Tag: Celtics Rumors

REPORT: Celtics are Dark Horse Team for Kemba Walker

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With the constant flurry of “rumors” from all corners of the Web regarding pretty much every upcoming big-time free agent on this year’s market, it’s hard to decipher exactly which ones are even worth acknowledging anymore. Especially in today’s world of “me first” journalism, where anyone with a blog or a Twitter handle tries to be the first to report THE NEXT BIG BREAK, it’s easy for any Johnny Burger King to throw something out there at any time which gets the masses talking.

Remember a week and a half ago when everyone was absolutely convinced that Kyrie Irving was going to Brooklyn because he just so happened to sign with one of the world’s biggest entertainment firms which just so happens to be associated with a guy who just so happens to like the Nets a lot? (In case you missed it, here are my thoughts on that.)

Or when the Clippers were definitely getting Kawhi Leonard? Or when Kevin Durant was definitely going to be the savior for the New York Knicks? Or when poor Red’s heart was broken during the draft last week, when “sources” said there was no way the Celtics would let Bol Bol slip past No. 24 in the draft?

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Sorry, Red. It just wasn’t meant to be…

All I’m saying is that you have to take these reports for what they’re worth. And if you’ve noticed, we here at The 300s are very careful not to stake our claim on exactly where we believe any of these guys are going, because it’s honestly impossible to know for sure at this point. 

But that doesn’t mean we can’t at least talk about some of them… And with this little tweet today, I’ll be entirely honest in saying it’s tough not to get at least a little tingly:

*HEAVY BREATHING*

For starters, at least this is from one of the league’s top sources. Outside of the legendary Adrian Wojnarowski, there are very few out there with more credentials, connections, and sources than Marc Stein. In his career, he has worked for some of the absolute biggest outlets out there, including ESPN, The Dallas Morning News, Los Angeles Daily News, and now The New York Times. He also won the coveted Curt Gowdy Media Award this past February, which is the top honor given out by the Hall of Fame each year for “outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters.” So, I think it’s safe to say this little piece of info is in no way baseless.

Furthermore, it just makes so much sense. Kemba Walker is truly the perfect antidote to rid the organization of the toxicity which engulfed the entire franchise last season. I’m not going to blame it ALL on Kyrie (just the vast majority of it), but Kemba is literally like a Bizarro Kyrie in that he’s an All-NBA-level point guard but one that acts like a humble, undrafted rookie to this day. Stuck on mediocre to just outright bad Hornets teams for the past eight seasons, he’s done nothing but simply continue to put his head down and grind no matter what. Over the past four years, he’s averaged over 20 points – including 25.6 PPG in 2018-19, which is almost two points more than Kyrie did – and almost six assists per game, earning himself a Third Team All-NBA honor this past season. If it weren’t for such an epic free-agent class this summer – one which features a few potential H.O.F candidates – Kemba would likely be the belle of the ball.

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Don’t get it twisted: this dude is an absolute BALLER.

Is he is good as Kyrie? Nope. But is he that far off? Maybe not.

But what really makes me love Kemba is his other-wordly competitive fire. I will literally never forget the epic run he led during UConn’s national-title-winning season in 2011. For those that know me, I’m not a huge college hoops guy, but I was absolutely captivated by this relentless little sparkplug who just couldn’t be stopped. Kemba hasn’t always been the biggest, strongest, or most talented player on the court throughout his career, but he doesn’t seem to care. This dude succeeds off the hate and the doubt. He eats it up for breakfast and burns off the calories with a can’t-quit, non-stop attitude each and every night. No matter who he’s facing, you’re getting the same Kemba Walker every…damn…time.

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I will never forget how much fun I had watching that team for the rest of my life.

He would also fit in perfectly with the young core that will now be responsible for leading the Green into the future. Rather than hold back the careers of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with selfish, hero ball and piss-poor leadership qualities, Kemba could really help them and the rest of the roster soar to incredible heights. While he has the ability to take over any game he wants, he doesn’t have an incessant need to do so – and that, my friends, is the key to winning, team basketball. (I’m not over-inflating his selfless attitude either; he won back-to-back NBA Sportsmanship Awards in 2017 and 2018, respectively, before Mike Conley took home the honors last night for the 2019 season.)

