The Celtics continue to win games near the top of the East standings, looking like a real contender to come out of the conference. That puts the C’s front office in an intriguing position ahead of February’s trade deadline where there are real pluses to being either a buyer or seller.
But with the C’s competitive and Jayson Tatum’s return potentially soon, they could look to add pieces to the team. NBA insider Zach Lowe revealed what he’s heard on his podcast about the Celtics’ plans ahead of the deadline.
“All the rumblings around the league is that Boston is now going to buy,” Lowe said. “I don’t know how that works. I don’t know if they can buy and cut their tax bill at the same time. The obvious place for them to buy would be up-front where they could use another legit front-court player. But this team is clearly really good.”
It’s no surprise to hear the Celtics could be buyers considering their spot in the standings. If they did sell pieces, it’d be for salary cap relief and to potentially get under the luxury tax. Being a buyer also doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to make a huge swing. The C’s have been linked to talented big men on the market, but if the price isn’t right, they could make upgrades elsewhere.
As Lowe pointed out, the backup big man spot is the obvious spot to get an upgrade. The Celtics guards between Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have been great, plus Anfernee Simons has been a legit threat coming off the bench. The wings of Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez have also been a surprise as a whole.
But the big man spot has been the question mark. Neemias Queta is enjoying a breakout season as the starter. Luka Garza has solidified the backup big man spot in recent weeks, which is also a plus. But they are the only two traditional big men on the C’s roster. Having another big man option would give Boston extra flexibility for the rest of the regular season and beyond.
The plus for the Celtics is that they’re working with an unexpectedly great team. The C’s are currently tied for second in net rating in the NBA, alongside the East-best Pistons. There’s a lot to like about this group at the midway point of the season. That’s a strong spot to be in compared to preseason expectations for this group.