Should Boston Celtics look to use Memphis 1st-round pick as bait to land a big?

The Boston Celtics have a 1st-round pick from the Memphis Grizzlies that they can use as trade bait for a big man. Should they use that asset or keep it?

At 14-5 on the season, the Boston Celtics are tied for the fifth-best record in the NBA. While this is a great start to the season, they have major leverage in improving their roster to make a deep playoff run.

In early 2015, Boston acquired a top-eight protected 2019 first-round pick from the Memphis Grizzlies. After Memphis retained its pick and selected Ja Morant in the 2019 NBA Draft, the traded pick now has top-six protection in 2020.

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This leaves the Celtics at a major crossroads. With a 6-14 record, the Grizzlies are tied for the fifth-worst record in the NBA. So there is a good chance the Grizzlies once again retain their pick in the upcoming draft. This would make the pick unprotected in the 2021 NBA Draft, meaning Boston could end up with perhaps a top-five pick six years after acquiring the asset.

Is it worth waiting around and seeing how high that pick may be and drafting another face of the franchise or should the Celtics leverage that high-value pick to bolster their roster and prove they are looking to win now?

With the roster they have now, they might be better served to trade the pick and make their run. A lot can happen in two years and who knows what that pick may turn out to be. With the amount of talent on their current roster, Boston should fill their one glaring gap — a reliable big man.

On their depth chart, Boston has a center rotation of Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, Robert Williams, and Tacko Fall, none of which are a good enough big man for an Eastern Conference contender. They all could be serviceable backups, but the Celtics need a true starting center. Who could they target?

Steven Adams would fit the bill. Still just 26 years old, he could fill this void now and down the road. Under contract for one more season after this season, worth roughly $27.5 million, Adams could be the team’s starting center through the 2020-21 season.

In fact, his slow start to the season for the Oklahoma City Thunder may have his trade value at the lowest it’s been in several years, which Boston could exploit.

Another realistic option would be Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers. He is in the first year of a brand new contract worth $18 million per year through the 2022-23 season. At 23 years old, Turner could be the Celtics’ center of the future at a very reasonable price. His ability to space the floor as well as defend the rim is something that would help Boston greatly.

While it is unclear what actual trade packages might look like, guys like Adams and Turner would be worth using the Memphis first-round pick towards acquiring alongside other players to make the salary work.