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Just imagine these two in the same uniform next season.

So, again, while you have to take any report this time of year with a grain of salt, and while we won’t know for sure where everyone will end up until they sign on that dotted line, it’s hard not to be happy and hopeful about this tweet. Not only does the team have the money to get this done, but they should be willing to do anything and EVERYTHING in their power to actually make it happen. Though it still ultimately rests on Kemba, who has no shortage of suitors – including Charlotte, whom he still apparently adores – Danny needs to turn on the charm and woo the 28-year-old to what could end up being the best opportunity of his career.

While most others will be dreaming of beaches, lake houses, hot dogs, and bonfires, there is nothing I want more this summer than a Kemba signing. Those are the fireworks I’m dying to see.

(Also, be sure to check in with The 300s later in the week for our upcoming NBA free-agency preview podcast!)

Isaiah Thomas, Clint Capela, and a Quick Check-In on the Celtics

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In less than 12 hours, we could ultimately have a new NBA champion – as long as Toronto can pull off just one more victory over Golden State tonight in The Six. Even if they don’t, we’re still officially less than a week away from the NBA season being over no matter what. Then the real fun begins, as this will likely be one of the absolute craziest, landscape-changing NBA offseasons in recent memory.

The Celtics will no doubt be one of the most active squads throughout the league this summer, but which direction they choose to go in is the real question. What’s going to happen with Kyrie? Are we really going to get Anthony Davis? What do we do with Terry Rozier? How about going after a guy like Mike Conley (an idea I mentioned in my offseason wishlist piece a few weeks back)? Maybe Kemba Walker is an option? Or could Danny truly be interested in swinging a trade with Houston for a big like Clint Capela, and if so does that mean the whole Davis idea goes out the window???

Yes, it’s quite a lot to digest for even the most die-hard Celtics fan. And due to the incredibly fickle nature of NBA stars nowadays, things can change in an instant.

So rather than speculate on everything that will happen in the coming months, I’ve got you covered on a few tidbits from this past weekend to hold you over, including a former favorite yearning for a comeback as well as Danny’s alleged interest in one of the game’s top young bigs. Let’s hop to it:

I.T. Wants Back In

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This dude just doesn’t quit…but in a good way.

Two years after he was suddenly traded immediately following one of the most impressive, MVP-worthy individual seasons in recent Celtics history, Isaiah Thomas still has nothin’ but love for The Bean. And he let the people know it once again on Saturday with this tweet:

Since it seems pretty apparent that Kyrie Irving – the man for whom Thomas was traded – is on his way out the door, everybody knows the Celtics are likely to have a gaping hole at the point guard position next season. Though the team can simply bring back Terry Rozier (PLEASE DON’T, DANNY!) or go after a slew of other guys via trade or free agency, Thomas seems to think he can still get the job done himself.

And while I love the confidence, I.T., please understand why many are skeptical. After playing in a total of just 44 games over the past two seasons, for three different teams no less, there are those out there who are surprised the 30-year-old is still trying to play at all. His recurrent hip issues – which apparently started during his last season with the C’s – have taken quite a long time to heal (if they even really have at all), and he was only able to play in just 12 measly games for Denver this past season.

However, maybe it took so long because he apparently gutted it out when the issues first arose and played through the pain, a decision which many believe may have severely hampered his recovery. Or maybe he just needed a few years to heal up. Again, the dude is only 30 years old. And above all, maybe he just needs to be back in the place where his heart truly belongs to start playing like the absolute baller he truly is once again.

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Now, can he replace Kyrie’s production? Absolutely not! There are very, very few out there who could. But could he come in and compete with a guy like Rozier if all else fails, or at the very least serve as a nice bench piece and team leader that was desperately missing in last year’s locker room? Why not?!

So, if the price is right and I.T. is willing to lace ’em up for the Green once again, I wouldn’t say no. And Danny shouldn’t either. I would freakin’ love this!

