Report: The Boston Celtics may be eyeing a trade for a highly prized center

The Boston Celtics are off to a great start despite a tumultuous offseason that saw them suspend head coach Ime Udoka and promote Joe Mazzula to the role. While he inherited a team that was just two games away from winning the NBA Finals, they’ve gotten off to a much better start than in recent seasons. Still, the Celtics’ name has been brought up around the NBA in regard to a potential upgrade at center, which is their weakest position.

That would be a wise move, with 36-year-old Al Horford starting and playing the majority of the minutes at the five, with the likes of Luke Kornet, Noah Vonleh, and Blake Griffin filling in the rest of the minutes until frequently injured starting center Robert Williams returns. However, the Celtics’ interest in upgrading the position may hint that they doubt he’ll return in the near future or whether he’ll be at full strength when he eventually does make his season debut.

San Antonio Spurs starting center Jakob Poeltl is among the best and most underrated big men in the NBA, thus making him the ideal target for the Celtics, particularly after their most recent game against the Portland Trailblazers. Poeltl went off, going for a career-high 31 points and throwing in 14 rebounds and 5 assists for good measure.

That wasn’t just a one-off performance, however; he’s averaging a career-high 13.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks. Factor in that he’s believed to be available, and that makes him one of the most sought-after players on the trading block. But can the Boston Celtics actually land him?

What could a Boston Celtics trade look like?

The Boston Celtics have limited options as far as players they’d be willing to include in a trade, as well as players they can’t actually include. Injured forward Danilo Gallinari as well as Kornet would work financially for Poeltl, but Gallinari was waived by the Spurs prior to signing with the Celtics, complicating a deal.

A third team could be included with him being rerouted to that team and the Spurs and Celtics sending them second-round picks, but Boston would still need to send out at least one first-round pick to the Spurs. That said, the Spurs are asking for two firsts in return for Poeltl, and the Celtics already traded their 2022 first-rounder to the Spurs, as well as swap rights to their pick in 2028. Additionally, Boston traded their 2023 first to the Pacers, which limits their ability to trade picks.

The Celtics could offer their 2025 first-round pick, but with the Spurs asking for a lot, they’ll probably have to do better. They could also throw in a 2023 second from Orlando, but another team could offer two first-rounders or a first and a good young player, effectively outbidding them.

Ultimately, the Celtics may not have enough assets to outbid another team for Poeltl and may instead opt to continue on and hope that Williams will be healthy when it matters most. Fortunately, the Boston Celtics don’t need to make a move right now, and acquiring Poeltl would be more of a luxury than a necessity.