Boston Celtics: 3 big-name trade targets before 2018 deadline

The Boston Celtics may need some additional help to make them true contenders. These big-name players could find themselves on Boston’s radar before the 2018 trade deadline.

Hands down, the Boston Celtics had one of the best offseasons of any team in the NBA. Between signing Gordon Hayward, drafting Jayson Tatum and acquiring another 2018 first round pick, Danny Ainge crushed it in the last couple of months.

Still, that doesn’t mean they’re shoo-ins for the NBA Finals. Their road to the Eastern Conference title got easier with the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ recent downfall, but getting through the Golden State Warriors (because, let’s be honest, they’ll be in the Finals) will be a treacherous journey to say the least.

I honestly don’t believe their current roster has the talent to get the job done. Making a trade for a big-name player could put them over the top, though.

It’s not like the Celtics lack the pieces to make a deal happen. With plenty of draft ammunition and a couple of movable prospects at the ready, Ainge has the flexibility to land a star via trade. So it’ll essentially come down to finding the right opportunity and making sure Boston doesn’t deplete its future assets.

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Maybe one of these three potential opportunities could help the Celtics truly contend in 2017-18. I’ll let you judge for yourself whether these hypothetical targets/trades make sense, but they all work from a financial standpoint, according to the ESPN Trade Machine.