Where Brad Stevens, Celtics Stand Ahead Of NBA Trade Deadline

The Boston Celtics don’t have a whole lot of financial flexibility working in their favor, but that won’t stop them from exploring the market ahead of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.

Now 33 games into the season, Boston has established itself as the early top dog, not just in the Eastern Conference, but the entire league, sitting both undefeated at home (16-0) and with an NBA-best 26-7 record. The new-look roster that welcomed in Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and others during the offseason continues to gel, settling in as the team to beat.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the Celtics don’t make any major splashes in the coming weeks, as hinted at by team president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.

“If we end up adding somebody, I don’t know that it’ll be a game-changer,” Stevens told reporters at team practice on Thursday, per CLNS Media video. “… I would like to continue to see how we can find another big wing or so that can help us and I think that can be from within. I also think that we’ll continue to monitor free agency and trades. The difference in this year and maybe other years is our tools are pretty limited, from a dollar standpoint.”

Stevens added: “(We have the) green light to do whatever we need to do.”

Being that the front office already added two All-Star caliber talents in Porzingis and Holiday — plus extended Porzingis to a $60 million extension — there isn’t much wiggle room. The Celtics do have a $6.2 million traded player exception from Grant Williams’ departure to the Dallas Mavericks, which Boston has yet to utilize.

So far, the depth has proven capable of flourishing when called upon, helping record notable wins recently over the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, and Toronto Raptors — all without key starters present.

“The key to us is going to be the improvement from within,” Stevens noted. “I just think that we’ve done a really good job of that thus far. I like how today’s practice we came in and worked on exactly what we need to have more options to play to our best.”

Aside from what the Celtics can typically expect from Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Porzingis, and Holiday, the contributions have come all around. The All-Star-worthy emergence of Derrick White plus the solid reserve unit minutes from Al Horford, Neemias Quea, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, could all play into Boston’s overall approach before the deadline.