The Boston Celtics will be active at the trade deadline, as GM Brad Stevens already said that he wants to add a “big wing” to really give this team adequate depth moving forward this season.
One of the obstacles Boston has to deal with is their limited assets and trade tools. The only valuable tool the C’s have is the $6.2 million traded player exception, which becomes a use it or lose it situation because it will expire after this trade deadline in February.
Most TPEs last one full year from when the initial trade happened, but since Boston is a second apron team, it will not be available to them in the offseason and will expire after this current trade period, so Boston should just use it, as it’s their most valuable asset.
Now, don’t confused, I don’t want them to just use it because they have it. I want the addition to make sense for the team.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks has created a trade guide for the Celtics and has named two players as to who he thinks Boston should target: John Konchar and Naji Marshall.
Konchar just signed a three-year, $18,495,000 contract extension with the Memphis Grizzlies that kicks in next year. Marks predicts it’ll cost Boston a first round pick. He’s averaging 3.0 points per game on 34.7 percent shooting from the field in 16.2 minutes per game this season.
Marshall is interesting, although he’s heading into unrestricted free agency at the end of the season as New Orleans used their club option for this season. Marks says the cost would be two second round picks. He’s averaging 7.9 points per game with 46/38/82 shooting splits.
I’m not a fan Konchar’s upcoming contract that Boston would be taking on and I don’t see why a first round pick for his production and role is necessary. The two second round picks for Marshall I’m not against, however he’d likely be taking away from Oshae Brissett.
It’ll be interesting to see what Stevens does this time around. Over the last two years, he’s added Derrick White and Mike Muscala at the trade deadline.
You can see the rest of Marks’ Celtics breakdown here.
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Photo Credit: Gerald Herbert, AP Photo
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