The Boston Celtics could reportedly try for a home-run swing between now and the trade deadline. What they'd pursue is an upgrade from Neemias Queta, who has done well in his opportunity as the starter. However, after constant rumbling about their potential interest in Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers, another rumored target has emerged.
"Multiple league sources have asserted something whispered in the wind for a long time: The Boston Celtics would love to add Jaren Jackson Jr.," shared Matt Moore in his Substack, Hardwood Paroxysm. "There is no team I've heard with more interest for Jackson."
From Brad Stevens to Mike Zarren, over the summer, the Celtics brought up their in-season trade for Derrick multiple times when discussing the need to regain flexibility. A deal for Jackson, who could blossom in Boston, has a comparable appeal.
Jaren Jackson Jr.'s fit with the Celtics
As Moore notes, the six-foot-10 stretch-four/center has the necessary mobility to thrive in the Celtics' switch-heavy scheme on defense. It's a system that could unlock more than the former Defensive Player of the Year has demonstrated recently.
Beyond being a dynamic defensive talent, at his best, he's a rim-protecting force. The three-time All-Defensive team selection led the league in blocks in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
At the other end of the floor, Jackson would give Boston a floor-spacing center again. The fear would be that opponents will live with him shooting 3s, and the offense suffers as a result.
The former Michigan State star has a 36.1 percent conversion rate on 4.6 attempts this season. For his career, he's taking 4.9 shots from behind the arc and making them at a 35.1 percent clip. For comparison, Kristaps Porzingis made 37.5 percent of the 5.1 threes he hoisted in his first year with the Celtics. He then knocked down 41.2 percent of the 6.0 triples he took last season.
Jackson's mark is more in line with Al Horford's. The latter launched 5.2 three-point attempts in his final year in Boston, converting them at a 36.3 percent rate. If the former replicates that production, it will assuage those concerns.
Furthermore, he also has it in him to be an excellent screener. The Celtics will pound that message repeatedly. Queta and Garza are among the best at it at their position. Well-set picks typically pave the way to putting points on the board.
The concerns about the Celtics trading for Jaren Jackson Jr.
If Boston wants to trade Anfernee Simons for a player of interest making near the top of the market at his position, the time to do so is by 3 p.m. EST on Feb. 5. Jackson is making $35 million this season. He has an upcoming extension worth $205 million over five years. That begins to take effect in the 2026-27 campaign. He has a $49 million cap hit for the upcoming season.
Jackson's salary could cool the Celtics' pursuit. Under this more punitive collective bargaining agreement, if this deal backfires, it will be hard to move him. The organization may be stuck with a player it was more fond of from afar.
It's also worth remembering that what gets churned out on the rumormill is often stale. It's possible Boston's interest in the two-time All-Star is either outdated or embellished.
Absorbing his contract is the most significant risk involved with potentially acquiring Jackson. If a change of scenery doesn't unlock more from him or help him return to the player he was for most of his career, it could do significant damage to the Celtics' championship window. Seeing this home-run swing backfire would occur as Jayson Tatum reaches his late 20s and early 30s after tearing his Achilles. Jaylen Brown turns 30 in October.
However, several on-court concerns, beyond the possibility of him hurting the team as a mediocre three-point shooter, immediately come to mind when pondering the possibility of Jackson joining the Celtics.
Despite his size and athleticism, he hasn't proven impactful on the glass. He's averaging 5.6 rebounds this season, matching the eighth-year veteran's career output.
Queta's grabbing 8.2 rebounds per contest while patrolling the pivot. Porzingis corralled 6.8 a year ago and 7.2 in his first campaign in Boston. That drop-off would put more pressure on Tatum, in particular, to retrieve the rock and limit teams to one shot per possession.
The 26-year-old is also not a reliable finisher around the rim. Jackson is converting on below 60 percent of his 3.0 attempts in the restricted area. That ranks below rookie teammate Cedric Coward, who's six-foot-five, and is averaging 3.1. Jackson's 53.4 percent conversion rate on 5.6 shots from within the paint but outside of the restricted area also leaves much to be desired.
Ideally, that's circumvented by him being a vertical spacing threat as a rim roller, who just has to dunk the ball most of the time he gets it near the basket.
Another concern is his foul rate. If he can't keep that in check, there could be playoff games Boston's forced to finish with its prized acquisition on the bench. The best ability is availability, meaning he must play with more discipline.
The cost of the Celtics acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr.
What Boston can offer the Memphis Grizzlies might not be enticing enough -- even if the latter franchise would prefer to move off his contract.
The Celtics could propose a package that includes young talent, with Matt Moore listing Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez, and draft capital. Simons would, of course, be in the deal as well. If the Grizzlies don't want the 26-year-old guard, perhaps this would morph into a three-team trade.
However, since he's on an expiring contract, they could play out the season and allow his money to come off the books. Simons is also young enough that he could find a home in Memphis, especially if they move Ja Morant.
Still, trading Jackson could fetch more attractive draft picks or higher-end young talent. Boston has an abundance of wings, especially when Tatum returns, but it would still be tough to see Walsh blossom this season, only to get traded by February's deadline.
If the Celtics are long-infatuated by Jackson, it appears like there's a chance to land him in short order. He could thrive in Boston and represent the latest version of a Derrick White-type in-season addition. Doing so while solidifying the center spot could propel his new team to banner 19.
However, Jackson's high-priced contract under a more punitive collective bargaining agreement and the on-court concerns he comes with could significantly hamper the Celtics' ability to contend at a crucial juncture in Tatum and Brown's careers.