The Boston Celtics made an effort to land a star before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, but they couldn’t find a deal to their liking.
In the end, the C’s made no trades at all.
ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe wrote an excellent piece outlining Boston’s deadline action, including its pursuit of Chicago Bulls star forward Jimmy Butler.
“Butler was more obtainable for Boston, and the two sides exchanged a bunch of proposals,” Lowe writes.
“The particulars are hard to pin down, but suffice it to say this: Boston could not find a package that left both its present and its future in a place that felt comfortable. Give up too much of the present, and you can’t compete with the big boys. Toss every pick into the basket, and your contention timeline shrinks.”
Without adding a star like Butler, a top-15 player in the world, Boston will continue to rely on All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas to carry most of the scoring burden.
Thomas ranks second in the league with 29.9 points scored per game, but aside from him, Boston doesn’t have another go-to scorer. What if Thomas suffers an injury or isn’t able to sustain his torrid scoring pace for the entire season and into the playoffs?
Al Horford is a quality player, but he’s not a No. 1 option in crunch time. Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder certainly aren’t afraid to take big shots, but they aren’t as reliable as Thomas to make them.
The Celtics do have one of the deepest teams in the league, though. After all, head coach Brad Stevens played 11 (!) guys last Thursday against the Chicago Bulls. That helps because it increases the likelihood of one guy getting hot and picking up the slack if Thomas has an off night.
Make no mistake, the Celtics can compete for an Eastern Conference title with their current roster, but adding a player like Butler, who’s signed for two more seasons with a 2019-20 player option, could’ve greatly improved their chances.
Thumbnail photo via Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports Images