Celtics Reportedly Looking Into Trade for Clint Capela

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On Sunday morning, Basketball Insider’s Steve Kyler tweeted out a report that the Celtics are actively engaged in trade talks for Rockets big man, Clint Capela:

He does note that “everything is fluid at this stage,” and this does not mean that Danny & Co. are definitely ready to change course and build the franchise around the 25-year-old Capela. But where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, and it’s not surprising that the team would be interested.

Capela has been one of the NBA’s best-kept secrets for a couple years now. The 6’10” athletic beast was selected with the 25th overall pick in 2014, and for the past three seasons he’s averaged a robust 14.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Especially with how awful the Celtics were in the rebounding department at times last season, his skills on the glass would be extremely welcomed. His 1.5 blocks per contest also highlight his ability to protect the rim, too. Capela really could be a force on the interior that we haven’t seen since the days of Perk and K.G.

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But we have to be careful to not fall so in love with the player that we completely forget about the fit. I mentioned in my previous offseason piece that I wanted the Celtics to load up on more shooters due to the fact that’s simply how you win in today’s NBA. Again, the top six teams in the NBA in terms of three-pointers made in 2018-19 were, in order: Houston, Milwaukee, Golden State, Atlanta, Brooklyn, and the Celtics. With the exception of one squad (Atlanta), those are all playoff teams – and four were top-four seeds in their conference. Toronto, who is one win away from being this year’s champion, finished eighth. On the flip side, the top-two teams in terms of points in the paint this season were the Pelicans and Lakers. Soooo…yeah. I’ll stop there.

Capela has attempted two total three-point attempts in 295 career games! Just .0027 percent of his career field-goal attempts were from deep, and the guy is pretty much useless from an offensive standpoint when he’s more than five feet outside the paint. So before you start labeling him “our version of Draymond Green” (who owns a 32 percent career mark from three and is an also all-world passer), just don’t. Nahhht even close.

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I’d literally trade the entire franchise for Draymond. Any chance we can make that happen, Danny??!!!

Also keep in mind that if Kyrie does leave, the Celtics would be losing their top shooter from last season. And if we trade the house to get Capela, then Danny better make damn sure he grabs some other players who can shoot the rock, because you just cannot win in today’s game without ’em. You just can’t.

To reiterate, this is only a report, and we also have no idea what a potential trade package would even look like. Also, I totally realize the value of bringing in a young guy with as much talent as Capela. But remember, we might already have a young Capela in Robert Williams, and I feel like there are much more pressing areas of need for this team than what Capela can provide.

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Hey, don’t forget about Time Lord!

This story is still developing, but it might be providing some very interesting insight into the mind of Danny Ainge heading into what will be one hell of an offseason.

Other than that, though, it’s still a whole lot of rumors and speculation at this point. With the draft set for June 20, we may actually get some questions answered before the end of the month, but we likely won’t really see anything go down until free agency starts in July. Either way, it’ll be a blast, and we certainly won’t be bored once the dog days finally hit. Strap in, folks.

An Anthony Davis-less Plan for the Celtics Offseason

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(Updated June 17, 2019.)

This had to be the single most disappointing Celtics season of my lifetime.

Now, to be clear, I am not saying that this is necessarily the “worst” season I’ve ever seen the team have; 2005-2007 were some dark times, and 2013-14 was pretty brutal, too. (The late 1990s were also an abject nightmare, but fortunately I was young enough not to have been nearly as invested in the team then as I am now.) The team also still finished as the four-seed in the East this year, and they made it to the second round of the playoffs. Fine.

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Rondo was there for the good times and the bad.

But this was supposed to be one where the Celtics would run away with the Eastern Conference – after being mere minutes away from doing so just last year without their supposed best player AND another All-Star, both of whom were back this season. All of that was supposed to be a foregone conclusion before what seemed like a guaranteed trip the Finals. They were supposed to be THE top dog east of the Rockies, and only the juggernauts out on the West Coast could dare hope to challenge them.

Well, ummm, that didn’t happen. At all. And instead we were treated to perhaps the most underperforming, inconsistent, and outright whiniest team in recent Boston sports history. At times, it felt like I was following a shitty MTV reality show about a group of spoiled AAU players as opposed to a professional team of adults. I am truly indignant right now as a die-hard fan of this team. This year was just completely unacceptable. We should all be mad. Truly.

