Don't be too surprised if the Boston Celtics continue in their current guise after the NBA trade deadline.
ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry and Tim MacMahon both predicted Tuesday the Celtics won't make any trades prior to Thursday's deadline. Their record $28.5 million traded-player exception and failure to live up to expectations this season to date have made the Celtics the subject of a barrage of recent rumors.
However, Goldsberry believes the Celtics are more likely to stand pat than be on the losing end of any deal.
"Boston doesn't get a deal done," he wrote in a "bold" trade deadline prediction. "The Celtics are .500 and need help especially in their frontcourt. However, this front office is quickly earning a reputation for the deals it doesn't make, and the trade deadline is a notoriously tough time to acquire meaningful new pieces at fair prices. The Celtics might be looking to add pieces, but they won't allow themselves to get fleeced. In turn, they will end up empty-handed."
MacMahon reckons Boston will struggle to find the right player to fit its needs and the TPE.
"The Celtics, leery of paying luxury tax for a team that entered the week at .500, don't find a fit for their massive trade exception," MacMahon predicted. "Harrison Barnes would make a lot of sense, but the Kings shouldn't move him unless they get a significant return."
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said earlier this month Boston "most likely" will wait until the offseason to use the TPE. Some might have considered his statement a negotiating tactic, but Goldsberry's and MacMahon's understandable arguments suggest Ainge was being forthright.
