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Boston Celtics Most Likely Remaining Roster Moves

By Timmy Sclafani

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The Boston Celtics have managed to progress through their rebuild far quicker than expected. The same year that they traded away their two remaining star players, Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green, they managed to sneak in to the playoffs as the 7th seed, and finish two games under .500.

Despite some quality mid-season acquisitions, including Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas, the team was considered to have over achieved due to its surplus of cap space and lack of a star player. For these same two reasons, the Celtics were largely expected to make some big moves during the offseason. Ainge so much as said that his aim was for “fireworks” during the offseason.

First, the 2015 NBA Entry Draft came and went without any moves from the Celtics, although the players they did pick look quite promising. Then the free agent window came and went, with the Celtics only move being the acquisition of Amir Johnson. Finally, a highly favorable trade occurred that sent Gerald Wallace to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for former-all star David Lee.

Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee waves to the crowd during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration in downtown Oakland. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

A few other minor moves have taken place since then, but the Celtics roster is left with some major question marks. Boston has a surplus of guards, many of whom are quite young, and a surplus of under-sized big men. Despite the clear offseason need, the Celtics various big-man pickups hardly addressed the issue of a rim protector.

If the season were to start tomorrow, it would be anybody’s guess who would be on the roster, who would be on the floor, and who would be left out. Luckily for the Celtics, there is still 3 months before the seasons gets under way, and that is plenty of time to sort things out.

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    • One of the Celtics’ biggest deficiencies is the lack of a strong scoring wing. The Denver Nuggets’ Danilo Gallinari was a name that had picked up traction in Boston over the last few days, until reports surfaced that he was hammering out a two-year extension with the Nuggets.

    While Gallinari would have answered some of the Celtics scoring problems, I don’t think he would have been a good fit in Boston. His injury history shows that he’s not made of the same stuff as the gritty Boston Celtics players, and his inability to play consistent defense would have been exploited quickly. Lastly, Ainge was probably not interested in giving up the amount that Denver would have been asking for.

    When a move does happen, the wing position will most likely be what the Celtics look to fill. With so much new talent in Smart and Rozier, and fan-favorite Isaiah Thomas at the guard position, it seems unlikely that this will be the asset pool the Celtics draw from. While one of these players might find their way into a trade if the return is worthy, it’s much more likely that one, or multiple, of the Celtics bigs will be on the move.

    Apr 21, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Boston Celtics center Tyler Zeller (44) in the fourth quarter in game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

    Zeller showed great improvement last year, and is expected to build upon that even more this year (not to mention he is still on his rookie contract). David Lee made it clear that he wasn’t interested in moving again after the trade to Boston, so that was likely agreed upon in the team negotiations. Since Amir Johnson was just signed, and by all indications seems to fit well in to the Boston Celtics mold, I would consider him the next-least likely big to be traded.

    That leaves Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger, and the newly-signed Jordan Mickey as the bigs who could be shipped out by the start of next season. Both Sullinger and Olynyk have shown great promise at times, but both have under performed in their time in Boston. Sullinger’s stat lines don’t show it, but his off-court problems have made him less than a perfect fit for the Celtics. Olynyk is a unique big man, but his lack of confidence and aggressiveness causes his play to suffer.

    21-year old Jordan Mickey just had a great showing in Summer League, prompting the Celtics to sign him for four years. While Summer League is hardly indication, the promise that Mickey showed might make him a valuable addition to a trade rather than the center piece.

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    Olynyk and Sullinger surely wouldn’t suffice as a center piece either, but I like to think they have at least moderate value when paired with any of the Celtics plethora of first round draft picks.

    If the Celtics want to get themselves a mid-level starting wing (think of a kind of player who come off the bench for a real contending team), it would likely cost them either Olynyk or Sullinger, plus the Dallas or their own first-rounder. Add Jordan Mickey or R.J. Hunter in to the mix and you might get a 6th man quality player.

    If you want a legitimate starting wing who can be your go-to guy when you need a shot, open or contested, it’ll probably cost the Celtics one, or both, of Olynyk and Sullinger, R.J. Hunter, a Brooklyn first-rounder, and the Celtics own first-rounder. That would be generous, too. The Celtics piece that would fetch the most market-value is clearly Marcus Smart, and fans and front office alike don’t seem overly keen on the idea of shipping the young point guard.

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