The Ultimate Guide to the Boston Celtics Trade Deadline
By John Goggin
It’s about two weeks until the NBA’s trade deadline, and the Boston Celtics, as usual, have been mentioned in or connected to almost every trade rumor. Among the names is Denver Nuggets‘ small forward Danilo Gallinari, Houston Rockets‘ center Dwight Howard, and more recently a group of players from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Boston getting involved in trades at the deadline is a common occasion, but is it the right move this time? This year’s group is in a total different position than last year’s squad. The necessity of a trade isn’t as great as it has been before.
At this time last year, the Celtics were just outside of the playoffs and looking for a force to take them to the next level. Isaiah Thomas was a steal that got the Celtics into the playoffs, however, that’s not what the Celtics need right now.
Last year’s objective is essentially the same because the Celtics are looking for another scorer to compliment Thomas, to make the jump from middle ground to the top of the league. However, instead of trying to get the seventh spot, this year’s group is hovering around third in the conference and the goal is a star this time around.
There’s a few options floating around, each with their own set of risks and rewards. Which route should they take? The Celtics could trade for an established star like Dwight Howard, with risks of injury and attitude, or go at a rising star like Jabari Parker, at a high price and the idea of waiting for his continued development. Maybe a star isn’t the answer, perhaps it’s someone like Bucks’ big man, John Henson, a young and talented shot blocker who could change Boston’s fortunes at a bargain.
The biggest name featured in the carousel of Boston trade rumors has been Dwight Howard. Facing a disappointing regression from last year, coupled with chemistry issues and injuries galore, the Rockets big man has been being shopped by Daryl Morey profusely in the past few days. With Howard, he brings a solution to some of the biggest issues with this year’s squad, rim protection and inside scoring.
The aforementioned injury risk has never been more real, after countless knee and back surgeries and years in the league. Playing at an athletic level for a while has taken a toll on his body, and he has tried to overcome them to win a championship. In last year’s trip to the Western Conference Finals, Howard played for a good part of the playoffs with a partially torn meniscus and MCL, which no doubt affected his play style.
Plus, he has a history of attitude issues, none more prominent than his clashes with Kobe Bryant on the Lakers, or his very public demise in Orlando. He has by some reports wanted out of Houston, but it might just be that Morey wants to reload the core of the franchise. An issue that could contribute to his chemistry issues, however, is being in bad locker rooms. The Celtics have a great situation, which is similar to the early Magic teams where it was a fun and team-oriented environment.
Howard is a high risk-high reward deal, but he also has an option this summer in his contract, which is another reason for Danny Ainge to not put all his chips in on him. For Dwight to be a good investment, it seems like a lot of conditions need to go right, so the move might not be worth the risk right now.
Another, less popular, target would be Italian small forward, Danilo Gallinari. He is a talented scorer playing for the Denver Nuggets. Gallinari and the Celtics have been tied in rumors for a while now, as his talents are just what Boston needs. He’s been in Boston trade rumors since last year’s deadline, with a revival of talks last July.
According to various reports, the Celtics tried one more time to bring Gallinari to Boston but were once again turned down by Denver, who reportedly would like two first rounders in a possible trade. The Nuggets look like they would like to retain him for as long as they can, after favoring a new deal instead of trading him. He recently signed a two-year/$34 million extension to stay in Denver.
While in rebuilding mode, focused on developing their young players, one would wonder why the Nuggets wouldn’t favor assets and cap space over an established player. One league source told the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett that, “They’re not trading him, they’re building around him”.
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Gallinari doesn’t bring much risk to the table, with salary being the only issue coming with him. Although, with the rising cap, his deal isn’t going to be that bad in retrospect. The asking price for him is somewhat high and there could be more value somewhere else, if Ainge is looking at different players to acquire.
If Gallinari were to come to the Celtics, he would be another piece of the puzzle solved, bringing a scoring wing and some three-point shooting to the team. Plus, he’s versatile in small-ball, showing some skill when played as a power-forward. Imagine a strong defensive lineup, with Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, then having a seasoned scorer.
A rim protector is very necessary still. Slot a fill-in like Tyler Zeller into the equation, or put Amir Johnson there, and you’ve got a balanced lineup.
The perfect situation would be a team willing to trade many of their core players, a team staring down the barrel of an empty season, who would want to favor the long-term future – Here enters the Milwaukee Bucks.
Another team, similar to the Rockets, who had a promising season last year before their controversial trade of Brandon Knight at his peak. They signed Greg Monroe from the Detroit Pistons, which gutted their rim protection, and traded almost All-Star Zaza Pachulia away, which hasn’t worked out well. The team has struggled to a 20-32 record, and has regressed, when many people thought they would make the jump with Monroe.
What does this situation have to do with the Celtics? Well, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, Milwaukee has reportedly made recent acquisitions Michael Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe available, as well as saying Khris Middleton and former second overall pick Jabari Parker are both available for a “crazy offer”. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo is off the table, according to one NBA executive.
Monroe is a bit risky and doesn’t really bring any rim protection. Ainge might want to make a “Godfather offer” for Jabari Parker, like the one he tried to perform for Justise Winslow during last year’s draft. A move for Parker could possibly put this year’s Nets pick on the table, along with players like David Lee, and some young players like Terry Rozier or James Young.
Parker could certainly be the player to make the Celtics elite, and one who keeps them there for a while. The risk of using an important pick on him could pay off, especially playing under a coach like Brad Stevens. Acquiring Parker doesn’t seem likely, but nothing’s predictable when it comes to the trade deadline.
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On the other end of the deadline, not many players on the Celtics are openly available for a trade, except for David Lee. Lee is reportedly available for trade, or possibly bought out. He hasn’t played much for the Celtics, and it looks like his game just isn’t what it used to be. Lee could be included in a package deal but a trade centered around a player like him isn’t too attractive.
At this point, David Lee the teammate, a player who is friendly and encouraging to players on his team, is almost more valuable for some teams than David Lee the player, who struggles to score with his game in the league today. The element he brings to a locker room could be a valuable remedy to a team having trouble with identity or chemistry problems, such as the Houston Rockets.
Besides Lee, the number one Celtics asset on the move will be the immense amounts of future draft picks that they have. The vault of picks includes three potential first rounders, including the coveted Nets’ pick, which is mostly off the table. However, it is possible some of the future Nets picks could be traded, like the swap rights on the 2017 Nets’ pick, or the 2018 Nets’ pick. Thank you Billy King!
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Most of the pre-deadline intel points to a Celtics deal, either a big splash or just a key hole being filled. The coming days and rumors will give a general idea of what could happen, but the afternoon of the deadline is always chaos. Keep your eyes on these names and teams because they could be joining the team soon.