Sources Around League ‘Expect’ Celtics To Improve At Deadline, But How?

Brad Stevens has done a remarkable job since being named the President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics.

In 2024, he earned the NBA Executive of the Year award. And that was before he built another championship-contending roster in just months after finding out he may be without the team’s best player for the entire season.

Stevens has not been shy about making moves during seasons and at the trade deadline. He most notably conjured deals that brought Derrick White, Daniel Theis, Dennis Schroder and Xavier Tillman at previous deadlines.

The vibe around the league seems to be that the Celtics are planning on adding somewhere, but nobody knows how big a swing they can afford to take.

“Throughout his tenure as president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens has repeatedly found ways to improve at the trade deadline — even if just in the margins,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst wrote. “Sources expect that to continue.

“Guard Anfernee Simons, who has had impressive moments for the Celtics but is on a $27 million expiring contract, would be the most likely candidate to be moved if Stevens makes a move that requires matching a larger salary. And though sources think Boston would target frontcourt size, huge swings for stars such as Antetokounmpo or Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. seem unlikely.”

It’s still unclear what “improvement” might look like in the less than one week remaining until the trade deadline. But given that the team is top-five in rebound differential and blocks per game, while sitting in first place in the Atlantic Division, the need for a game-changing forward may be a little overblown.