It’s easy to get all over Kyrie Irving and place the lion’s share of the blame on his shoulders. And yes, teams like Milwaukee, Toronto, and Philly were really, really good this season. But to be honest, Brad Stevens deserves almost just as much flak for not being able to manage this group with any sort of consistency or aplomb, regardless of how difficult the guys on the team made it for him to do so.

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You’re not getting away that easily, Brad.

Because in reality, the end result for the Celtics this year had nothing to do with talent; there should be no doubt that this team can still match up with the vast majority of other rosters in the league from top to bottom. Instead, it was out-of-control egos, piss-poor attitudes, and an overall toxic culture that brought the team down.

Also, the whole Anthony Davis idea is now done after Saturday’s trade. Kyrie is about to walk out the door, too. And while there are still a few intriguing big-name free-agent options we could try and throw the bank at, I think this team instead needs an infusion of guys who are committed to winning, playing team ball, and who are willing to put aside all future contract aspirations and personal endeavors. If you really look at who’s been winning in the NBA lately, it’s still all about team ball and players who understand their roles within a well-oiled machine. The Celtics are already loaded with guys who just need to find their place within such a system – without the presence of a selfish superstar who will only suppress them and dominate everything, both on and off the court.

It’s a multi-pronged approach, which will call for a number of different factors to fall into place. But it’s possible. And here’s just how I think they could actually end up pulling it off in a few simple steps:

Trade Gordon Hayward for Mike Conley

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Now, before anyone tries to call me out for plagiarism due to the fact Bleacher Report wrote a feature with this very idea a couple weeks back, I can assure you the idea is not their own. Nor is it mine. Rather, it almost makes too much sense – from both a basketball and financial standpoint – not to happen, and it’s an idea that’s been floated around in some circles for a while now.

Conley is EXACTLY what this team needs: an experienced floor general who can both score and has no problem distributing the ball to talented guys around him. A 12-year veteran who is still only 31 years old, Conley has only been getting better with age. While some of this might have to do with the dearth of talent surrounding him in Memphis over the past few seasons, he’s seen his PPG increase by almost five points over his past two fully healthy campaigns. He’s now a nightly 20-point, six-assist player. He’s also a career 38-percent three-point shooter.

But what about Hayward? Remember how everyone (myself included) was all over his you-know-what during the last month of the season after it looked like he was finally finding his groove once again? Yeah. Then the playoffs rolled around, and it was U-G-L-Y. In all reality, I do believe that Hayward did make great strides toward the end of the season, but on this team he simply blends in with the rest of the wing talent on the roster.

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A change of scenery could honestly be a good thing for G-20.

Conley, on the other hand, can facilitate an actual offense and help propel guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to reach their true potential. Also, him and Al Horford would be a pretty lethal combo on the pick-and-roll. Unlike Kyrie, Conley doesn’t need to put up a ton of buckets every night, and his presence and leadership is desperately needed in this locker room. Furthermore, this is a guy who’s probably super hungry for a chance to win after struggling to ever do much of anything down in Memphis, even during the team’s “good” seasons.

Memphis is also trying to tank hard and rebuild from scratch, and the Celtics have a lot of enticing assets they can offer to a team in such a situation to get this deal done. Also, most people expect the Grizz to pick stud guard Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick next month, making Conley pretty expendable. And above all, both Conley and Hayward have stupid high annual salaries, so the numbers work out, too. (And while, yes, Hayward does indeed have All-Star-level talent, I don’t believe he alone will inflate the Grizzlies’ win total all that much. Memphis will likely just want to trade one monster contract in Conley for another in Hayward – who is set to come off the books entirely in 2021 – while at the same time picking up a few more solid building blocks.)

Again, this one really just makes too much sense for all parties involved not to happen.

Let Kyrie and Terry Rozier Walk

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BYE, FELICIA.

No, seriously. These two can both take a fat hike. I don’t care how good Kyrie is. He’s not the end-all be-all that everyone is making him out to be. This team absolutely faded when it mattered most under his leadership, and who in their right mind would ever believe that’s going to change just because he gets paid this summer? In fact, couldn’t that potentially make it even worse??!! Don’t buy into the hype that we NEED a superstar like Kyrie to win in this league. The dude simply isn’t worth it. At all.

