NBA Week 12 Power Rankings: Questions for each team after the break
By Corey Rausch
Last Week: Lost to Brooklyn Nets 121-109
This Week: 3/14 at Houston Rockets, 3/16 vs. Utah Jazz, 3/17 at Cleveland Cavaliers, 3/19 vs. Sacramento Kings
Question: Who will the Boston Celtics use the Gordon Hayward trade exception on?
It has been the biggest question all Boston Celtics fans have been mulling all season. For years the fans have waited for Danny Ainge to use his treasure trove of extra first-round picks. Now all of those extra picks are gone and none of them have been traded.
At this point, using financial flexibility is their only course of action to continue to build their roster around Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Every starry name you could hope to think of has been mocked in trades to the Celtics. While many of them are far from likely, the point remains that the Celtics will likely have to use the trade exception, or part of it, over the next two weeks.
Harrison Barnes, Nikola Vucevic, Jerami Grant and many more have been discussed by Celtics fans far and wide. The Celtics need a boost. They have been generally disappointing this season after a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals a few short months ago. Blame has been directed at Brad Stevens, Danny Ainge and a myriad of players. However, should an addition be made, there will be a new target for hope. Unfortunately, given the passion of Celtics’ fans, he will also be the new scapegoat.