Do the Boston Celtics have enough to land Steven Adams?

With the preseason opener just a few days away, the focus is on the here and now for the Boston Celtics. That could all change if the team’s weakness at center is more glaring than originally thought.

Now that all of the introductory press conferences have concluded and all of the members of the Boston Celtics have begun practicing with their new teammates, actual NBA games are approaching like a night-train polluting the sky with its bright lights in the distance.

It is an exciting time. For playoff hopefuls, it is a nerve-racking one. What if their team fails to deliver on lofty expectations? Worse yet, what if the injury bug bites?

Regarding the latter, there’s nothing that can stop human nature—traveling at high speeds and colliding with fellow professional athletes can/does result in injuries. I’m not a science guy by any stretch, but I can put two and two together (despite that masterful display of math, I’m not a mathematician either) and deduct that injuries are as inevitable as death and taxes.

Regarding failed expectations, Boston Celtics fans may be feeling that on a very personal level after the 2018-19 version of the team bowed out in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. And after losing Al Horford and trading away Aron Baynes, Boston’s top-10 defense from last season could be due for a precipitous decline.

The Celtics are relying on defensive sieve Enes Kanter, third-year German center Daniel Theis, sophomore Robert Williams and rookie EuroLeague import Vincent Poirier. If he makes the team, Tacko Fall figures to be a project who plays in garbage-time minutes at the end of games. Fall would be somewhat of an emotional support dog (or whatever weird pet people use these days) for the team: he will be there to help but when it comes down to it, the Boston Celtics need to be able to do things without him.

With that said, the main issue with the team could eventually become a strength in the team plays its cards right. Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams was recently put on the trade block. 

You know where this is headed…do the Boston Celtics have enough pieces to get a deal done?

Well according to a league source, the asking price is a hefty one:

"“They set the price too high,” one league executive said. “That’s what you’d expect and maybe it will drop as the year goes on. It’s tough to take on his contract (two years, $53 million remaining) and give up picks and players. Most teams are pretty well set at the center spot now, you have a big guy and you have your small lineup. You can’t just take on a contract like that. There isn’t a big number of teams who could take him.”"

Now the Boston Celtics could theoretically cobble together a package to entice the Oklahoma City Thunder that satisfies their requirements.

The Celtics have a host of rookies and second/third year guys that could fit the Thunder’s asking price. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum would be ideal, but Danny Ainge is likely committed to retaining them (at least until the trade deadline in Brown’s case). Think Romeo Langford or Grant Williams if, and only if, they can prove they have longterm potential as foundational building blocks.

In terms of cap relief, Gordon Hayward’s $32 million cap figure is one that can be sent OKC’s direction, but there would have to be other moving parts coming to Beantown as well. That would not only serve to bridge the salary gap between Hayward and Adams, but to recoup fair value. The Thunder don’t have much to dangle to justify trading Hayward just yet, especially if he makes good on the All-Star potential his teammates see in him this season.

The alternative is Ainge dangling a Smart/Kanter/Theis package along with a young player and draft considerations. That would be just to match Adams’ salary. Cap relief hasn’t even been mentioned yet, and I’m going to end this conversation before Boston Celtics fans rip me for trying to trade Smart.

At this point, it would be nearly impossible for the C’s to acquire Adams without greatly compromising their depth elsewhere on the roster.

So while yes, the Boston Celtics do have enough to get a deal done, the ends don’t justify the means. Adams is a very good player, but not one that puts them any closer to a title than Hayward, who would need to be included in any deal, does.

The Houdini is going to pass…for now. We will revisit this when the season starts.