And “Scary” Terry? Yeah, it was pretty effing scary to watch him on the court this season. He was truly horrible in almost every facet of the game, no matter how you spin it. I’ll always remember how key he was in the playoffs in 2017-18, but he fell off a cliff this year. Then he goes out after the season and airs all the team’s dirty laundry on ESPN just because he’s salty that he didn’t get to play as much as he wanted? Again, BUH-BYE.

Go Hard After Bojan Bogdanovic

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Some of you might be staring blankly at your computer screens right now, but I promise you this dude is actually pretty good. After quietly averaging between 11-15 points per game over the previous three seasons, the 29-year-old Croatian exploded onto the scene with Indiana this past year. Not only did he average 18 PPG overall, but he shot nearly 43 percent from deep and is a 38-percent career three-point shooter. And there, my friends, is where the true value with him lies.

The Celtics were already a top-10 three-point-shooting team this year. They finished sixth in terms of three-pointers made and seventh in terms of three-point percentage. Adding a guy like Bogdanovic will only further enhance the Celts ability to kill opponents from deep. Rather than trying to dominate the ball or run the iso, Bogdanovic can instead focus on finding his spot and getting as many open looks as possible.

Why is that so important? Here are the five teams that finished ahead of the Celtics in terms of three-pointers made this season (in order): Houston, Milwaukee, Golden State, Atlanta, and Brooklyn. Four of those five are playoff teams, and this year’s NBA champion Toronto Raptors finished eighth.

I rest my case.

(Side note: I wouldn’t necessarily mind going for someone like J.J. Redick instead, because he’d actually likely be much cheaper. However, he’s also five years older, and I just like Bogdanovic more overall. But if B.B. is gone, then by all means, Danny!)

And, if there’s enough money left over…

Bring Back Marcus Morris

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This dude was an absolute monster at times for the Celtics this season, and a lot of people think he’s about to get PAID on the open market. If that’s the case, then it’ll be tough to make this one work.

But, if he’s willing to take a slight hit in the pocket in order to keep chasing a ring with a team on which he’s proven he can be a key contributor, it could be a huge win for both sides. From Thanksgiving through the first half of January this season, the man was on fire, averaging over 17 points per game and serving as the team’s best three-point shooter over that stretch. And while his play wasn’t quite as prolific the rest of the way, he still put up numbers and was perhaps one of the only bright spots for the team this postseason.

He’s also one of those guys, much like Marcus Smart, who plays with grit-and-balls every night and can serve as a key enforcer in the toughest moments. I’ve always been a huge fan of Marcus Morris, and I’d love to see him in green again next season.

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Seriously, though, this dude can ill-grill with the best of ’em.

While LeBron duped everyone into believing that placing all your eggs into the basket of one superstar is the way to go, teams like the Warriors, Blazers, Sixers, and Bucks (yes, Giannis is nasty but that team is also loaded around him) are proving that much more team-focused play is making a big comeback.

So here’s to hoping Danny doesn’t fall into the trap of bringing back Kyrie or trading away the farm for another big name. Indeed there was a time when I thought this was the way to go, too, but we’ve spent too much time building up such incredible assets to piss them all away on nothing but a hope and a prayer. Plus, with the way this team went down in flames this season, we need a little bit more of a shakeup. (And let’s also not forget that we STILL have Memphis’ lottery pick in one of the next two offseasons after this year, too!)

What do you think, Celts Nation? Who do you think we should go after? Be sure to let us know in the comments or on Facebook!

NBA Trade Deadline Deals with Biggest Impact on Celtics

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The Celtics were completely silent this year at the NBA trade deadline, which expired at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and I’m not technically upset about the inactivity; I said on Wednesday that I didn’t think they should do much at all, and that’s exactly what they did: diddly squat. Not one move, not even for cap space or “future considerations,” was made by Danny Ainge on Thursday.

Three of the other top-five teams battling for position in the East with you right now did make a move this week, however. And each of those moves was pretty significant, only improving each of those squads, which is a bit unsettling.

