The Boston Celtics’ three-team blockbuster involving Kristaps Porzingis and Marcus Smart, among others, might’ve simply been the first noteworthy trade of the NBA offseason for Brad Stevens and company.
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss reported Thursday, citing league sources, the Celtics’ front office was continuing to actively explore trade opportunities.
This report came hours before Boston was scheduled to formally introduce Porzingis, acquired from the Washington Wizards last week in a trade that sent Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies, and one day before the official start of NBA free agency.
The C’s could go in any number of directions with their trade talks, but Grant Williams’ restricted free agency and Malcolm Brogdon’s injury certainly remain at the forefront of Boston-related speculation.
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Williams, who reportedly received a qualifying offer from the Celtics, is considered a sign-and-trade candidate, whereas Brogdon’s status is unclear after Boston initially included him in a separate three-team deal for Porzingis that fell through.
There’s also an even bigger question looming, with Jaylen Brown eligible to sign a supermax contract extension this summer. But trading Brown, an All-Star firmly in his prime alongside Jayston Tatum, would be a franchise-altering decision. And it’s hard to imagine, at this point, the Celtics going down that path despite again failing to get over the hump in pursuit of the organization’s 18th NBA championship.
Ultimately, Boston might lock up Brown and settle for more modest tweaks while augmenting the roster around its dynamic duo. That said, Stevens clearly is willing to shuffle the deck, to an extent, in wake of the Celtics losing to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals and to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals this past season.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports Images
