Category: .Rumors

Brad Stevens hints at Boston Celtics’ trade plans ahead of the NBA’s 2024 deadline

Stevens acknowledged the challenges the team faces in making trades due to limited assets compared to previous years.

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens recently addressed the media, shedding light on the ball club’s potential trade plans as the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline approaches. With the trade deadline set to arrive on February 8th, there has been much speculation about whether the Celtics, currently the best team in the NBA in terms of record, will make any significant moves to bolster their roster.

Stevens acknowledged the challenges the team faces in making trades due to limited assets compared to previous years. He emphasized that the Trade Player Exception (TPE) is their primary method for improvement but highlighted the difficulty in finding impactful players within the $6.2 million budget, hinting at the difficulty of navigating the restrictions the league’s new collective bargaining agreement places on second apron teams like Boston.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How About Them Celtics!” podcast weighed in on Stevens’ words and what they might mean for Boston’s trade plans.

Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Fischer: Celtics likely to keep Luke Kornet, other non-guaranteed vets

The Celtics’ $6.25 million trade exception is a tool to watch for Boston ahead of the trade deadline, however.

In the wake of Boston Celtics team president Brad Stevens hinting at the team’s likely plans ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline, a report from Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer expands a bit on Stevens’ likely intentionally oblique comments. Per Fischer, “rival executives are prepared for the Celtics to explore bench upgrades and depth additions behind arguably the league’s best ‘top six’.”

“Boston is expected to keep reserve center Luke Kornet, who has many fans among Celtics staffers, past his upcoming guarantee date of Jan. 10,” adds the Yahoo Sports reporter, echoing Stevens’ comments that any upgrade at center being unlikely given where the team is at.

“The other non-guaranteed veteran players on the Celtics all hold the likelihood of remaining in Boston for the foreseeable future as well, if only as a valuable roster spot and tradeable salary for the Celtics to play with, in addition to a $6.25 million trade exception,” writes Fischer.

With Boston seemingly on the hunt for a big wing per the Celtics’ presidents recent comments, it seems likely that the exception could prove a key means of adding to the roster while also retaining most if not all the veterans Fischer notes.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Kelly Olynyk on Boston Celtics trade rumors: ‘Whatever happens, happens’

“If it happens to be in Utah, then that’s where my focus is,” he said. “If it happens to be somewhere else, that’s where my focus will shift.”

Fans of the Boston Celtics are likely aware of the challenges of bringing back Utah Jazz big man Kelly Olynyk to the team that drafted him in 2013, but the prospect of a Boston reunion with the Olynyk Klynyk after rumbles of potential Celtics trade interest in the Kamloops native is tantalizing for many.

Olynyk was asked about the rumors tying him to his former ball club as a trade target in recent weeks at shootaround before the Jazz – Celtics tilt, and the 6-foot-11 center acknowledged he is aware of them. “I’ve heard it, whatever happens, happens,” said Olynyk via CLNS Media.

“If you’re in Utah, or Boston, or wherever you are, you’re putting your best foot forward and trying to help that organization succeed and accomplish their goals.”

“If it happens to be in Utah, then that’s where my focus is,” he added. “If it happens to be somewhere else, that’s where my focus will shift.”

A diplomatic answer if ever there was one, it seems more likely than not that the Gonzaga alum won’t be back in Boston unless it’s via buyout. That’s thanks to the Celtics’ current roster construction and the new CBA rules impacting Boston as a second apron team.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Five big wings the Boston Celtics can target for trades

Brad Stevens let it slip that the Celtics are keeping an eye out for a bigger wing to add to the ball club’s rotation; here’s 5 candidates.

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens let it slip that the Celtics are keeping an eye out for a bigger wing to add to the ball club’s rotation ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline. And while he did make it clear that this addition could be an internal one — Lamar Stevens, Svi Mykhailiuk, Dalano Banton, and Oshae Brissett all fit the bill and are not really part of Boston’s rotation of late — fans of the team can’t be blamed if they immediately made a beeline over to their favorite trade checker site to see if they can’t find a reasonable trade target.

We say “reasonable” due to the financial and roster constraints the Celtics have to consider, with a limited range of salary likely not exceeding what Boston can do with the traded player exception (TPE) generated by the signing and trade of Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks.

With that, Boston could absorb a player into the TPE, worth $6.2 million, plus an additional $250,000 in salary — and we have done you the solid of finding five potential candidates the Celtics could consider.

Let’s take a look.

Celtics team president Brad Stevens hints Boston is potentially looking to add a big wing

The head of basketball ops noted that Boston’s situation will make such a search hard, however.

With the NBA in the thick of its annual trade season, fans of the Boston Celtics who have become accustomed to their favorite team making moves to fortify their roster in a quest for a ball club capable of winning it all may find themselves disappointed by what the Celtics do ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. But with the best record in the league and a boatload of constraints imposed by the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), there may be little in the way of trades to be made.

Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens alluded to this while speaking to the media at practice today, hinting that Boston’s best chance to get better could be an internal process. But he also tantalized with a hint that there is one area in particular that might be improved via trade.

“Every year around this time, how do we improve to give ourselves the best chance,” asked Stevens rhetorically via NBC Boston Sports.

