Boston Celtics Have Assets For Major Trade Deadline Deal

The Boston Celtics have plenty of assets to deal for a marquee player at the trade deadline.

The Boston Celtics are viable playoff contenders in the East, but they could have an even loftier ceiling if general manager Danny Ainge concocts a trade deadline blockbuster.

At 27-21 and surging to a second straight playoff berth, one of Ainge’s premier plays as a GM might have been signing Brad Stevens to coach his team in 2013. Stevens’ tenure at Butler University was borderline phenomenal, taking his team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament Finals appearances.

Ainge has provided Stevens with an All-Star (Isaiah Thomas), a point guard brimming with two-way potential (Marcus Smart) and plenty of established veterans to provide the necessary production to compete in the Eastern Conference. Ainge’s overhaul of the roster arguably initiated with the infamous deal with Brooklyn in 2013.

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It’s commendable that Ainge settled for a much-needed rebuild rather than play into the pipe dream of contending with a roster littered with veterans. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry gave Brooklyn head coach Jason Kidd one solid year, but the reality shock is twofold for the Nets — one of the league’s flawed organizations.

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Brooklyn acquired pieces to help build a playoff roster, but the ramifications have been harsh and apparent. Boston has the Nets’ 2016 first-round pick and the struggles Brooklyn was expected to have coming into the season have been heightened with multiple losses to their roster.

With Deron Williams producing for Dallas (13.9 PPG, 5.5 APG) and both Jarrett Jack and rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson out, Brooklyn’s plummeted in the standings and looks to be a fixture in the lottery for years. The Nets are 29th in points scored per game and don’t have plus defenders outside of Hollis-Jefferson that can make an impact.

While Boston, Toronto, New York and even the Philadelphia 76ers might improve in the upcoming years, Brooklyn will be forced to convince free agents to join a rebuilding organization unable to bring in young, cheap talent through the draft.

With a 15.6 percent chance at the No. 1 pick and a 46.9 percent chance at landing one of the first three picks, currently, Boston could add a wing after failing to trade up for Duke’s Justise Winslow in last year’s draft. LSU’s Ben Simmons, Duke’s Brandon Ingram, or California’s Jaylen Brown all could be realistic options for Beantown depending on where they pick.

It gets even harder to bear for Brooklyn fans. Boston has the chance to swap picks with Brooklyn next year, in what’s priming to be a loaded 2017 draft. Unless Brooklyn gets hyper-active and uses their ample salary space to build a contender, which looks to be the most ideal route for the stagnant franchise, Boston could be in the hunt for Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum or Josh Jackson.

The fun doesn’t stop for Boston. Brooklyn also gave up their 2018 first-round pick, with no protections, to the Celtics. The lopsided deal should give general managers some clarity about protecting picks in any trade. Boston is loaded. Ainge likely will be selecting six players in the 2016 draft, two in the first round and four in the second round, but they could be used to acquire a significant — and more impactful — piece to their roster.

It already looks like Ainge is in the market for an upgrade.

Jeff Teague, who plays the same position as Thomas and Smart, looks to be an odd fit. However, Al Horford would be a bulletproof match in Boston, as a three-time All-Star who’d provide instant production for the Celtics.

For a team that takes plenty of shots per game from 10 feet and in, Horford would expand the frontcourt’s range and be a more impactful force than current starter Jared Sullinger. With Horford averaging 15.2 PPG and 7.1 RPG, Boston would be giving their interior a major boost if the Hawks solely desired draft picks.

This narrative plays out in many teams currently wanting to rebuild or in the midst of a rebuild. Draft picks become more valuable than actual players, due to the options it gives teams to make future moves. Once the picks materialize, they drop in stock. They easily could be Ainge’s trump card in negotiations with other teams.

Boston doesn’t even have to give up a Marcus Smart or a Jae Crowder if they want to continue to build via trades. While the aforementioned duo might not have the ceiling compared to a player selected with a top-5 pick, which could be in Boston’s possession for multiple years, they have become entrenched in Stevens’ lineup and are two-way players that fit his scheme.

Few teams can offer a package that rivals Boston. This is the case for any team willing to part with a star. However, the market is shallow, explains ESPN’s Marc Stein.

"Boston has been quietly aggressive, with its well-chronicled array of assets, in search of the splashy move we all know team president Danny Ainge would love to make. But with Sacramento thoroughly unwilling to entertain offers for DeMarcus Cousins, and Cavaliers general manager David Griffin likewise emphatically shooting down the notion earlier this week of making Kevin Love available, there isn’t a starry trade target for Ainge to chase. At least not yet."

Boston is undoubtably a contender, but also has a cache of future trade entities to expedite Ainge’s rebuild. Even with a deep rotation, the Celtics won’t be hard-pressed adding two first-round picks into their lineup and going after the marquee free agents in the offseason.

Four contracts come off the books after the 2015-16 season, opening up the chance for Boston to land an expiring contractual player via trade (Ryan Anderson) or sculpting a unit that gives heavy minutes to its core players. Boston has had 12 players play in 24 or more games this games this season, but its ceiling–like many other teams as a comparison — is arguably higher with multiple stars.

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Ainge nailed last year’s trade deadline by adding Isaiah Thomas, who is averaging 21.5 PPG and 6.7 APG, and has the optionality to bring in another potential All-Star. They have what rebuilding teams desire, picks, and ones that can bolster any organization’s progress in their attempt to get back to relevancy.