Boston Celtics: 3 Logical Trade Candidates Prior To Training Camp
They don’t call Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge “Trader Danny” for nothing.
The Celtics have 16 players under contract with about a month left before the start of training camp. That means a move or two is probably coming and Ainge has shown that he’s not afraid to get creative. So with that in mind, here’s a group of logical trade candidates as the 2015-16 season continues to approach.
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1. Jared Sullinger – You may not know this, but Sullinger has been busting it this summer in an attempt to get in shape (why it took him three pro seasons to do this is a legit question for another time).
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This a huge year for Sullinger as he approaches the end of his first NBA contract and he seems to understand that given the frequency with which he’s chosen to remind us that he’s working so unbelievably hard during this offseason. The Celtics may feel that a contract year plus (alleged) renewed work ethic may be enough incentive to prominently feature Sullinger this season.
Or, they may look at their clogged up frontcourt depth chart and remember that they’re dealing with a player openly called out by Danny Ainge for his bad habits last season and try to get something for him. Neither outcome would surprise but there’s an argument to be made that Sullinger’s value is reasonably high right now and may not be come the trade deadline should past patterns continue. Deal him.
2. Evan Turner – What do you do with Turner? It’s not necessarily that he has to go, it’s that the Celtics probably don’t need him to be their break-here-in-case-of-fire point guard anymore now that Terry Rozier has joined Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas on the depth chart.
Turner was arguably the most pleasant of all the surprises put forth by the Celtics last season and that, combined with how cheap he is, makes it easy to think that he’s an important cog in the organization taking the next step. And maybe he is – Turner is a guy who needs the ball yet isn’t great at creating for himself, but he displayed an all-around game last season that not many of us knew he possessed, quickly becoming one of Brad Stevens’ favorites.
In the end, should Ainge decide that he can get everything Turner gave the Celtics last season via the point guard trio and a combination of Jae Crowder and Perry Jones at the 3, Turner could be a goner.
3. Marcus Smart – Don’t rule this out. Smart’s name was floating among the rumor clouds around the draft and he was pumped up so much during Summer League that it was borderline absurd. Perhaps the Celtics really are interested in seeing what they can get for the second-year man out of Oklahoma State.
Smart can’t shoot and had trouble getting to the rim last season but he’s already a proven performer on the defensive end and in the hustle and hard work departments. There’s enough there already to be able to declare with confidence that he will be at least a solid NBA player for many years.
But again, there is a backlog at this position and while Thomas may be more appealing in trade talks given what he’s already proven on the court alongside his ridiculously affordable contract, trading him deprives the Celtics of the only player on their current roster who can create for himself from anywhere on the floor at any time.
If Ainge decides he both can and wants to dip into his point guard pool, moving Smart makes the most sense.