Boston Celtics: Top TPE trade targets this offseason
By Jack Simone
The Boston Celtics are in a pickle this offseason in terms of cap space. While free agency is the most traditional path to improvement, using their plethora of TPEs might be the most effective.
John Karalis of the Boston Sports Journal recently spoke about the Celtics’ cap situation on the latest episode of the From the Rafters podcast (of which I am a host). During the explanation, he talked about how utilizing the TPEs will be crucial this summer.
Re-signing Evan Fournier is the top priority, but past that, the C’s have to upgrade their bench. Since they are pressed up against the hard cap, utilizing their trade exceptions will be extremely important.
The Boston Celtics currently hold five different trade exceptions from five different trades. Gordon Hayward ($11.05 million), Daniel Theis ($5.00 million), Enes Kanter ($4.76 million), Jeff Teague ($1.62 million), and Vincent Poirier ($343k).
Boston possesses plenty of young assets to pair with said TPEs. However, the key will be finding the right players for the right price.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will soon be entering the primes of their career. With a Kemba Walker trade done, the C’s must look to bolster the point guard position.
There are a ton of teams around the league entering the rebuilding phase. With that in mind, they could be willing to sell low on some of their NBA-ready players in favor of young assets and draft picks.
Once again, however, the issue boils down to Brad Stevens being able to find the right deals around the league. He has a challenging offseason ahead of him, but if done right, the Celtics could be set for years to come.