Tag: 2024 trade deadline

Should the Boston Celtics try to trade for Jonathan Kuminga?

The 6-foot-8 combo forward fits the bill of a “large forward” that Celtics team president Brad Stevens hinted Boston might be after.

Should the Boston Celtics try to trade for Golden State Warriors big man Jonathan Kuminga? The 6-foot-8 combo forward fits the bill of a “large forward” that Celtics team president Brad Stevens hinted Boston might be after, and if they do believe that their internal options aren’t quite up to the task, then such a pursuit could make sense for the Celtics.

While he has been struggling with the Dubs this season both from beyond the arc and in terms of having a role with the team he is comfortable with, the Congolese swingman shot 35.3% from deep in his first two seasons in the NBA, and could perhaps see that efficiency rise in new surroundings.

A solid rebounder who can move the ball a bit and even fill in at the 5 in smaller lineups, Kuminga is earning just over $6 million this season and $7.6 next, allowing him to slide into the $6.2 million Grant Williams traded player exception with ease.

However, that Kuminga will be extension eligible after this season hints he might not be happy with a varying role as he has had with Golden State, perhaps requiring moving on from some of Boston’s bigger wing players to be sure Kuminga has the minutes he needs to succeed.

But with Boston likely to take a cautious approach with any additions to maintain team chemistry as Stevens noted would be the case, we think a player making waves on his current ball club less likely to be a high priority for the Celtics.

Add in that the former No. 7 pick is not likely to be let go for cheap, and the ask may also be enough to scare the Celtics away. We’d bite if the cost wasn’t high, but it’s unlikely the Celtics would be the highest bidder for Kuminga’s services based on what we know about the situation as a whole.

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Delon Wright, Alec Burks join Kelly Olynyk as proposed Celtics trade targets

And along with the former Celtics center, both Burks and Wright would be far more likely to join the team as buyout options.

The NBA’s 2023-24 trade season is here in full force, and with it come myriad trade proposals for every team in the league, even the ball club that currently owns the best record in the Association so far this season, the Boston Celtics.

Some proposals tend to focus on the obvious issues a team has — in the case of the Celtics, some need for rotation wings and big men — but miss the mark on what a ball club like the Celtics can realistically accomplish given their current roster construction and status as a second apron team in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. As Boston team president Brad Stevens noted, the club’s $6.2 million traded player exception is likely the biggest tool the team has to make moves ahead of the deadline, making trades for players making more than that unlikely at best.

Such a situation makes trading for Detroit Pistons wing Alec Burks, or Washington Wizards point guard Delon Wright as fraught of a target as former Celtics center Kelly Olynyk.

Celtics reportedly have interest in Toronto Raptors forward

Rumors abound on what the Boston Celtics and the rest of the league might have in mind in terms of exchanging players.

With the NBA thick in the midst of trade season, rumors abound on what the Boston Celtics and the rest of the league might have in mind in terms of exchanging players ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline. And to such an end, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer recently related that the Celtics have been casting an envious eye northwards when it comes to a particular forward.

Per Fischer via Heavy’s Matt John, “Chris Boucher… is someone I know the Celtics have liked for a while. He’s at $11.7 million.” And while the Yahoo Sports analyst notes that you are “going to have to give up someone good to get someone good,” even he acknowledges such a move would be unlikely.

This is because the Celtics’ current cap sheet is filled with larger contracts attached to key players that would not be dealt in a trade for a player like Boucher alone.

And with little reason to expand any of the Celtics’ top six players into a larger deal when the team is already on top of the league standings, a buyout seems a more likely route to any chance of Boucher in Boston this season, as John notes.

And given the Canadian big man is unlikely to be bought out as a positive trade asset, this is not a rumor to watch all that closely in our opinion.

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Who are potential Boston Celtics trade targets in light of Brad Stevens’ comments?

Stevens’ comments on Boston having limited resources to make such a move hint the pool may be a small one.

Who are some potential trade targets for the Boston Celtics ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline in the wake of Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens’ comments on Boston having limited resources to make such a move?

With some clarity in potential targets being a larger wing who might even already be on the team’s roster, the league’s new collective bargaining agreement restrictions on second apron teams like the Celtics are already being felt, necessitating the team president’s comments. Wings like Saddiq Bey, Torrey Craig or Jalen McDaniels are possibilities, but does Boston have the draft capital or contracts to land any of these sorts of players? Maybe more importantly, would they make the team better if they did?

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Talkin’ Cs / How Bout Them Celtics!” podcasts weighed in on a recent episode.

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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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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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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What are the Boston Celtics’ trade priorities ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline?

Brad Stevens let it slip that the Celtics have the green light to add to the team via the means they have available to them.

What are the Boston Celtics’ trade priorities ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline? Previously, informed speculation has had names like Chicago Bulls big man Andre Drummond or San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman, with sourced trade rumors tying the Celtics to Memphis Grizzlies wing John Konchar. 

More recently, Boston President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens let it slip that the Celtics have the green light to add to the team via the means they have available to them under the new collective bargaining agreement restrictions imposed by being a second apron team. That limits the pool of any potential targets, but thankfully the Celtics are not exactly a team with any glaring weaknesses, just a lack of reliable bench depth Stevens thinks might even be addressed from within.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast recently sat down to talk it over; 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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Should the Boston Celtics target Atlanta Hawks wing Saddiq Bey?

The Boston Celtics have a solid starting lineup, but their bench lacks the sort of depth a true contender may want behind them.

The Boston Celtics have a solid starting lineup, but their bench lacks the sort of depth a true contender may want behind them, especially at the wing positions if recent rumbles emanating from Boston President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens are to be believed.

With the NBA trade deadline coming soon on February 8th, the Celtics should look to acquire a bigger backup wing player to strengthen their roster for a deep playoff run. But then the question pivots to which wings might be available — as well as within the salary range the Celtics can realistically get to in an offer given the team’s roster construction and the new restrictions on second apron teams the league’s new collective bargaining agreement impose on Boston. Would Atlanta Hawks wing Saddiq Bey make sense as a target?

The host of the Chat Sports “Celtics Today” podcast weighed in on potential wing additions for Boston in a recent episode.

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 president Brad Stevens previews Boston’s 2024 trade deadline

The league’s new collective bargaining agreement also imposes restrictions on what Boston can do, as does the contract structure of the players already on the team.

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens said that the biggest need for the Celtics in his preview of the 2024 NBA trade deadline is a big wing. Stevens sounded satisfied with the team’s rotation in the frontcourt so far and signaled that any wing added to the rotation could emerge from within, like Oshae Brissett and others on the bench unit.

This is because the team only has a $6.2 million traded player exception generated by signing-and-trading Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks this past offseason to use as a major trade piece for any potential swing at a larger wing.

The league’s new collective bargaining agreement also imposes restrictions on what Boston can do, as does the contract structure of the players already on the team.

CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning reported on Stevens’ interview with the media from Celtics practice on Thursday.

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.