Do Basketball Players Use Their Money Wisely
With Kemba Walker back in the rotation, the Celtics are almost whole. Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams should return this week from COVID-19 protocol, giving the club a healthy roster.
But a three-hour drive to the south, the Brooklyn Nets just ramped up their already star-studded roster past acquiring James Harden in a Pierce-Garnett like deal that cost them three start-round picks and four players in exchange.
With the Nets featuring Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Philadelphia 76ers playing improve ball under Doc Rivers, the Celtics are hardly favored to win the Eastern Conference. What's more than, home-court reward in the first round is not a given competing with those three teams and the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics are probable to take a major add-on in coming weeks, with a $28.5 meg trade exception they are expected to use before the March 25 trade deadline.
It'south the largest exception in league history and the Celtics will accept an opportunity to add an impact player and only surrender a draft pick in return.
The Celtics can break the exception in parts and utilize it on multiple occasions, but they will have to be careful in using it.
They probably don't want to utilise it to acquire a player on an expiring contract because essentially you're trading the exception for a rental. The Celtics want to acquire a player whom they can command for a few years.
However, the more valuable a role player the Celtics chase, the more that team will ask for in draft assets. Do the Celtics desire to potentially sacrifice 2 commencement-circular picks or a serial of 2d-rounders for that coveted player? It depends on the player and how he fits into their equation.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge is just going to have to go for it — as Nets GM Sean Marks did in Brooklyn — and move some of the squad's draft assets to win now. The Celtics take two of the top 15 players in the NBA in Tatum and Jaylen Brown and now a healthy Walker is back, with three more years left on his deal.
The Celtics essentially have iii max players on their roster, so the fourth dimension is now. Let'south take a look at some candidates for that trade exception.
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
The Magic began the flavor 4-0 and appeared to be a sleeper to cleft into the top four seeds in the Eastern Briefing. They are ii-viii since and have lost six consecutive games. The Magic have been besieged by injuries to Markelle Fultz (flavor-ending), Jonathan Isaac (season-ending), Mo Bamba, and Evan Fournier. If the Magic decide to retool, they could offering Gordon, who is earning $18 million this season and $sixteen meg next flavour.
Gordon is a high flyer and an engaged defender only he's never reached his potential in Orlando and it could be fourth dimension for a alter.
Nikola Vucevic, Magic
He is coming off an All-Star flavour in 2019 but the Magic also drafted Isaac and Bamba to play centre. Vucevic, 30, would be a major commitment because he has ii years left on his bargain, although both years descend in salary. He would exist a legitimate center for the Celtics, who could pair him with Tristan Thompson and Daniel Theis for a formidable punch in the paint.
Harrison Barnes, Kings
Barnes will never accomplish superstardom but is a steady third or fourth option on an aristocracy squad. Do the Kings actually need him? Well, he doesn't impact winning. Sacramento is 5-nine with the worst defense in the NBA. The Kings have a roster that was expected to compete for a playoff spot simply they've lost eight of their past 10 games and went 2-5 in a recent 7-game homestand. Barnes could be bachelor at the trade deadline and similar Vucevic, he has two additional years on his contract at descending coin.
LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs
Aldridge is 35 and having a poor year only he'south in the last twelvemonth of his contract and provides a perimeter and post threat the Celtics don't have. The Celtics could consider this season a statistical exception and have a flier on Aldridge. Also, he is unlikely to demand annihilation close to the $24 million he's making this season, giving the Celtics a solid opportunity to bring him back, if they're interested. Aldridge scored 49 points at TD Garden a few years ago and it's uncertain whether his low scoring average and shooting percentage is age or fatigue with San Antonio's arrangement. He dropped 22 points in Monday's win at Portland and scored a flavour-high 28 points against the Lakers Jan. 7, so the game is still there, information technology may non merely come as often.
The Celtics will have options for this exception over the next several weeks and it'southward crucial to find the right player who tin can brand the biggest affect because now is the time to win.
Gary Washburn can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.
Boston Globe video
Source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/19/sports/celtics-need-win-now-must-use-their-285-million-trade-exception-wisely-here-are-some-candidates-ponder/
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