The Celtics are off to another hot start this season with a 20-6 record Boston is currently the top seed in the East. With a strong start and a loaded roster, the Celtics are poised to make a run at the title. However, according to multiple reports, the front office has made it clear that they won’t settle and will remain active as the trade deadline approaches. With Grant Williams being dealt to the Mavericks in the off-season the Celtics opened up a 6.2 million traded player expectation. This traded player expectation or TPE for short gives the Celtics a clear avenue to improve their roster despite their large payroll. Here are three players the Celtics can target with Grant’s TPE or other moveable pieces.
Shams Charania expects the Celtics to be “active” at the NBA trade deadline https://t.co/5T0ZTc1p72
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 5, 2023
3 Trade Targets for The Boston Celtics
Isaiah Stewart: Detroit Pistons Forward/Center
Isaiah Stewart is a name that’s been linked to the Celtics in recent weeks and it makes a lot of sense fit-wise. Stewart is a great rebounder and hard-nosed defender. Additionally, Stewart is shooting a career-best 36% from beyond the arc. This skill set makes him an ideal backup big man for the Celtics. Improving their depth and providing needed insurance for both Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford in the process.
However, Stewart is under a “Poison Pill Provision” restriction meaning the Celtics would have to send out 13 million dollars in salary to make a deal work. Given the Celtics’ cap space situation, they would have to part ways with a plethora of deep-rotation players to make a deal possible. As a result, Stewart is an intriguing yet likely unrealistic target for the Celtics. Ultimately, it would take a lot of salary maneuvering and possible draft incentives to make this deal work. But Stewart is arguably the best fit on the market for Boston’s needs so he’s worth pursuing despite the difficulty surrounding his contract.
Stewart is an interesting trade target for Boston. He'd be a great addition.
The challenge? He's PPP restricted (Poison Pill Provision). That means trading for him is difficult. Boston would have to match over $13M in salary to bring him in. That's tricky for the Celtics. https://t.co/Sx4pItxwUU
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 18, 2023
Andre Drummond: Chicago Bulls Center
A Bulls fire sale is likely at the deadline and Andre Drummond could be available at a bargain price. Drummond’s 3 million dollar contract would fit under the Celtics’ TPE and Boston would likely not have to give up anything else. Drummond can provide a valuable role for the Celtics as a rotational big. Providing Boston with more size and rebounding off the bench. Drummond provides a similar role to Neemias Queta but has far more experience making him a better playoff option. Furthermore, Boston needs all the big man depth they can get given Porzingis’ injury history and Horford’s age. A Drummond acquisition doesn’t necessarily move the needle. But it would be a solid pick-up to round out the roster nonetheless, especially at a cheap cost. Drummond is a great alternative if Boston can’t land a player like Stewart.
Alex Caruso: Chicago Bulls Guard
In this move, the Celtics would be doubling down on their elite perimeter defense. Pairing Alex Caruso with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White would give the Celtics three all-defensive guards. Creating one of the most lethal perimeter defenses the league has ever seen in the process. However, Caruso is expected to be a hot commodity on the trade market and his 9 million dollar contract is just above the TPE threshold. Nevertheless, a move is still possible for the Celtics.
The framework would involve the Celtics parting ways with Payton Pritchard, Oshae Brissett, Luke Kornet, and some package of picks. It’s unclear how many picks the Bulls are asking for Caruso. But given his league-wide value, especially as a defender it’s safe to assume the Celtics would have to part ways with at least a first-round pick. Brad Stevens has shown to be aggressive and proven he is not afraid to part with picks. If Stevens views Caruso as a piece that could swing the title for Boston don’t be surprised if he makes a big move to land him.
The Last Word
Ultimately these trade possibilities are intriguing options for the Celtics at the deadline. The Celtics don’t need another big trade to win the title and this roster can certainly win a title. However, improving and rounding out the roster is never a bad thing. While Stewart and Caruso would raise Boston’s upside, Drummond is a safe move to perfect the roster. As the trade deadline inches closer I would expect the Celtics to make some kind of move to upgrade the roster. It’s unclear what caliber player Boston will target however they have a surprising amount of options given their lack of cap space.
