With the Celtics in thick of trade rumors this offseason, some of their stars have seen their names floated around the NBA. That’s natural as the C’s are in a transition period where they’re looking to shed salary off their payroll while also keeping an eye on the future.
ESPN’s Shams Charania, talking on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, laid it out when it comes to the trade interest in Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. As of now, it doesn’t sound like the C’s are going to be moving on from their guys.
“I’m sure teams are throwing crazy offers for guys like Jaylen Brown and Derrick White,” Charania said. “But it’ll take a pretty insurmountable package to get those guys out of Boston.”
The messaging has been relatively consistent when it comes to Brown and White, two key pieces of the Celtics core. While teams can make their offers for the C’s starters, the front office will need to be wowed in any deal for them. So, unless the Celtics get a trade offer they can’t refuse, it sounds like they’ll be staying in Boston.
What appears more likely for the Celtics is dealing from their other rotation players like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis or Sam Hauser. Moving those guys makes sense from a contract standpoint as the C’s are looking to clear up their cap situation. However, considering they aren’t going to garner as much trade interest as White or Brown, the trade package coming back to Boston is another issue.
The C’s are also in a unique situation because of Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in the playoffs against the Knicks. With Tatum out for the majority, if not all, of next year, it’s going to be difficult for Boston to be title contenders.
“How the Celtics are operating in this space right now is they’re looking at next year as a retooling year,” Charania said. “That doesn’t mean you don’t want to stay competitive. That doesn’t mean you want to continue. But, realistically, without Jayson Tatum, it’s going to be tough.”