The Top 5: Decisions for the Celtics at the trade deadline
Wing depth
In my humble opinion this team needs a veteran who can spell Tatum and Brown and bring an ability to score from the wing. Right now your bench at this position is Sam Hauser. Or some combination of Derrick White/ Malcolm Brogdon/ Grant Williams playing out of position lacking the skills to offensively keep the unit afloat.
Combine that need with another need to start limiting the minutes for Tatum and Brown. Tatum has played more minutes than anyone in the NBA of the past year and 1/2 plus the Olympics. He is playing through some minor injuries which only get worse with out rest. We saw his mental fragility in the Finals last year. The team can’t afford that level of burn out from their super star this year.
Front court depth
Robert Williams is wildly unreliable and Horford is 36. Love me some paint jumping Kornet, but Lurch can’t be leaned on for playoff minutes. There are more than a handful of guys in the buyout market or trade market to bring in an athletic big to handle the back end defensive assignments. The latest rumor is Nerlens Noel. Fine. That profile is what I’m looking for. Noel isn’t the floor spacer like a Kelly Olynck, but yuck on Kelly Olynck.
If Time Lord or Horford are unavailable for the playoffs you can kiss the ring goodbye. Period. So, pull the trigger on this depth piece in order to responsibly manage minutes down the stretch.
Grant Williams’ future
“Grant wants a lot of money. We heard he thinks he’s got $18 to $20 million waiting for him in free agency. And he wants to play more, probably start. Not sure either one of those happen with Boston.”
A league source said, “Brad (Stevens) will move Williams if he can get a comparable player that’s under team control for a couple more years.”
I love this approach from Brad. Grant is a flight risk and in any other season they should look to maximize that asset. However, this year they need to maximize the roster to put them over the top. The Championship hurdle is massive in the NBA for young superstars. It can make or break them. This needs to be the year Tatum and Brown break through. The future of the Boston duo may rely on it.
Payton Pritchard value
Pritchard is in the same boat as Williams although not as valuable. With one injury to White, Smart, or Brogdon though and he’s your 9th man and regularly in the rotation. Pritchard plays a perfect spark plug roll and has been called “the best pure shooter on the Celtics roster”. This team needs spacing and shooters. Pritchard falls into the Maximizing the roster category.
Don’t do nothing
Remember 2019 when Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, Kyrie were all making a stir around the deadline? Everyone thought Ainge should make a move to unload at least one guy off that roster to free up space for minutes. The year before was the exact opposite. They need 1 maybe two pieces for a legit run. In both of those examples Danny did nothing and the team fell flat. Every championship team adds at the deadline or buy out market. It injects energy and confidence that the team is invested in winning. Don’t sit on your hands here Brad. Judging by the activity I don’t think he will. This isn’t trader Danny land where he’s in on everyone and closes on no one.
Another rival team said, “It’s clear to us that Brad (Stevens) has the go-ahead to add tax money, because all of our conversations would be TPE trades for them. We just don’t have anyone that’s a fit for that kind of deal, but the Celtics are trying to use it.”
Keep an eye on the Celtics potentially sending a protected first-round pick, or two second-round picks, in exchange for a player that makes under $6 million to fit in the TPE. It seems like Boston has no plans to let it expire.