The suffering of Boston Celtics fans has continued in 2021 with recent losses to the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards knocking the Cs down to .500 on the season.
2020-21 has not been kind to the Celtics, but that’s mostly because of the actions of Danny Ainge back in November 2020. Instead of adding significant firepower–which he was equipped to do with the signed-and-traded contract of Gordon Hayward–, he decided to be conservative on the trade market.
That didn’t mean he didn’t spend money, though. Dishing out the full mid-level exception to Tristan Thompson (just under $10 million) and a $195 million super-max to Jayson Tatum, Ainge maintained the status quo from a veteran standpoint (losing out on Hayward and Brad Wanamaker for Thompson and Jeff Teague) but got younger along the fringes.
In using two of his 2020 first-round picks, Ainge essentially conceded that 2020-21 was not an all-in year, despite the breakout season Payton Pritchard is enjoying.
That course could change in the coming weeks, though. As the losses mount, Boston Celtics fans are increasingly losing patience. While Ainge doesn’t want anyone to panic, a major move may be going on behind the scenes.
Orlando Magic Daily believes the Magic could be a team that he could be in contact with, saying as much in a piece published yesterday about who Orlando could do business with this March on the trade market.
Per ODM’s Dan Bennett, Nikola Vucevic could be a target, and Marcus Smart could be among the players Magic GM John Hammond would ask for in a trade:
"If shooting with size is the target, the Orlando Magic have an incredible shooting big man in Nikola Vucevic that could appeal to Ainge. The Magic know how important Vucevic is. Trading him away would likely put the team in contention for the league’s worst record this year and presents a huge risk, given he is the team’s first All-Star since Dwight Howard left, and looks in line for a second trip in three years.Boston would not give back anyone who can do what Vucevic is doing at this moment. But the Celtics have some tempting assets that could be acquired. Marcus Smart is an elite perimeter defender with the ability to contribute on offense too. The Celtics will not want to lose him, but he simply has to be part of any deal for Vucevic even if he is currently sidelined with a calf injury."
While Bennett realizes that Smart would be a great fit with Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, and the Magic’s middling defense could definitely use a ball-hawk like #36, Ainge is unlikely to deal the Boston fan favorite. Payton Pritchard is also all but untouchable.
That said, Aaron Nesmith, Robert Williams, and Grant Williams are all possibilities. If Vucievic isn’t the ideal target for Ainge, he could always pursue Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, Terrence Ross, or Mo Bamba.
Bennett is correct. The Boston Celtics are a good prospective partner for the Magic to talk shop with before March’s trade deadline.