BOSTON — The Celtics didn’t make any franchise-altering moves to their rotation, but they did trade four players away from their roster this week. In return, they got a new big man and two-way player to round out the roster.
It was a busy week for the organization as the Celtics also got under the luxury tax with all the deals. That sets the C’s up well for the future whether it’s for the financial flexibility or when it comes to the salary cap.
As a recap, the Celtics got Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls and two-way guard John Tonje from the Jazz. The C’s traded Anfernee Simons to Chicago, Chris Boucher to Utah, Xavier Tillman Sr. to Charlotte and Josh Minott to Brooklyn.
“Unfortunately, sometimes, you get rid of great people, but you get good people back,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said. “It’s just kind of how it works sometimes and the more you can focus on the relationship aspect of the people and their wives and their kids and how everyone is impacted by that.”
Here’s a look at where the Celtics roster stands following the trade deadline:
Guards: Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, John Tonje (two-way), Max Shulga (two-way)
Wings: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum (injured), Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr. (two-way)
Bigs: Neemias Queta, Nikola Vucevic, Luka Garza, Amari Williams
The Celtics are currently at 12 rostered players (along with three two-way players), meaning they need to get back up to the minimum of 14 within the next two weeks. It’s likely that they sign 10-day contracts, waived players or potentially promote one of their two-way players to fill the gap over the final couple months of the season.
The C’s doubled the amount of bigs on their roster in the last week. Adding Vucevic, a talented offensive player, shored up their front-court depth. They also promoted Amari Williams from two-way to standard roster spot after playing well in the NBA and the G League. As Celtics president Brad Stevens put it, they definitely upgraded the roster’s overall size ahead of the playoffs.
There is now a lack of ball-handlers compared to before Simons was dealt. That responsibility will mostly fall on Pritchard and White, along with some of the wings. It has meant Pritchard has come off the bench for the last three games, though the reigning Sixth Man of the Year has embraced that role once again.
The wings continue to be a healthy part of the team and a strength. Brown has enjoyed a career-best season scoring the ball and getting his individual accolades. Hauser has solidified a starting role for the past few weeks. Then there are the recent draft picks in Scheierman, Gonzalez and Walsh, all proving they can be NBA-level contributors this year.
There is also the underlying question on when Tatum will return to the court. Stevens said he “still got a ways to go” for a comeback, though he continues to rehab behind the scenes. If Tatum returns at any point this season, while he won’t be at full strength, his presence will almost certainly boost the C’s.