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Master the rebound, master the destiny.
After beating the New Orleans Pelicans on January 12, the Celtics became the first team in the league to win 30 in the regular season this season, and so far, they still maintain a 33-12 record, firmly holding the top position in the league.
Although they have done a good enough job so far, for a big team that has won 17 championship trophies in history, all the results before the final trophy are almost negligible. So, even if they return to the Finals after years off the 2021-22 season, as long as they fail to beat all their opponents to the top spot, there is nothing to praise for the Celtics.
As such, they desperately need some reinforcements to improve the team, maximize the championship window of their squad, and strive to win the 18th championship in team history before core players leave or salary explosions.
In terms of trade regulations, the trade deadline this season is Feb. 10, and the Celtics happen to be the first team to push for a trade this season, after sending Vonley and some cash to the Spurs in exchange for a protected future second-round pick, freeing up a spot on the roster and saving the team some luxury tax space.
In view of the above situation, the possibility of Celtics continuing to trade in the future is very large, according to this logic, let's discuss their possible trading goals in the future, and analyze the feasibility and advantages and disadvantages of the transaction.
The first is the team's tradeable chips, and while they still have plenty of room to use draft picks, considering that the team's current team salaries have exceeded the luxury tax red line, it means that even if a trade is pushed, the final deal will not involve much size. And the chips they can use are basically only the following parts:
The player part has Pritchard who fell out of the rotation, Gallinari who is reimbursed for the season, and the rest is a part of the trade exception.
Before exploring the future trading possibilities, let's take a look at Stevenson's past operating habits. Unlike former general manager Angie, Stevenson doesn't like to think about the minutiae, and he doesn't like to bet on future possibilities with too many draft picks.
Judging from the operating habits of recent years, as long as there are chips in the trade market that can help the team, he will choose to execute even if there is a slight premium, and he knows very well that too much attachment to these details is likely to miss the opportunity.
It was with this philosophy that he traded a first-round pick and a first-round swap to Derek White. In order to fill the missing position in the team, he is also willing to pay more for Brogdon.
Let's explore the subsequent trading direction of the Celtics along this line of operation. Since Gallinari suffered early reimbursement, it meant that their most important compensation plan of the offseason had completely failed. But fortunately, they picked Sam Hauser in the draft list, and his consistent performance on the court somewhat reduced Gallinari's losses.
Unfortunately, he was unable to continue his advantage, and December became Hauser's watershed, and before December, he was able to turn in 7.4 points in every game and shoot 2 three-pointers with 48% three-point shooting; But heading into December, his average fell to 4.3 points per game, and his perimeter shooting percentage fell below 30%. This has led to the manager having to scale back his rotation and massively increase the playing time of Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Although to some extent, this same adjustment ensures the team's combat effectiveness, but it also invisibly increases the burden on the core players.
In addition to this, another big weakness of the team comes from the inside box. Although they welcomed Robert Williams back on the lineup, the manager is quite strict about his playing time, at least to ensure that he makes the playoffs in a healthy manner. Then there's the veteran Horford, who, while consistent enough, is already a 36-year-old veteran and there is only a limit to what he can do on the field.
In addition to these two, the other interior players have obvious shortcomings. Griffin's maneuverability was too slow, Grant Williams was limited in height, and Cornet was occasionally able to get in for co-jobs, but his overall ability was not comprehensive enough. If you think about it from this perspective, insiders will also be the direction of their subsequent transactions.
Here's a look at the Celtics' overall situation and a few trading directions they can try:
PJ - Washington
Charlotte Wasp
Personal averages: 32.2 minutes, 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.1 blocks
Three field share rate: 43.9%, 36.3%, 80%
Of the deals we've mentioned, Washington is probably the least likely to be traded, even though he's currently in the final year of his rookie contract. And it has not yet been able to reach a promise to renew his contract with the team early.
However, as a striker with the 12th pick in the first round, judging from his performance on the field, his ability is extremely strong under the modern space system. Let's not discuss whether the Hornets will put him on the trade shelf, and even if they choose to do, other teams will have to pay a huge price to get him.
Washington was able to replace Bridges in the starting list due to some previous off-court reasons, and he took advantage of the opportunity to play the best season of scoring of his career, but unfortunately his average rebounding and offensive efficiency statistics have declined.
But after LaMelo Ball returned, Washington's form picked up again. Since mid-December, he has averaged 15.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, shooting 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from the perimeter from three-point range.
Let's put aside other distractions to discuss the feasibility of comparative trading. Since Washington's annual salary is only $5.8 million at the moment, the Celtics can directly eat this part with the trade exception. Of course, this approach will inevitably make the team touch on the luxury tax in the future, and they will face more problems in future contract extensions.
At present, the overall salary of the Celtics is crowded enough, and the team owner is not as profligate as other teams, and they will have to consider the extension of Grant Williams in the future, and now another Washington will undoubtedly make the situation more confusing.
However, we have to think about this in the long term, and the Celtics chose to sign veteran Horford because of some of his abilities. But considering he's 36 years old, can the Celtics afford to guarantee a championship trophy before he retires? If so, should they find the best replacement for Horford in advance?
From the perspective of Washington's performance on the field, whether it is his roster position, technical characteristics on the field, etc., it is very suitable to succeed Horford's role in the team. Although the Celtics are grooming Grant Williams in this successor position at this stage, PJ Washington is undoubtedly a better choice than the two.
But the biggest problem is what we mentioned above, if you want to get Washington, then the Celtics must pay a huge price, even people like Grant Williams in the core rotation will be put in the trade chips, and also have to pay Pritchard to match the salary, and even attach future draft picks to impress the Hornets.
