The Boston Celtics are deciding between shedding salary at the trade deadline, their goal at the start of the year, or pushing in chips to add a center and make a run this season. What if calling up old pal Danny Ainge could net them both goals at the same time?
The ties between Danny Ainge and the Celtics run as deep as you can go. Ainge was drafted by Boston in 1981 and played eight seasons for the team, winning two championships alongside Larry Bird and company. He would later return to the franchise in 2002 in the front office and was the head of basketball operations for 18 years, overseeing the 2008 championship and building most of the roster that won it all in 2023.
Ainge is now in upper management of the Utah Jazz, returning home to Utah where he grew up. He works alongside his son, Austin Ainge, another Celtics alumnus. Their current Jazz team is hovering between an all-out rebuild and a reload to make a run as early as next season. While Utah appears committed to keeping its core players, such as Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, on the roster, their role players may be available for trade at this year's deadline.
The Celtics have two goals
That's where the Celtics come in. Boston is hovering between a decision of their own. They came into the season expected to reduce their team salary by about $10 million to get out of the luxury tax entirely. That goal was paired with the expectation that the Celtics would be having a gap year while Jayson Tatum recovers from a torn Achilles.
Instead, despite playing without five of their top eight players from last year's team (Boston traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, while Luke Kornet and Al Horford walked in free agency) the Celtics are second in the Eastern Conference. Will that make them buyers at the trade deadline instead?
The biggest need on the Celtics right now is at center, where Neemias Queta has been much better than advertised as the starting center but lacks high-end impact as a scorer and rebounder. They likely want another top option for the future, but such a trade target may not be available at the deadline.
Their best matching salary to offer in a deal is Anfernee Simons, who has been hot-or-cold as a bench scorer for the Celtics and is the player on the roster most out of step with the kind of basketball that Joe Mazzulla prefers to play. He makes $27.6 million on an expiring contract.
Jusuf Nurkic would be the perfect trade candidate
Could the Utah Jazz help the Celtics out with both of their problems? Veteran center Jusuf Nurkic has been playing extremely well for the Jazz as of late, racking up triple-doubles and showing that he still has plenty left in the tank after the Charlotte Hornets dumped him this past summer. His size and rebounding would be a great complement to Queta, and he makes $8.3 million less than Simons, putting the Celtics in range of getting out of the luxury tax entirely.
Nurkic isn't the top-tier option they likely want to find for years to come, but he would fill a real role this season and save them money in the process. For the Jazz, the difference in Nurkic's expiring contract and Simons' expiring contract is negligible; it's $8.3 million in a year where they are light years under the tax themselves. Credit to Nate Duncan of the Dunc'd On Basketball podcast for floating the idea recently.
The Celtics have the New Orleans Pelicans' second-round pick this year, which is likely to be in the first five picks of the round. Would that plus another future second get the job done? If so, the Celtics would save money and get a player who meets a need, while Simons would give the Jazz a high-scoring option to re-sign or let walk.
There may be a better trade out there; the Celtics may land a top-tier center. If not, however, Nurkic looks like a solid option at a solid price -- if Danny Ainge plays nice with his former franchise.
Boston should give him a call and find out.