Boston Celtics: 3 players the C’s should trade away

Player the Boston Celtics must trade No. 3) Enes Freedom

The aforementioned Freedom has really struggled in his second stint in Boston averaging four points and 4.7 rebounds in 30 games for the C’s. He’s only shot 54.5 percent from the field, a low mark for a center spending almost all of his time around the rim.

The draw for Freedom is his offensive rebounding and finishing prowess: creating points out of missed shots. The clear drawbacks are his poor defense in half court sets, specifically when he’s put in pick-and-roll action.

This give-and-take would be fine for a backup center who gets into about half the team’s games, except he hasn’t been scoring at a rate consistent with the rest of his career. His finishing around the basket has been much worse this season, perhaps a sign of regression as he’ll turn 30 in May.

Ultimately, Freedom has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season, as he’s failed to give coach Udoka stable minutes at backup center. Too often he’s the subject of easy points for the opposition, giving coach limited options at the center position.

Despite the team’s severely capped depth, moving on from Freedom’s $2.6 million could push Boston under the luxury tax, something that the team’s ownership group is clearly prioritizing with the trade of Juancho Hernangomez.

If the C’s find a home for Al Horford and gain a viable center in return, expect to see Freedom on the way out as well.