Brad Stevens has positioned the Boston Celtics as a team in retooling mode this season. He let multiple members of the 2024 championship team leave during the summer, due to the constraints of the second luxury tax apron. As such, Boston is now expected to be an active participant in the trade market, both leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline and again in the 2026 offseason. According to NBA Insider Matt Moore, who was writing for FanSided, the Celtics have already been active in trade discussions this season. “Boston is routinely mentioned as a team that continues to canvass for opportunities. It’s tough because they aren’t willing to take on money after their cost-cutting efforts this summer, but they remain one of the more opportunistic teams,” Moore wrote. Stevens has multiple tradeable assets at his disposal. The Celtics own their 2026 draft pick and have a string of young talents to dangle in discussions. Boston also has Anfernee Simons’ $25 million expiring contract, which could be enticing for certain teams around the NBA. The harder part will be deciding what type of trades the Celtics need. If Stevens is aiming to reposition Boston as a contending roster for next season, he may need to go star hunting. However, if the aim is to sustainably round out the roster and let things progress naturally, long-term upside and talent will likely be the primary remit for the scouting department. Story continues below advertisement Either way, it’s fair to expect at least some movement from the Celtics between now and Feb. 5, even if it’s just to shed some additional salary. Since moving into the front office, Stevens has consistently made smart trades that have paid off. Therefore, he’s earned the trust to navigate the current retooling process. Still, with Boston clearly in need of upgrades, we should brace ourselves for the number of trade ideas that will emerge in the coming months. After all, the Celtics still have a championship core in Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, and they won’t wait around forever in the hope that the team becomes competitive again. Story continues below advertisement