The Boston Celtics made their second transaction leading up to the NBA trade deadline's buzzer blowing at 3 p.m. EST. They reached an agreement with the Utah Jazz that will send Chris Boucher to Salt Lake City, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
That move is financially motivated for Boston. The organization is now just $3.6 million above the luxury tax threshold. Getting below it this league year and being underneath it again next season would allow the Celtics to reset the repeater tax.
Given the penalties associated with it, that represents a significant accomplishment. It would afford the franchise more flexibility to build around future rosters centered on cornerstones Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
What comes next for the Celtics?
A Boucher trade was anticipated for a while. He never carved out a rotation spot in Boston. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.4 minutes of floor time across nine appearances. Now, the 33-year-old will get a fresh start.
And while there is a strong incentive for the Celtics to dip below the luxury tax, they also have to meet the minimum of filling out at least 14 roster spots.
As it stands, they have 13 players signed to standard contracts. They could address that via trade. The buyout market is another avenue that could later prove relevant. However, there's also a more immediate option.
Boston could convert Ron Harper Jr.'s deal from a two-way arrangement to a standard NBA contract. The fourth-year wing is coming off an ideally timed performance to help his case for that.
In his first career start, he made life difficult for Kevin Durant. The future first ballot Hall of Famer went 1/5 FG, putting only two points on the board, and had a turnover when Harper was his primary defender.
At the other end of the floor, he knocked down 4/8 shots, including 3/7 from beyond the arc. The former Rutgers standout finished with 11 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds, including four at the offensive end, and dished out three assists.
After the Celtics' 114-93 win over the Houston Rockets, Harper, per CLNS Media, said of capitalizing on his opportunity, "Joe makes a heavy emphasis that everybody's gonna get their shot, so stay ready and be ready."
The Celtics have typically waited as long as possible before converting players on two-way deals to standard contracts. However, they must fill a roster spot and could be angling to get below the luxury tax. Doing so now with Harper makes sense.