Grading 6 Celtics trade deadline targets from no-brainer to must-avoid

Alex Caruso - Semi must-avoid

Now, you may get to this point in the list and wonder why on earth I would have Alex Caruso as a player to avoid. After all, he has rounded into one of the most dominant on-ball defenders in the NBA with fantastic shooting splits offensively as well.

If the Celtics were able to get Caruso on the roster for a couple of second round picks, anyone would pull the trigger without thinking twice. But he is one of Chicago's most prized commodities, and they are going to want to hold on to him. Some within the Bulls have stated that they believe they have enough to compete.

While that may feel far-fetched to an outsider, the organization will undoubtedly be requesting a massive return for Caruso.

Otto Porter Jr. - Absolute must-avoid

Another name that has been mentioned in Celtics rumors is Otto Porter Jr. At face value, he comes off as an intriguing option. It was not even two years ago that he helped the splash brothers win a championship, playing a key role for the 2022 Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. Why couldn't he do the same for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?

The unfortunate truth is that Porter has had an incredibly bad string of injury luck since winning that title. He has played in just 23 total games since the 2022 Finals ended in June 2022, and has not taken the floor for the Raptors this season since December 30.

Porter is a solid role player in a vacuum. But the Celtics would do well to not waste a roster spot on a player that can not stay on the floor when his team needs him.