Per The Athletic, the latest NBA rumors suggest the Boston Celtics have shown interest in the Houston Rockets’ Jae’Sean Tate. Additionally, it appears Tate may be available:
Alternatively, Jae’Sean Tate, who league sources said is attracting interest from the likes of Boston and Phoenix, is movable.
Previous reports indicated the Phoenix Suns were also interested in Tate. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix says the Suns “do not have interest” in the 28-year-old.
The Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns are showing interest in Jae’Sean Tate, per @TheAthletic
(Via https://t.co/eFw95wWmIx) pic.twitter.com/jYj81fV8Ar
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 31, 2024
Tate entered the league undrafted in 2018. Even so, he showed potential as a rookie in 2020, getting selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. However, Tate has not enjoyed the same success these last two seasons.
This season, Tate is averaging 4.6 points and 18.2 minutes per game on 47.7 FG%. Though his scoring numbers are low, Tate is a solid defender who brings energy to the court.
In July 2022, Tate signed a three-year, $22.1 million contract extension. However, his extension includes a $7 million team option after this season. As it is, it seems increasingly like the longest-tenured Rocket will not be on the team past this season. This makes the idea of trading him appealing for Houston.
For the 2023-24 season, Tate is earning $6.5 million in his contract. This makes him a very easy player for the Celtics to acquire salary-wise. However, he is a little too expensive for the $6.2 million TPE the team received through Grant Williams‘ departure in the offseason.
NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics Interested in Houston Rockets Wing
Should the Celtics Acquire Tate?
At 6’4″, Tate is a bit undersized for a forward. However, he makes up for it with his versatility and aggressiveness on the defensive side of the ball. Tate’s style of play fits with what the Celtics strive for every game. In fact, this explains why Boston showed interest in him last season. Near the NBA Trade Deadline in 2023, Boston appeared in reports surrounding Tate’s availability:
Forward Jae’Sean Tate is another player on the roster who has drawn interest from teams, including the Suns, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards, team and league sources said. The Rockets aren’t looking to trade the 27-year-old forward who is internally regarded as one of the most important pieces of this youthful roster — but as is the case with any player, if there was a “can’t-turn-down” type offer, it would be considered, those sources said.
Fast forward a year later, and it looks like things have changed for Tate and the Rockets.
However, does this mean the Celtics should pull the trigger and get their guy? In short, probably not.
Although Tate would likely be easy to acquire, it is tough to imagine he would have a big role in Boston.
Earlier this month, Celtics GM Brad Stevens talked about wanting a “big wing” for the second half of the season. Additionally, Stevens acknowledged that could “be from within” and that the team does not have many resources to trade with:
“I would like to continue to see how we can find another big wing or so that can help us, and I think that can be from within,” Stevens said. “I also think we’ll continue to monitor free agency and trades, but again, the difference in this year and maybe other years is that our tools are pretty limited from a dollars standpoint.”
Tate does fit this bill, but the Celtics are probably better off keeping the resources they have and relying more heavily on guys like Oshae Brissett and Lamar Stevens. Brissett and Stevens are both wings who have played well this season in their limited roles. For the 37-11 Celtics, it may be best to just stand pat and keep doing what has been working for them.
The 2024 NBA Trade Deadline is one week from today.
