Boston Celtics: ranking the 3 most tradable players
By Mark Nilon
Tremont Waters, PG
Recently we made a prediction that Tremont Waters will become the Boston Celtics’ primary backup point guard come the 2020-21 season. While we certainly are not advocating for him — or any of these other players listed — to be traded, he very likely could garner some attention this offseason because, frankly, it was reported there were teams eyeing him throughout the season as well.
Not only were organizations looking but, according to Yahoo Sports’ Keith Smith, some teams reportedly viewed him as a clear upgrade to what they had on their rosters:
One last name that came up repeatedly talking to front office executives and scouts about the G-League Showcase: Tremont Waters. Water is on a Two-Way with Boston.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 23, 2019
"He's an NBA backup PG right now. I told our GM to trade for him, because he's better than what we have today."
"Lastly on Tremont Waters from a scout: “I missed on him. Big time. Thought was too small for our league. But he’s tough and fast. I don’t know what he’ll be beyond it, but he’s an NBA backup point guard at least. And that’s valuable because everyone plays three PGs a night now.”"
Though only playing in 10 games, when given ample playing time the rookie managed to produce quite well. Specifically, during their November 25th bout against the Sacramento Kings, Waters recorded a solid log-line of seven points, three assists and two boards in 20 minutes to go along with a box +/- of +20 and a 103-102 Boston Celtics victory.
A majority of his time during the 2019-20 season has been spent in the G-League with the Maine Red Claws, where he has received generous playing time (33.8 minutes per game) and has impressed thoroughly. In 36 games played Waters has averaged 18 points, seven assists and three rebounds and has helped guide the team to a record of 28-14, good for third place in the Eastern Conference.
The mystery surrounding the guard could be enticing enough for a team to inquire about his availability this offseason. After all, teams seemed interested in Waters as far back as December.