NBA Trades: 3 outside-the-box moves the Boston Celtics must consider

NBA Trades: Boston lands an intriguing big man in a proposed deal with the Suns.

In the lead-up to the 2023–24 NBA season, it appeared as though both the Celtics and Phoenix Suns would be among the teams to beat in their respective conferences. The Celtics have more than exceeded expectations and currently have the best record in the NBA. The Suns, not so much.

They are just 22–18 and eighth in the Western Conference. That has largely been due to injuries to their new Big 3. Worse yet, they have very few trade assets to make another win-now move. However, an interesting proposal between the Celtics and Suns would see Boston address a depth issue and Phoenix add assets that could help them make another trade to improve.

While Bol continues to show flashes, he has yet to make much of an impact this season for the struggling Suns. As a result, if offered a future asset for a player who is on a minimum contract, they would probably consider the deal. Especially after the Suns emptied out their draft pick war chest to acquire Kevin Durant and later Bradley Beal. With so few assets, a second-round pick might be tempting.

Meanwhile, the Celtics, have been linked to several centers and could see Bol as a low-cost option, though he would probably be lower on their list of trade targets. Cashing in one of their few remaining seconds for a player they could have signed outright over the summer might seem odd.

Even still, judging by the players that they have been targeting, they are looking for both size and shooting ability. He does have size and has flashed shooting potential and Boston likely knows that they can't count on an aging Al Horford as well as Kristaps Porzingis to stay healthy over the final 40 games of the season, plus potentially a 25-game playoff run.

Ultimately, the Suns have made good use of second-round picks to build out their roster and if offered one for Bol, they may consider a deal with the Celtics. As for Boston, they don't have many holes and certainly aren't in a position of weakness, but Bol could be a cheap option to address a team need.