Boston Celtics: Assessing the 3 different deadline path Cs can take

Boston Celtics’ path of contention in 2021

The second path is one that Hardwood Houdini aims to take often: immediate improvement. Being that the team has all of its draft picks in the future as of right now, there is room to negotiate with just about every team in the league.

The ones that they will (or at least should) be talking to include the Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, and Sacramento Kings.

Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Victor Oladipo, Christian Wood, Davis Bertans, Harrison Barnes, and Buddy Hield are some of the targets that Danny Ainge will likely inquire about from the aforementioned squads. Barnes’ name has been a popular one in recent weeks.

This path would require Ainge to find a deal that would be worth bargaining the future for. Brooklyn’s star trio is all north of 30-years-old and has some wear and tear on their legs from over a decade in the game. Perhaps waiting a few years wouldn’t be the worst idea.

That said, there’s no guarantee the C’s stars will want to stick around if the team isn’t contending for championships. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have already lived through a lot of locker-room drama in their four and five-year Celtic careers, respectively.

Ainge may need to act with urgency to avoid the risk of regression from a 2019-20 season that showed so much promise for this core.