It doesn’t necessarily change my feelings on the Celts themselves; they’re still one of the top-four teams in the conference, but they are certainly not the ass-kicking, run-away No. 1 seed everyone thought they’d be. (But hey, winning 10-out-of-your-last-12 isn’t a bad way to start morphing into the squad, though. We’ll see.)

And most importantly, the best move that happened all day was the one that didn’t happen, as Anthony Davis is still a Pelican. (Red’s got a great piece here on just how huge this was for the C’s and speculates on how it could all shake out with The Brow going forward.)

Still, the point is there were a few teams around the Association that made some nice deals this week, with a few of them being other Eastern Conference powerhouses. There was also a trade out West that affects the future, as well as one that solidified Danny Ainge as the coldestttt GM in the league. (In a good way.)

Here are the biggest deals from this week that, while not involving the Celtics in any way, will still carry a lot of significance for the franchise – both now and in the future:

Tobias Harris Goes to Philly

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Already loaded with three studs in Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, and Ben Simmons, the Sixers added a guy who most casual fans may not know, but he is one that definitely now turns them into a “Big Four.” (That’s also not even counting J.J. Redick, who’s averaging 18 points a night. So, maybe even “Big Five” is more appropriate.) Harris’s career 15.3 points-per-game average might not be super impressive, but the 26-year-old forward did just average over 20 a contest in his 87 games with the Clippers. He’s also shooting a sparkling 43.4 percent from three-point range this season. The point is, the guy is another legit scorer for Philly, and he’s just one more piece to worry about. Sure, you beat them in five games in the Eastern Semis just eight months ago, but they didn’t have Harris (or Butler, for that matter). OH, and on top of that they added some bench depth with a few other deals too. Last year, they were talented and hungry but inexperienced; this year, they’re loaded and ready to battle with pretty much anyone. Philly got better this week, guys – a LOT better.

Marc Gasol Heading to Toronto

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After already nabbing a former Defensive Player of the Year this offseason in Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors went out yesterday and got another one by acquiring Marc Gasol from Memphis. Sure, he’s now 34 years old and it’s been six seasons since he won the award, so maybe he’s not quite as much of a force as he used to be. Still, though, I think talk of his “decline” has been highly exaggerated. His 15.7 PPG this year are right in line with his career average (15.2). Already a stellar rebounder, Gasol has also increased his output on the glass over the past two seasons, currently grabbing 8.6 rebounds a contest. (And if there’s any area in which you can attack this Celtics team, it’s down in the post with big bodies.) He’s also an elite passer through whom the entire offense can run when Leonard and/or Kyle Lowry need a rest. Already a top-10 offensive and defensive squad, Toronto is only further enhanced in both areas with Gasol. Even worse, much like Philly, they barely needed to give up anything in order to bring him in. (Jonas Valanciunas is a fine young player and still only 26, but you can find at least 15-20 other similar guys throughout the league. He’s a dime a dozen, and he’s nowhere remotely close to as good as the guy they just got to replace him in the lineup.) Currently sitting No. 2 in the East, things just got even better for fans up in The 6.

Bucks Land Mirotic

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I’ve always been a huge fan of Nikola Mirotic ever since he came over from Europe five seasons ago, even though this is the second straight year that he’s been dealt at the deadline. (He spent his first three seasons in Chicago before being dealt away to New Orleans last February.) A career 35-percent shooter from deep, the 6’10” stretch forward is taking over seven treys a game this year (on about 13 total shots per contest), so he will fit in perfectly on a Milwaukee team with the second most three-point attempts in the league. He’ll also open up even more space on the floor for MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. (That is absolutely frightening to think about.) And he’s a pretty decent rebounder, too. In sum, without trying to sound like a broken record, he is another guy who simply makes the team he went to immensely better than they already were.

As you can see, things really did just get a whole lot tougher for the Celtics in the East. The only other current top-five squad in the conference who did not make a big move this week was the Pacers, who now sit in front of the Celtics as the No. 3 seed after the Green’s loss to the Lakers on Thursday night.

There were also two other moves I want to highlight. These trades may not necessarily affect the Celtics all too much on the floor this season, but they still carry some noteworthy significance.

