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Boston Celtics: Pass or pursue on these 5 NBA trade deadline rumors

By Josh Cornelissen

Feb 12, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant (9) drives the ball against Boston Celtics center Daniel Theis (27) in the forth quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant (9) drives the ball against Boston Celtics center Daniel Theis (27) in the forth quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
Boston Celtics, NBA trade deadline Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images /

Pass or pursue: Nikola Vucevic, C, Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic should realistically be selling off anything that’s not nailed down. Aaron Gordon could easily have been a candidate for this list, and the Celtics have been linked to him in the past. For now, we keep things with the Magic’s All-Star center, Nikola Vucevic, having himself a career year on one of the league’s worst teams.

“Vooch” is scoring 24.6 points per game to go along with 11.6 rebounds, including a scorching 41.2 percent from long-range and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line, both career-highs. He is 12th in the league in offensive box plus/minus despite playing on a 13-win Magic team ranked 26th in offense.

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    • The Celtics haven’t been able to find a viable replacement for Al Horford since he left two seasons ago, and Vucevic would certainly fill the offensive hole and eat up minutes at the 5. He spaces the floor, is a late-clock safety valve and would be a huge boost to the Celtics’ 11th-ranked offense.

    What would the effect defensively be? He could hold his own against some opponents, depending on where things land and what lineup are before them. The Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers shouldn’t scare the Celtics. But can Vucevic hold up against the size of Milwaukee or Philadelphia? That is more questionable. And against the Brooklyn Nets, he would almost certainly be played off the floor in any minutes where DeAndre Jordan is not playing.

    Ultimately that is the question for the Celtics. Do they want to use their asset pool for a center who makes $26 million this year, $46 million over the next two, when they aren’t sure if he can play against the conference’s biggest postseason threats? Vucevic would help this team, no question, but the price to add him will likely be high. All of those factors make this a difficult decision, but if the Celtics want to win the title this year or beyond they probably need to find a two-way option, and likely one further up the lineup. Vucevic doesn’t fit that bill.

    Verdict: (Reluctant) Pass

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