NBA trade rumors: Utah's asking price; Celtics eyeing a stretch 5? Spurs after a 7'2 big
By Cal Durrett
NBA trade rumors: Celtics eyeing a stretch five
Despite having the best record in the NBA, the Boston Celtics are still in the market for an upgrade. In fact, the Celtics are reportedly interested in acquiring a stretch big man from the struggling Detroit Pistons.
Boston, Oklahoma City and Dallas have shown great interest in Isaiah Stewart, per @JLEdwardsIII
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 18, 2023
(Via https://t.co/RWqp9of8NV) pic.twitter.com/zU9o3XNzJ7
The Pistons have a plethora of big men, including Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley III, and James Wiseman, and they could be in a position to draft another come June. As a result, it's possible that they would be willing to trade at least one of those bigs, and Stewart is the most likely candidate.
The Celtics having an interest in him makes sense given their starting center, Kristaps Porzingis, has a long injury history, and backup big man Al Horford is a 17-year veteran and 36 years old. Trading for Stewart would give them some front-court insurance were one of them to go down for an extended period or in the postseason.
As far as a potential trade, the Celtics have a few remaining assets leftover from the Porzingis and Jrue Holiday deals, though matching salaries for Stewart could be tricky. After all, the Celtics have few expendable players, but there is still a chance that Boston gets a deal done for Stewart.