Although the conditions are difficult, it is not without chance, and even in the long run, the Celtics can wait until the offseason to find this trade opportunity.
Josh Hart
Portland
Personal stats: 34.4 minutes, 9.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.2 blocks
Three field goal percentage: 50.3%, 33.3%, 74.2%
As a backcourt player with a height and reach advantage, Hart can do defensive work in multiple positions on the field. Whether it's the Lakers, Pelicans or Blazers before him, Hart has proven to everyone that he is a starter who is all-round on offense and defense, and while we can't put him in the core of the team, he's definitely above par as a championship team's championship puzzle.
If we compare his position in the team, you can think of him as Smart as the bigger one, or Dream Green as the smaller one. While he has quality defensive ability, he is also able to give a consistent response on the outside of the team.
Of course, his personal three-point shooting percentage is not too high, only breaking through 30%, but his advantage in other areas is what many teams need. For example, the ability to fight for rebounds and the playmaking on the offensive end are what the Celtics need today.
If the Celtics can trade him, they can choose to put him in the second lineup and play the offensive and defensive combination with Brogdon in the backcourt. And when the team chooses to play small-ball lineup, Hart's excellent wireless defense can also play at the same time as Tatum and Brown, providing quality flank defense without taking possession of the ball.
However, considering the position of cash Hart in the Blazers' roster, if the Celtics are really interested in facilitating this deal, it is likely that Gallinari can be used as the main body of the trade to match the salary with low-paid players such as Justin Jackson and Pritchard. It's unlikely that such a trade chip will fully impress the Blazers, in which they will have to attach a certain amount of draft picks.
The biggest factor in the eventual success of this deal is the Blazers' planning this season. Before the trade deadline, if the Blazers' record is still not ideal, then their goal this season will most likely shift to focus on developing newcomer Sharp, and choosing to send Hart away at this time can save the renewal amount for next season while being able to exchange for future assets. Why not make such an option?
It's just that as things stand, the Blazers' record is still hopelessly bad, and they still have hopes of competing for the playoffs or playoffs, and it may be difficult to impress team management at this time.
Mike Muscala
Oklahoma Thunder
Individual stats per game: 5.9 points, 0.9 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.5 blocks in 14.5 minutes
Three field goal percentage: 42.8%, 37.4%, 80%
In the rebuilding team in recent years, the Thunder have actually achieved very good results, and among the young people, the 31-year-old Muscala seems a little out of place. In this young team, his role is basically reflected in the dressing room.
However, as a 2.08m tall battery player, his type of player is very enthusiastic for many teams. Once the Thunder chooses to put him on the trading shelf, there will certainly be no more to pursue his potential next home.
For the Celtics, Muscala can greatly improve their outside attack, and in terms of trade value, the Celtics may not need to pay too much leverage to get him.
But there is also a flip side, and the Celtics' subsequent reinforcement goals are more about high-quality rotations up front to fill the gap in the rotation after Robert Williams and Horford. And veterans like Muscala who are weak in attack and defense are clearly not their most immediate target.
And, from the Thunder's perspective, they seem to value Muscala's locker room leadership role very much, similar to Nick Collison before him. It may not be easy for the Celtics to get him without paying a big price.
Kenrich Williams
Oklahoma Thunder
Personal averages: 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks in 21.6 minutes
Three field goal percentages: 54.1%, 43.4%, 46.2%
That's right, the next player is from the Thunder.
Kenrich Williams is actually very similar to Hart, and from his average stat chart, you will find that he also has the quality characteristics of being efficient and not possessing the ball on the field, and is an absolutely qualified quality 3D, and this type of player is very sought-after for both championship teams and rebuilding teams.
Given Hauser's instability in the Celtics roster, Kenrich Williams would be a great addition option. In addition, his annual salary this year can easily meet the conditions of salary parity, and he can also choose to eat directly with trading exceptions.
Kenrich Williams previously agreed to a four-year 27 million contract extension with the Thunder, with annual salaries of 6.18 million, 6.67 million, 7.16 million and 7.16 million respectively, which is cheap enough for the Celtics, and they can try it hard.
It's just that the question is what is the final value of the deal, or if the Thunder are asking too much in the deal, will the Celtics still want it?
Javant Green
Chicago Bulls
Personal averages: 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks in 16 minutes
Three field goal percentage: 58.7%, 38.2%, 67.4%
This option is what we think is most likely to happen.
Green and Celtic have been in contact before, with the team signing him in the 2019 summer league but being sent away by the team ahead of the 2021 trade deadline.
We refer to Stevenson's previous operation, he chose to sign back the two veterans of Theis and Horford after taking up the management, on the one hand, because these players are familiar with the system and can quickly integrate into the team, and he is clear enough about the advantages and disadvantages of these players, it is much easier to choose these veterans than to re-develop new people.
As for Javinte Green, he showed good awareness and defense without the ball during his previous time with the Greenshirts. After being traded to the Bulls, he was similarly reused by head coach Donovan.
Unfortunately, he has suffered a knee injury this season, and with Patrick Williams' return from injury, Green's role in the team has been greatly reduced, from the starting lineup back to the bench.
This season's Green is in his contract year, and his annual salary is only a base salary contract, plus he has just undergone knee surgery, and the subsequent return time is likely to wait until after the All-Star Break. So at this stage it is precisely his low point of value, and the Celtics can indeed choose to get him back at this point.
And given the pressure of the luxury tax, they can also use Pritchard as a trade chip, which can also help the team save a little more money and add an extra option to the team's wing list.