The Boston Celtics have a $17.1 million traded player exception (TPE) available to them as their biggest, sexiest teambuilding tool this offseason, able to absorb $17.1 million plus up to $100,000 more in player salary or salaries without having to send anything back.
They will need to make use of it before the TPE — created by signing-and-trading Evan Fournier to the New York Knicks the season prior — before it expires on July 17. There is a good chance it expires, and also that it is used before the league calendar changes to 2022-23 salaries on July 1, 2022, but chances are that Boston will use their Fournier TPE after the 2021-22 season ends on June 30.
With more than a few fans wondering who might be able to be traded into the TPE, we decided to put together a comprehensive guide to every player that would fit as a focal point that would not also fit into one of the Celtics’ smaller TPEs. Let’s take a look at the candidates.