Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
Heavy
Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
The trade deadline is rapidly approaching. For the Boston Celtics, that means they’re going to be linked with any potentially available big man.
Despite the growth of Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, the center position is still viewed as an area of need for Joe Mazzulla’s team. After all, Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis all left the franchise over the summer.
With that in mind, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report has proposed a trade that would give Boston its starting center of the future in Nic Claxton. The proposed trade looks like this:
Boston Celtics Get: Nic Claxton
Brooklyn Nets Get: Anfernee Simons and a 2031 first-round draft pick (top-5 protected)
“If that’s the path they take, they’ll almost certainly make the playoffs and might even be able to win a couple playoff rounds in the East,” Bailey wrote. “But if they turn Anfernee Simons’ expiring contract into Nicolas Claxton, one of the more versatile big men potentially on the market, and get Jayson Tatum back at some point before the conference finals, the Celtics could win their second title of this era.”
Claxton has been enjoying a strong season in Brooklyn. Over 46 games this season, he’s averaging 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.4 blocks. Claxton is shooting 57.5% from the field. His four-year $97 million contract is fair value for the impact he’s making on the court.
Celtics Could Choose Not To Trade Anfernee Simons
When the Celtics acquired Anfernee Simons during the offseason, many around the league viewed him as a potential trade chip ahead of the deadline. His expiring $27.6 million salary is a sizeable salary matching tool.
However, Simons has proven himself to be a key member of Mazzulla’s second unit this season. He’s operating as a sparkplug when Boston’s offense is struggling to get out of second gear. Furthermore, he’s been responsible for multiple wins during the campaign.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Simons’ in-season production may have changed the Celtics’ mind in terms of trading him ahead of Feb. 5.
“I would be surprised if the Celtics traded Anfernee Simons at this point,” Siegel wrote on X. “He’s been fantastic for the Celtics’ second unit and is a key weapon for them being serious contenders.”
In 49 games so far, Simons is averaging 14.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists, shooting 44% from the field and 39.5% from deep.
Mazzulla addressed the impending trade deadline during his pregame news conference before the Celtics’ win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. The Celtics head coach was quick to stress that the current roster is more than good enough to keep the current momentum moving forward.
“The best thing about this roster is each guy’s ability to impact winning in different ways,” Mazzulla said. “And so it can happen whether you start, whether you come off the bench or whether you play five minutes, 20 minutes, every guy on this roster has helped us win a game, possessions, end of quarters, start of quarters, and to me that’s the most important thing.”
Mazzulla continued.
“Making sure we have guys that have understanding of what we do and feel validated that what they do gives us a chance every night and do it every night.”
Ultimately, Brad Stevens will have the final say on whether the Celtics make a move at the trade deadline. Adding someone like Claxton would make sense.
However, if Stevens hopes to re-sign Simons during the offseason, then perhaps a smaller move is a more realistic expectation for Celtics fans.