Celtics Lab 234: Why Boston is probably not making big moves at the deadline with Yossi Gozlan

Boston probably won’t stand pat, but isn’t likely to make major moves – so what IS on the table?

With the Boston Celtics rolling and their path to hanging Banner 18 looking more possible than it has in many years, you can’t fault fans of the storied ball club for hoping for a reunion with former Boston big men Daniel Theis or Kelly Olynyk. Or failing that, team president Brad Stevens getting a deal done for rumored target Isaiah Stewart to fortify the team’s frontcourt.

Even fairly modest trades like these are probably not in the cards for the Celtics this season, who can’t follow through with an offer that makes sense given the exigencies of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement or the team’s current structure.

But the team will almost certainly make at least a few lesser moves to get better ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline in Early February, so the hosts of CLNS Media’s “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with Cap Sheets‘ Yossi Gozlan to try to project what it is Boston actually will end up doing.

We also get into why those fun but unrealistic deals bringing back Celtics alumni or Beef Stew are unlikely or impossible, and get caught up on the last Boston news of 2023.

The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics rumored to be interested in trading for Kelly OIynyk? Not so fast, says math

But the Celtics are indeed likely to be monitoring the situation.

Could the Boston Celtics be closely monitoring the potential for the Utah Jazz to trade former Celtics center Kelly Olynyk, as recent reports seem to intimate? Perhaps! But most likely not for the reason many seem to be thinking they are.

A recent column from Substack’s Marc Stein certainly paints such a picture on first blush. Per Stein, “Boston is among the teams that is monitoring Utah’s Kelly Olynyk in advance of a potential trade pursuit.” Stein, among the most trusted names in behind-the-scenes intel in the league, is reporting what he is hearing — but changes in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) suggest that Stein may be choosing his words carefully here.

The short version of why that may be the case is because Boston likely cannot put together a package to land the Kamloops native via trade that would make sense.

What do the Boston Celtics have for draft assets ahead of the 2024 trade deadline?

For a team in the thick of the mix of contenders for the 2024 NBA Championship, the Boston Celtics have a surprisingly solid mix of draft assets they could use to improve their roster.

For a team in the thick of the mix of contenders for the 2024 NBA Championship, the Boston Celtics have a surprisingly solid mix of draft assets they could use to improve their roster ahead of the league’s 2024 trade deadline, on Feb. 8 this season. And given the ball club pushed its chips in this past offseason in a big way to bring on star big man Kristaps Porzingis and vet guard Jrue Holiday, that collection is even more impressive.

At present, the Celtics could offer either a pair of their 2024 and 2026 first round draft picks, or their 2025 and 2027 first round picks (the league’s “Stepien rule” prevents trading consecutive picks) with their 2029 first owed to the Portland Trail Blazers. They can also offer any of these alone, or 2024 and 2027. Boston can also swap their firsts for any draft save the 2018 first, with that swap owed to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics also have a total of eight second round picks it can add to a deal to sweeten the offer.

While Boston may not have the contracts to add substantial salary to the team’s cap sheet as a second apron team, they are reportedly planning to try to upgrade their bench via trade if possible.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics trade rumors are starting to percolate; who might make sense for Boston?

Could larger forwards like Dean Wade, Chuma Okeke, Jarryd Vanderbilt, and Jaylen McDaniels make for realistic trade targets for the Celtics?

The Boston Celtics have raced out to an impressive 20-5 start to the 2022-23 NBA season. Even so, rumors are beginning to swirl about potential trades the team could make to bolster their roster. One name that has come up is Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart. Though the Celtics have reportedly shown interest, it’s unclear whether that interest is recent given the difficulties Boston would have trading for the center.

Could larger forwards like Dean Wade, Chuma Okeke, Jarryd Vanderbilt, and Jaylen McDaniels make for more realistic trade targets for the Celtics? What about centers with a more stout build like Nick Richards, or one in more of a small-ball mold like Precious Achiuwa?

The financial constraints on the team make any such moves especially tough for Boston, as was the intent in the league’s new CBA.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast weighed in on the early rumbles of Boston’s trade plans; check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics Lab 232: Celebrating Boston’s sizzling start with Max Lederman – and a Festivus for the rest of us

We won’t be doing any feats of strength (not screaming at refs calling techs for hanging on the rim counts, right?) on the pod, but we do air a lot of grievances,

The holidays are here and the Boston Celtics are amazingly good, so in true New England fashion, over at the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast, we decided to do what any other New Englander (displaced or in-region) would otherwise be doing. Complaining about stuff!

Of course, we will be doing so in our third annual Festivus episode with guest Max Lederman of NBC Sports Boston, and we did not limit ourselves to the 20-5 Celtics (it’s harder than you think to criticize a team doing this well) or even the wider NBA (which, unfortunately, has been a little easier to criticize of late), branching out into the bigger problems of the world.

We kid, but also not — and we also spend some time on recent trade rumbles, how the team has been playing and what might be coming down the pike.

We won’t be doing any feats of strength (not screaming at refs calling techs for hanging on the rim counts, right?) on the pod, but we do air a lot of grievances, so join us in a Festivus for the rest of us. And bring an aluminum pole if you have one, those things aren’t easy to find.

The Celtics Lab podcast is sponsored by FanDuel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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