The Boston Celtics made a move at the trade deadline — acquiring Mike Muscala from the Thunder to become the third big in the team’s frontcourt — but they never addressed their lack of depth on the wing.
Perhaps the front office doesn’t feel there is such a deficiency. Sam Hauser has been shooting the ball well in recent performances, so perhaps the team can get by until the postseason as is and then play Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown the bulk of the minutes. Grant Williams is enough of a threat from beyond the arc and could get to the rim well enough to play minutes at the 3 in bigger lineups.
If Stevens was simply waiting for the buyout market to address that need, though, options like Danny Green, Justin Holiday, and Juan Toscano-Anderson could all be waived by the Rockets and Jazz. If none of those players float Stevens’ boat, however, Boston.com’s Tom Westerholm relays that the team could add a pair of veterans from Maine:
"“In a worst-case scenario, the Celtics have some players in Maine who could be a cheap way to fill the final roster spot, including Denzel Valentine and Tony Snell.Obviously, the Celtics would like to do better than that, but remember: They aren’t replacing a rotation player. They are replacing Justin Jackson and Noah Vonleh.”"
The Boston Celtics are better off riding with Sam Hauser than signing Maine vets
Stevens made a statement at the deadline in not trading away anyone on the roster who at least semi-regularly receives minutes. Justin Jackson had a nice preseason but it never translated to any meaningful contributions during the regular season.
The statement the front office made was that the Celtics are good enough as is. After making blockbuster moves for two straight offseasons and the deadline in between last February, Stevens has let it be known that Boston’s roster is in final form.
The biggest statement made was the open support for Hauser, whose development and fit with the team was prioritized over the hypothetical fit of anyone on the trade block.