Though the injury bug has chomped down hard on the Boston Celtics this season, they still find themselves in the upper echelon of teams in the Eastern Conference standings.
Bosting a record of 11-8, Beantown sits soundly in the fourth seed thanks, in large, to the early season dominance of their two young studs, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Each averaging 26+ points, 5+ rebounds, 3+ assists, and nabbing over a steal per game on over 42 percent shooting from deep, with the wings running the show, coupled with the recent return of potential X-factor in All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, 2020-21 should prove to be quite a successful season for the Cs.
That said, if they ultimately wish to reach their first NBA Finals in over a decade, they’ll likely want to make some sort of moves between now and the start of the postseason to better round out the rest of their roster.
The Boston Celtics should be hell-bent on utilizing their $28.5 M TPE
For us at the Houdini, the means in which we prefer the Boston Celtics to upgrade their rotation is via the trade route, as they currently are in possession of a historic $28.5 million Traded Player Exception and, as of this writing, have yet to utilize it.
In the past, we’ve presented you with many players Danny Ainge and co. could consider targeting with their TPE.
Today, we present to you 3 new names that could be considered:
(** Article was submitted prior to Tuesday night’s game **)
Boston Celtics TPE target No. 1) Teerrence Rosss
In the past, we’ve stated that the Orlando Magic would be an ideal trade partner for the Boston Celtics, though in these writings we discussed how Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic are the names that should be targeted.
While we still believe that Ainge and co. should pursue these two aforementioned bigs, another player they could consider inquiring about is forward Terrence Ross.
In the midst of yet another impressive season, the 29-year-old is posting per-game averages of 14.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game on 41 percent shooting from the floor and 34 percent shooting from deep, all while coming off the pine.
Currently, the C’s bench unit ranks in at 24th in points per game and is a middle of the pack 14th in offensive rating.
Adding Ross into the mix — an early Sixth Man of the Year candidate — would certainly help boost all these standings, while also giving the team that fourth double-digit score they’ve been missing since Hayward’s departure this offseason.
Boston Celtics TPE target No. 2) Larry Nance Jr.
Yes, the biggest problem within the Boston Celtics rotation is at the pivot, where they don’t have a legitimate answer at this point.
That said, perhaps a close second in regard to roster complications is at their power forward slot, where they currently don’t have a traditional talent to fill in at the position.
Enter the idea of the shamrocks pursuing the likes of Larry Nance Jr.
Having of a solid season with the Cavaliers, the 28-year-old is averaging 9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game on 48 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from deep. Defensively, Nance is performing at an All-Defensive rate and would be a fantastic two-way, floor-spacing player to have at the four either as a starter or coming off the bench.
Despite his impressive play, however, the big man has still been finding himself within the trade rumor circuit and, with Cleveland’s apparent push for a rebuild, they could be looking to be sellers this season in return for some draft capital.
Aside from his impressive skillset, Nance is also a close friend of Boston’s center Tristan Thompson, who was signed this offseason as a free agent, and is still serving as a mentor for the power forward, albeit now from a different area code.
Should the Celtics actually prioritize improving their four spot, there are fewer options that would be better for them than Larry Nance Jr.
Boston Celtics TPE target No. 3) Lonzo Ball
We get it, the Boston Celtics have a lot more problems within the rotation outside of their point guard position. That said, with the fact that the New Orleans Pelicans seem somewhat eager to part with the former second overall pick, the team should, at the very least, inquire about what it would take to pry him away.
With the knee problems that Kemba Walker has, an insurance policy should be a top priority should it flare up again. What better insurance policy that a talented 23-year-old still on his rookie deal?
On the season, the point guard is averaging 12.6 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and just over a half block per game on 33 percent shooting from deep.
Recently, we even discussed the Celtics making a bigger trade involving Ball coming to Boston. Though this idea today revolves around Danny Ainge bringing him aboard on his own, our reasoning for why remains the same:
"The pass-first Ball could find himself thriving while running alongside offensive studs like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the starting lineup or, if Brad Stevens wanted to thrust Marcus Smart back into the first-five, have the youngster come off the bench and help run the second-unit. Though he may not be off to the best start during the early stages of this campaign, he is just one season removed from posting 11.8 points, seven assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals a night on 40 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent shooting from deep. With a little help from the point guard whisperer in Stevens, and when having some pressure come off his shoulders running alongside Tatum and Brown, we could see Lonzo’s efficiency come back to these numbers listed above."
The beauty of this all is, with Ball’s struggles with the overall underwhelming Pelicans, he has not earned himself the opportunity to land a lucrative payday, giving the Boston Celtics a better chance at re-signing him once his contract is up this offseason — should they want to that is.
Long term, Lonzo could be viewed as perhaps an even better option to have alongside Tatum and Brown. From what some of you have told me in the comments on my last article about him, you feel the same way as well.