, and these two are at the heart of it. Griffin is more useful because he works in some matchups and has a lot of veteran wisdom to pass on, but either of these he could be used in the trade.
Verdict: Potential Trade Matching Pieces.
Jason Tatum
Who would you trade Tatum for at this point? The list is incredibly short. who recently won the MVP, Luka Donciccan you trade with him Stephen Curry Also lebron james now? The Celtics have a dream player and he’s not going anywhere.
Verdict: lol
Jalen Brown
There’s a hidden clause in the CBA that requires Brown to trade rumors every season. A player with Brown’s ability is highly unlikely to hit the market next month, and the Celtics are not in a position to sell him as a component.
The only driving force moving him now is if the front office thinks he’s not going to make All-NBA and is seriously interested in leaving in unrestricted free agency in July 2024. The player rarely refuses. The concern is that if he turns it down for any reason, the team knows he is at risk of flight and his trading market value will take a major hit.
The Celtics have a financial advantage even if he achieves free agency, but losing a talented talent like another fringe-all NBA player for free is still a big risk. Rudy Gobert When Dejounte Murray I made a fortune in the trading market.
This is the perfect time to sell for Braun. But why are they selling Brown so high unless they think he might leave? It’s hard to imagine having the chance to do so.
Verdict: Deadlines are not going anywhere. See you this summer.
Availability has always been more important than capacity at Boston’s Combustible Center. He’s basically made a mid-level exception for the next four seasons, and even with his injury history, he’ll probably double that in the market. Whether or not they can find another starting center, Williams fits this team so well on and off the floor that his value to the Celtics is far greater than any other team.
Verdict: Continue Williams development but look for potential pivots throughout next season.
Another smart move by the front office, Cornette has been talked about for years as an underrated player the team wanted to keep. He has revived his NBA career this year with solid minutes and has shown his worth by taking on a role like Rob’s Williams. Kornet Kontests Alone It’s worth keeping him, but he’s been a solid rim roller and floor spacer this year while playing good defense at the rim. It was what it was.
Verdict: Not just a contract, but clearly tradable.
Sam Hauser
Finally making it into this year’s rotation, Hauser was exactly what you’d expect. When you’re not burying shots, it’s not enough to get real playing time.
Brad Stevens believed in practice and what he saw in Maine, which is why he signed him to a multi-year deal this summer. Hauser started out so hot that he had too much room to fall. He eventually thrives and still doesn’t have enough value across the league to get a value that reflects his potential as a rotation player.
Verdict: Not enough yet.
He could still provide value next season, but this team is taxing well enough that they will likely prefer using Gallinari over a trade exception if the deal goes through. It might help the season, but at his age and coming out of this big injury, the Celtics will probably try to find someone in the middle level of the taxpayer.
The Celtics could use another big wing who could impact the game with athleticism or ball skills, the latter of which was supposed to be Gallinari’s job.
Verdict: Most likely a trade item.
Invalid Player Exception
When Gallinari was down that year, the team received a DPE of $3.3 million for being expected to miss the season. This can be used as a trade exception or as a free agent his chip to sign off someone from his market to buy out with an amount equal to or above the prorated minimum until March 10th.
The Celtics have to pay a luxury tax on anyone who signs a contract above the minimum this season, so they’re unlikely to throw as much at someone outside the playoff rotation as possible. there is a million dollars Juancho Hernangomez Trade Player Exception (TPE) Expiring January 19th and $5.9 Million Dennis Schrader A TPE that lasts until the deadline.
The Hernangomez TPE expires on Thursday, so the Schröder TPE is most likely to be used. Usually deals this early are for pre-deadline financial positioning, but the Celtics were already in that process when they traded Noah Bonley to San Antonio in the first week of the year. was starting.
Verdict: Save for buyout season.
Marcus Smart
Save the ultimate trade rumor machine and longest tenured Celtic for last. His offensive this year has smoothed out the rough edges of his game a bit, and he’s taken the next step as a dynamic playmaker. Smart isn’t a traditional point guard transitioning from high pick-and-roll to drive-and-kick, but he stacks the dimes with a more diverse array than most of his peers at that position.
The Celtics have perfectly tuned his skill set, and no one seems to care that he’s right with 33% from the deep for the third straight season. Hey, at least he’s surprisingly consistent. Smart won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season and is among the top 10 players in the league for assists per game, but he made just $17.2 million in the first year of his contract extension. I’m not He wants to be a Celtics for the rest of his life, and at this point there’s no reason to assume he won’t.
Verdict: love and trust.
(Top photo: Brian Fluharty / Getty Images)
