Tag: 2024 trade deadline

Why the Celtics should add another rotation player ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline

With an open roster spot and a handful of players rarely playing, a smaller trade might actually make sense for Boston.

The 2024 NBA trade deadline is a little more than a week away. With it, the Boston Celtics and the rest of the league are in the thick of whatever they have planned for business to get done ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline to exchange players and assets for the 2023-24 season.

For the Celtics, that could very well be a whole lot of nothing, given Boston currently sits atop not just the Eastern Conference standings but also owns the best record in the NBA at a bit past the midpoint of the season. If it ain’t broke, goes the old saying, why fix it?

The counterargument there is that a team with designs on hanging a banner needs every bit of luck they can make for themselves, and with an open roster spot and a handful of players rarely playing, a smaller trade might actually make sense for Boston.

ESPN cap guru Bobby Marks trade guide for the Boston Celtics

What traded player exceptions do they have, and how likely are they to use them?

Fans of the Boston Celtics who have been hoping for some fireworks at the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline (set to arrive on Feb. 8) may find themselves a bit underwhelmed by what the Celtics may choose to do at the deadline. And that is assuming the ball club makes any moves at all, given they currently have the best record in the league with an empty roster spot they could fill with a buyout player instead.

But what could the Celtics do if they feel the need to improve the roster via trade? How much money can they send in a deal to sweeten the package? What traded player exceptions do they have, and how likely are they to use them?

These and a number of related questions were answered at length by ESPN cap guru Bobby Marks for his 2024 Boston trade deadline primer.

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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What should the Boston Celtics’ top trade deadline priority be?

Some see Boston’s recent losses as evidence that the Celtics still have some work to do on their roster.

It is not hard to suggest that the Boston Celtics not only can but should stand pat at the 2024 NBA trade deadline given they currently have the league’s best record. But one can also point to a handful of losses — emphasis on handful — vs. the best teams in the Association, and call that evidence that the Celtics still have some work to do on their roster.

For those among us who subscribe to the latter theory for Boston’s deadline plans, there are no shortages of people trying to find the perfect trade target for the Celtics. And we can count Bleacher Report‘s Andy Bailey as being among them.

Let’s take a look at what he sees as important for Boston to pursue at the deadline.

What do recent trades mean for the Boston Celtics outlook in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

Could other teams like the Philadelphia 76ers end up joining them in this trade market arms race?

What do recent trades mean for the Boston Celtics outlook in the NBA’s Eastern Conference? With the Indiana Pacers having dealt for Pascal Siakam, the New York Knicks for OG Anunoby and the Miami Heat for Terry Rozier, it is clear that the rest of the East sees the Celtics as a team they need to get better to have a shot against.

Are they right about their assessment of the East? Are those three clubs done making moves? Could others like the Philadelphia 76ers end up joining them in this trade market arms race? And what about the Celtics — should they stand pat, or does the roster still need some tweaking to have Boston well-positioned for the postseason?

The hosts of the WEEI “Slammed: A Boston Celtics podcast” show recently convened to talk it over; check out the clip below to hear their thoughts.

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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Are the Boston Celtics driving a pre-NBA trade deadline arms race in the league’s Eastern Conference?

Which teams are more likely to have unfinished trade business they hope to complete in the next few weeks?

Are the Boston Celtics driving a pre-NBA trade deadline arms race in the league’s Eastern Conference? The New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat have all pulled the trigger on major trades well ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline to pick up OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Terry Rozier.

Could more moves in the East be coming soon? Are the Celtics in a position where they can stand pat at the deadline? Which teams are more likely to have unfinished trade business they hope to complete in the next few weeks? And how is the East being seen in the eyes of national NBA analysts when it comes to trades?

All of these questions were on the docket in some form on a recent episode of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” following the Celtics’ drubbing of the Heat.

Check out the clip above to hear what they had to say.

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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Evaluating the wildest Boston Celtics trade ideas ahead of the NBA’s 2024 deadline

These guys did the footwork so you don’t have to.

By now, most fans of the Boston Celtics have seen enough absurd, impossible and improbable trade proposals roping in their favorite ball club as to be at best getting tired of them, and at worst confused on what is even possible for the team to do.

With the trade landscape of the Celtics muddled as ever ahead of the NBA’s 2024 moratorium on trades soon to arrive on Feb. 8, the hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast elected to take a closer look at what is actually possible for Boston ahead of the deadline by looking at the fringier cases floating around the league’s media in recent weeks.

