The Celtics find themselves in a tough spot with the trade deadline approaching.
They entered their game in Memphis on Monday with a .500 record. They haven’t played anything like a team that was supposed to be a serious contender in the Eastern Conference, if not the NBA championship.
Part of the reason has been injuries and COVID-19 related issues. They don’t have any players who have appeared in every game. Among those absences, Marcus Smart has missed 19 games and Kemba Walker has sat out 17 contests.
However, Boston probably isn’t good enough to win the East with its current roster unless one or two of the Nets’ stars is injured during the postseason. The Celtics could use another difference-maker, another big and some depth. Brad Stevens admitted on Monday, “I think it’s very obvious that none of those young guys have really separated themselves from the others off our bench.”
In recent days, the Celtics have been linked to Norman Powell, Harrison Barnes, Evan Fournier, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Aaron Gordon and John Collins.
Boston has a huge $28.5MM traded player exception to utilize. It also has some additional second-round picks but it would probably have to move one or more first-round picks to get one of the above-mentioned players. Smart, whose contract expires after next season, appears to be the Celtics’ best trade chip if they move any of their regulars, since it’s hard to see them dealing either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown.
That leads us to our topic of the day: Should the Celtics look to make a major move before Thursday’s trade deadline? If so, which player that they’ve reportedly pursued would be the best fit?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in. We look forward to your input.
Barnes and Fournier would be the best additions of the choices above. Add an Aldridge or Drummond and things could be shored up nicely in beantown
Apparently the Hawks would be keen on Smart as their SH cause of his defence and leadership next to Trae Young, and with the Celtics interest in Collins they could possible make something happen here.
A Celtics team competing now with Walker Brown Tatum Collins Thompson plus role players Thies Teague Pritchard Williams Williams Nesmith Langford you’d have a nice team for this season but also for the future.
Brown Tatum and Collins would make a nice big 3 on the current and the future.
I’d trade Smart, Langford and a protected first for Collins and Snell.
1. Walker. Teague/Pritchard
2. Brown. Snell
3. Tatum. Nesmith/Ojeleye
4. Collins. Theis
5. Thompson. Williams
Snell is a decent/good wing defender and is knocking down threes with ease this season. You’d have 4 really good starters and versatility to fill the last position. You can play Thompson for interior defence and rebounding, Theis for spacing and perimeter defence or can play small with Collins at the 5 and have Teague start as another shooter.
As a Sixers fan I’d be more worried cause you’d most likely play Collins with Thies which pulls Embiid out of the paint a little which creates more room for Walker Brown and Tatum to finish inside. We have a good perimeter defence with Simmons and Green but also have Curry who would have to take Kemba… then on defence you can put Collins and Theis in the paint which clogs it up for Simmons and Embiid. Leaving Tatum on Harris, Brown on Curry and Kemba on Green, which is all easy match ups.
Hawks trading Collins to Boston, an east rival, mid-season while they have been playing well? That sounds far fetched to me.
Stevens is trash
Wouldn’t quite go that far but I could name 25 coaches without blinking that are or were better than him. He’s had more than enough chances, as has Ainge. It’s time to clean house.
Go ahead let’s see this 25…which coach could have taken them to the ECF 3 of the past 4 years? I can’t stand the Celtics so I hope they fire him…but Stevens is a very good top 5-10 range coach IMO
any credibility he previously had died this year, and it has been very confusing to see
Last eastern conf he was clueless vs the Heat playing zone …
What about Raptors playing zone? Seemed to figure that one out
Of the 3 guards listed, all had their big years in their contract year.
Gordon and Collins seem like the best influences on the young stars. Can’t loose Smart though.
Not a fan of Barnes or Stevens. Aldridge either but would be a good add for ’21.
They need more shooting at the 2/3 spots, so they should add Wayne Ellington, especially if they have little faith in their young guys for whatever reason, and hold on everything else, unless they can move Kemba. Ellington can lkely be had for very little, and if he is bought out, they need to jump on that.
