Was Staying Put the Right Move for the Boston Celtics?

It was one of the most boring trade deadlines in recent memory, especially considering how many rumors were floating around the past week involving stars. The biggest trade involved Markieff Morris getting traded to the Washington Wizards, showing how uneventful the deadline really was. A big part of the lack of movement is because a lot of teams were targeting players with long-term deals, rather than expiring contracts, because of the increased salary cap next year.

With that being said, the Boston Celtics were still expected to make a move. The Celtics are currently third in the Eastern Conference, however, really aren’t on the same level of the Cleveland Cavaliers or Toronto Raptors. Jae Crowder recently told ESPN, “We’re one superstar.” It’s nice to hear that the locker room has confidence in themselves, although, realistically they won’t be able to compete in the playoffs without another star.

There is no doubt Danny Ainge knows the team needs another star to truly compete. He has already come out and said that he believes this is a good team, but not a championship-caliber team. However, making a trade just to make a trade isn’t wise. The Celtics arguably own the most assets in the league. Their young core combined with their abundance of first round picks makes them a dream to trade with and gives them one of the best looking futures in the NBA.

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The idea that the Celtics have a small chance to make a run at the NBA Finals have crossed a lot of Boston’s mind this season. Although, that idea is even a smaller chance than many people think. Without the Celtics winning their final 10 of 12 games before break, no one would have talked about a blockbuster trade for them. They have set themselves up to at least own home court advantage in the first round, but that doesn’t mean they’re set to make the next step, not even with another star.

No one is expecting Boston to finish the season playing .833 ball, like they were before the break. Although, expectations have soared as of late, for good reason but also somewhat unrealistic. Let’s not forget that this was a team that was 19-19 at one point and struggling. They’re still a young team with very little playoff experience and despite their hot stretch, they’re not a team that will compete for a championship this season.

The idea of maybe not blowing up the team, but trading away valuable pieces, for a two-month rental didn’t seem like a good move. Al Horford and Dwight Howard are both set to be free agents this upcoming season, and there’s a good chance they command close to or a max contract. Kevin Love was involved in a lot of three-team trade rumors involving the Boston Celtics. Although, Jason Lloyd tweeted that the Cavs never made a serious offer to the Celtics.

As an aside: Despite the Love/Celtics talk, one source said Boston never made legit offer, #Cavs never gave price. Never a real conversation
— Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd) February 18, 2016

Trading for Kevin Love, someone who is signed for the future, would have given the Celtics stability for a while but also comes with problems. Love’s game is eerily similar to Kelly Olynyk‘s. He’s not the same rebounding machine that he once was and his inside game is not what Boston is looking for. 44.4 percent of Love’s shots come from behind the arc, while only 19.3 percent are inside of three feet. His inside presence has continued to decrease throughout his whole career, proving that he won’t be the inside presence the Celtics are looking for, just another guy to stretch the floor. Not to mention Love’s huge contract, a big reason Boston not going after Brook Lopez was smart.

Even if the Celtics did make a trade, I don’t believe that would have pushed them over the top. For one, trading away key guys like Evan Turner and Jared Sullinger for a two-month rental could come back to haunt them. I’m not saying that both of those guys are worth more than any of the three previously noted players, although, this team without Evan Turner would have to turn to R.J. Hunter or James Young off the bench. There is a chance they would have also been able to swing a decent bench wing in a trade, however, that’s not a guarantee.

The Celtics have one of the lowest payrolls next season, only Amir Johnson is set to make more than $10 million. Your best players, Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder, are both making less than $7 million. Not many teams have as many team friendly contracts, especially with the increased salary cap, that the Celtics have. Going after a big name free agent is not only smart but very likely for Boston. Al Horford, Al Jefferson, or Dwight Howard will all be able to get paid by Boston while also being a center piece for a competing team, something very appealing to free agents.

There is a very good chance that Boston will be able to attract a big free agent this off-season, while also keeping their core intact. They do have tough choices to make about Jared Sullinger, Evan Turner, Tyler Zeller and Jonas Jerebko, but signing them to a deal for more than their worth can be thrown out the window if they can attract someone like Horford or Jefferson.

Boston is a young team that has a lot of potential for the future. They’re also in one of the best sports cities in the country, and have one of the richest histories in the NBA. Not to mention, Brad Stevens is one of the best coaches in the league and they now have an all-star in Isaiah Thomas. Boston has a lot going for them and going hard after someone in the off-season seems like the better choice.

Next: Predicting the Boston Celtics' Remaining Games

It would have been fun to see the Celtics make a move to make the trade deadline a little more interesting. However, trading for someone who will get them a couple of more wins and maybe take Cleveland or Toronto a game farther in the playoffs wouldn’t have been the right move. Maybe we should all just listen to Jae Crowder, and enjoy the great season no one was expecting.

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