One analyst doesn't believe Boston Celtics must act on latest rumor

NESN's Keagan Stiefel doesn't believe the Boston Celtics need to act out on the latest trade rumor sparked by NBA insider Shams Charania; a rumor that pegged the Cs as urgently ready to make a trade using draft picks to improve the second unit.

"It would be hard to argue the Celtics couldn’t use more out of their bench, but Boston hasn’t exactly had enough time to figure out how it would like to deploy each of its reserve players," Stiefel wrote. "There’s a spot open on the roster, but the next three months could tell us that it might not necessarily need to be filled by a costly acquisition. The C’s just might need some time."

Charania seemed to hint that a big man could be on the team's radar considering Kristaps Porzingis's extensive injury history.

"The Celtics gave a couple of first round picks in the Jrue Holiday trade but they still have a few left over,” Charania said. “I expect the Celtics to be active in the trade market as we get closer to February, to try to see if they can beef up their bench rotation.

"No Kristaps Porzingis so that was a significant loss in the lineup. We will see how it comes back but a strained calf, that’s something you want to be careful with given his injury history.”

Boston Celtics do need to make a trade by the deadline to be competitive

The road frequently traveled in sports media is to be unabashedly in favor of the players already in the locker room over anyone outside of the organization, but the truth of the matter right now is that the Celtics, as constructed, go six, maybe seven on a good Sam Hauser shooting day, deep in the playoffs.

That's not going to cut it. Especially if injury struck any of Boston's top six players -- a group that had a player's only meeting before the season confined to just them -- deep in a series.

Boston needs to do something, anything, to at least make use of the 15th roster spot, and perhaps more broadly, the 13th and 14th roster spots occupied by Lamar Stevens and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk on non-guaranteed contracts.