Stop using dumb multibig lineups. Use their young guys like Pritchard and Nesmith more, and hope that Langford comes back healthy with what he was showing before he got hurt
If they can use/get rid of Javonte Green, Jeff Teague, Carsen Edwards, and Tristan Thompson to upgrade their backend of the roster, thats fine as well
Kemba, Smart, Brown, Tatum, Theis
Pritchard, Grant Williams/Ojeleye, Nesmith, Robert Williams, Ojeleye/Grant Williams as primary rotation….Langford in there when he comes back, and Tristan Thompson based on matchup, if they cant move him
of the options mentioned in the post, Harrison Barnes probably fits best, but I dont see how they could get him. Aaron Gordon makes zero sense to me
Teams like Boston and Golden State who are struggling to stay near .500 have to wonder if buying at the trade deadline is a good idea or not. The Warriors will likely stand pat and wait until they get Klay back at some point next season and hope for the best. But Boston needs to get their act together and try to right the ship.
Ride it out with what they have, lose in the first round and then start drafting players taller than 6’6″. If nothing is available in the draft, then you trade for a big man during the off-season. Sometimes I think Ainge would like a roster with 15 guards and small forwards.
@VanLingleMungo89… Totally agree with you dude!
I think a lot of teams are struggling this season ’cause they hardly have a few guys over 6’6″… Hoops still is a game of giants… you need height & power still to win.
BOS can’t ever compete while JT is their PF, they need someone like JC at the 4 so they can put JT at the 3 & JB at the 2, that is how BOS can be dangerous.
they dont need more bigs. Theis is good, Robert Williams is good, Grant Williams can play at the 5, they have Thompson for depth, if necessary. The narrative they need bigs is not reality. They have spacing issues in certain lineups, and that isnt helped by their coach constantly playing multiple bigs together, and not using the young shooters they drafted
They need some Hayward 6th man type like Fournier over Barnes (40M$ contract) + fix the rotation in the paint before PO time…
I’m not convinced that Boston can win it all with Tatum, Brown, Walker on the roster as the big three. As a team they do not pass the ball. Last night without Tatum and Walker they had 31 assists on 47 made baskets. That may be the most assists all year, and still Brown took 10 more shots than anyone else shooting 3 for 11 from 3 while the rest of the team shot better than 50%. Play as a team! Let the dismal year play out, then make a big splash this off season. Bandaids are not going to make them a champion.
Boston is gonna do nothing at the deadline and sign some crappy buy out guy.
Best move for the Celtics would be to get out from under Kenna’s contract. Guy has been too injured and isn’t going to carry this team. Let Smart run the offense with Pritchard getting more minutes backing him up and then you pick up a true 4. Mix and match Thompson/Theis/Williams in at the 5/backup 4 and you likely win an opening round playoff series. Not sure there’s anyone available who will carry them deeper than the second round this year
Celtics can’t win a first round unless they get into the top 4. Not even sure they could beat, Miami, Atlanta, Toronto, Indiana, but certainly are not going to beat Nets, Sixers, Bucks.
Generally agree with not being able to beat the top 3 teams in the East but they’re 1 game back from the 4th seed. If they go and get a true 4 they should be able to secure a 4 or 5 seed in the East without an issue. The talent is there. If they could only put all their top players on the court for a stretch (always injured/ill) I would bet they would be the 4 or 5 seed without an upgrade.
Stick to the plan Danny and use that exception in the offseason. Making some desperate grab at Barnes or Aldridge to maybe win an extra round makes no sense.
I like Stevens but he should be feeling some urgency. This team just doesn’t care. Some of that is on the players, especially Tatum, who needs to start acting like a leader.
The team could use more depth, sure, but they have too many good players to be a .500 team. They’re just not playing to their potential.
Priority 1 rim defending Center that can hit a jumper and play 30 minutes per game.
Priority 2 stretch 4
Prospects and draft picks are unknowns, the league is wide open, now is the time for a bold move.
I recommend Al Horford and Isaiah Thomas, two known quantities. Good for everyone in Celticsland!
The Cs absolutely should not move Smart. He’s the type of gritty player they need more of.