From improbable players like Goga Bitadze, Jalen Smith, Torrey Craig, and Naji Marshall to those Boston has no realistic path to getting like Gordon Hayward or Kyle Lowry, these guys did the footwork so you don’t have to.

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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NBA analyst floats Jae’Sean Tate as trade target for the Boston Celtics

We like the target, but the speculative ask would be too high for Boston’s blood in our estimation. Can a deal be made?

Could the Boston Celtics find the bigger forward that Celtics team president Brad Stevens is looking for in Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate? One NBA analyst recently floated a trade idea to get the Rockets swingman to Boston that may be a bit too steep for the Celtics to pull the trigger.

The swap, put together by Pounding the Rock’s Bill Huan, would send forwards Oshae Brissett, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Sam Hauser plus a pair of second round picks to Houston for Tate. The inclusion of Hauser, one of the league’s better 3-and-D forwards (and on a great contract, to boot) likely makes this offer dead on arrival given Boston is trying to add to their depth while keeping their spacing pristine.

A move to swap Hauser in a deal for Tate would do the opposite of both.

But if additional draft compensation or perhaps adding Lamar Stevens’ contract could prove attractive to the Rockets depending on if they wanted draft assets to sweeten future trades or a defensive stalwart to add to their surprisingly good defensive rotation.

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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Could former Boston big man Robert Williams III be moved before the 2024 NBA trade deadline?

Robert Williams III could be moved ahead of the trade deadline, according to recent reporting.

Former Boston Celtics big man Robert Williams III could be moved ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline, according to recent reporting from Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. On a recent episode of his “This League Uncut” podcast, Haynes related via MassLive’s Brian Robb that there “are some teams that are pondering making a move for Robert Williams.”

“Now, I know Robert Williams is out for the season,” related the B/R reporter. Even so, Haynes relates that the LSU alum is a player “teams feel … would be somebody that could get on the cheap right now and allow him to continue recovering”.

Those clubs may do so “in hopes that he can blossom back into the Robert Williams that we’ve seen when he was playing at a high level” with Boston as a sort of “pre-agency.”

The idea that Timelord’s current status as damaged goods might be a way to get the Louisiana native more cheaply is not without risk, though, should Williams’ extensive injury history continue to prove chronic.

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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Why Boston should be looking for rotation bigs and ballhandlers on top of forwards

Boston should also be looking to add big man depth and ball handling, per some analysts.

When the team president of the Boston Celtics tells you what the team needs ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline, it’s a safe bet that player archetype is a focus of the organization between now and Feb.8. And since Brad Stevens says that the Celtics hope to add a bigger forward to the team’s rotation, we’ll take him at face value.

But analysts believe that’s not the only area the Celtics should be trying to improve, such as Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley. For Buckley, Boston should also be looking to add big man depth and ball handling to their ball club before the deadline. “Kornet and Neemias Queta have both looked good in reserve roles, but it’s still fair to wonder whether they are playoff-ready,” notes the B/R analyst, noting Kristaps Porzingis’ injury history and Al Horford’s age.

“(Payton) Pritchard’s first season as a full-time member of the rotation has largely impressed,” he notes. “Boston could still be in the market for backcourt depth.”

“A pass-first guard who can hold his own at the point of attack might be able to carve out a niche role on this roster,” writes Buckley, alluding to Pritchard’s baked-in defensive shortcomings at just 6-foot-1.

“None of these needs are great enough for Boston to part with any assets of value, but a cheap move for a role player could help shore up one of this roster’s few weak spots.”

For us, a backup big is the chief need after a larger wing, but if the Celtics found a forward able to play some 5, it might be possible to deal for a bigger guard as well. What Boston does with their open roster spot, and whether they send out salary in a two-for-one trade, could play a role in their moves.

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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Would Naji Marshall make sense for the Boston Celtics to target in a trade?

The Atlantic City native is earning just $1.9 million this season on an expiring deal, and would likely require a significant outlay of draft assets given his production on that contract.

The Boston Celtics are among many teams looking to get better at the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline, and names are starting to be floated by fans of the team and analysts of prospective trade additions for the Celtics. One of the more popular such proposals is the idea of Boston going after New Orleans Pelicans small forward Naji Marshall.

The 25-year-old Xavier alum is putting up 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game with the Pels this season while shooting 50.4% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc, and 82.5% from the free throw line in 18.5 minutes per game.

The Atlantic City native is earning just $1.9 million this season on an expiring deal, and would likely require a significant outlay of draft assets given his production on that contract.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast took a closer look at how such a pursuit might go down. 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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