Boston Celtics: 3 players most likely to be traded in 2018-19

2. Marcus Morris

I won’t lie to you — the Celtics will not be eager to move Marcus Morris. He played a big role throughout the 2017-18 campaign, and is a crucial piece of Boston’s bench unit. Despite that, I think there’s a decent chance he becomes part of a trade this season.

The main point here is that Morris is in the final year of his contract. He proved last season to be a valuable asset, which could lead to him being overpaid via free agency. As great as he’s been since coming to Massachusetts, the Celtics probably aren’t ready to get into a bidding war for his services. And you better believe Morris won’t take another discount to stay put.

Wouldn’t trading him and recouping some of that value be the better option? I believe so, even if it means losing a prominent piece of the puzzle prior to the playoffs.

Well, doesn’t Boston need his scoring off the bench? Probably. But with Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving set to return, points will come early and often for the Celtics this season. On top of that, the future looks bright for Daniel Theis and Guerschon Yabusele, who could both eat up the minutes opened up by a Morris trade.

Morris means a lot to Boston, and rightfully so. However, losing him and getting nothing in return doesn’t seem like an approach Ainge is interested in. With capable replacements on the roster, the Celtics may not be attached enough to turn down a trade if the compensation is correct.