The Celtics have a logjam at a certain position, and they apparently might use the trade route to break up the group.
MassLive’s Brian Robb on Thursday reported Boston has been “one of the more active teams in the league” in trade talks in the lead-up to next week’s NBA draft. Although it doesn’t seem like a potential Celtics trade in the near future would be for a bonafide star like Bradley Beal, it nonetheless could be a move that bolsters the roster.
“Boston only holds the No. 35 overall pick but the team is looking at making potential tweaks to the supporting cast around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown,” Robb wrote. “The Celtics are particularly loaded in the backcourt with Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard all under contract for next season and the team is investigating moving a guard to improve other areas of the roster per a league source.”
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The player on that list who probably would welcome a trade the most is Pritchard, who was not a regular in Boston’s rotation last season. But by limiting the 2020 first-rounder’s minutes, Joe Mazzulla and company also might have diminished Pritchard’s trade value. If the C’s are trying to improve their roster through trade, Pritchard might be a throw-in to a deal at best.
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Smart, meanwhile, probably only would be included in a trade for an elite player, which Boston most likely isn’t in the market for if it intends to give supermax extensions to both Tatum and Brown. That leaves Brogdon and White, both of whom are trusted, well-rounded players who could be particularly impactful on a younger team.
Again, don’t count on the Celtics uncorking a cannonball in the NBA swimming pool this summer. But signs point to Boston making a level of a splash that results in a different-looking roster next season.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
