The Boston Celtics are off to a 12-10 start to the 2020-21 NBA season. With the Brooklyn Nets making a splash forming a superstar trio with James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, the Celtics could be prompted to make a helpful addition or their own. Now, this has made its way into the latest NBA trade rumors.
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, multiple NBA executives have expressed their belief that the Celtics are ‘up to something’ ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
“Late Saturday evening, I received a flurry of texts from multiple executives around the league who said the Celtics were up to something,” O’Connor wrote. “What they’re up to is unclear, but league sources have long said Boston is searching for upgrades to bolster its wing and big man position.”
The Celtics created a $28.5M trade exception after executing a sign-and-trade deal to send Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets. This creates an intriguing opportunity for Boston to be able to add a talent at the NBA trade deadline without having to sacrificing a lot of key pieces.
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It’s no secret the Celtics are looking to get something done after the previous update involving them in NBA trade rumors. During a recent appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich, Danny Ainge expressed how the Celtics’ biggest need with the $28.5M trade exception is ‘shooting with size.’
The Celtics will need to be able to keep up with the likes of the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference playoffs. All of those teams require shooting to take them down and it wouldn’t hurt to have size in addition.
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The foundation of this Celtics team is clear. They already have plenty of scoring punch from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown but with Kemba Walker still finding his rhythm, Boston hasn’t been quite as potent of an offensive attack as expected.
It’s likely that Kemba Walker will continue to improve as the Celtics approach the NBA trade deadline. However, their willingness to shop him in the offseason made headlines in NBA trade rumors because of potential concerns with long-term knee issues.
If the Boston Celtics do not trust Kemba Walker’s knee to hold up long-term, adding another intriguing piece alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown appears to be the right choice to make. This will certainly be something to watch at the NBA trade deadline.