Harrison Barnes Going Back to Cali

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This was a trade between two Western Conference squads, one of which owes the Celtics their first-round pick next season; unfortunately, that team (Sacramento) is the one that got the better end of this deal. After serving as no better than the fourth-best option on a loaded Golden State roster for four years, Harrison Barnes finally got his chance to be a leading man when he signed a big free-agent deal with Dallas just before the 2016-17 season. And he’s rewarded them for doing so with over 18 points and five rebounds a night in 2.5 seasons. But, after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis last week, the Mavs needed to clear some space to re-sign him for the long-term. It’s going to be the Porzingis/Luka Doncic show in Big D from here on out, which meant Barnes needed to go. So, the Kings, who are playing wayyy better than anyone thought they would this season (No. 9 seed in the West), just got an All-Star caliber player for nothing more than an expiring contract (Zach Randolph) and a decent young player (Justin Jackson). They’re not a legit contender by any means, but they’re also not the bottom-feeder everyone expected they’d be. Therefore, their solid play has only continued to devalue the once-expected-to-be-premiere bargaining chip the Celtics thought they’d have in their pocket heading into this offseason. Barnes is only going to further enhance that issue.

Sixers Give Up on Fultz and Give Him Away to Orlando

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Even though the Celtics were not involved in this trade in any way, shape, or form, there’s no doubt that the clear-cut winner here was Danny Ainge. “Trader Danny,” the man whom has repeatedly swindled other GMs throughout the league – on numerous occasions – has done it again! After being in prime position to take Markelle Fultz – the unquestioned No. 1 prospect in the 2017 draft whom the rest of the league was salivating over – Ainge traded away the pick to Philly in exchange for the No. 3 pick that same year as well as a future first-rounder (which will likely turn out to be the Kings’ pick mentioned before). He was BLASTED by many in the media for trading away the top pick and the chance to land a “generational talent.” But what has Fultz done since entering the league? He’s played in a total of 33 games, shooting 41 percent overall and averaging just under eight points a game. Even when he has played, he’s looked completely lost at times, and many have seriously questioned his mental toughness. Maybe a change of scenery will help, but so far he’s been a real dud. Oh, and that No. 3 pick the Celtics got in that previously mentioned trade only turned out to be JAYSON TATUM. In the grand scheme of things, this deal doesn’t really have much impact on the Celtics either now or going forward, but Danny’s gotta feel prettayyy, pretttayyyy, pretayyyy good about this one.

So, even though the Celtics stood by and minded their business this week, it’s clear that the same certainly can’t be said for others around them. It’ll be interesting to see just how big of an impact each of these guys has in their new home. Regardless of what happens, though, at least we know we’re in for a fun second half of the NBA season!

What Celtics Should Do Before Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline

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What a crazy past week in the NBA, huh?

It all started with last Monday’s huge news that Anthony Davis doesn’t want to stay in New Orleans, which immediately caused a whirlwind of trade rumors, future roster predictions, and A LOT of false hope being doled out to desperate NBA fans around the country. It’s also caused some other soon-to-be-free-agents’ names to be dragged through tireless speculative “reports” – many of which are based on literally ZERO evidence – regarding where they will all go to create the new “superteam.” And it all seems to hinge upon Davis. On top of all that, we also got a major blockbuster between the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks involving Kristaps Porzingis just before the weekend.

(It was actually tough to keep up with everything, but for those who need a more in-depth refresher on last week’s events, Red’s got you covered with a great roundup on all of it here.)

The NBA trade deadline is this Thursday, and teams have continued to make even more moves this week, with many others sure to come before tomorrow afternoon.

In what amounts to awful news for the Celtics, the 76ers acquired forward Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night in exchange for a criminally overrated veteran shooter (Wilson Chandler), a decent backup center (Mike Muscala), and future draft picks. So, Philly just got significantly better, adding a 20-point-per-game scorer to an already loaded lineup, and they did so without having to give up virtually anything for this season. Yeah, it’s definitely not good news for Green Nation. (The Pistons also traded former first-rounder Stanley Johnson to Milwaukee for Thon Maker on Wednesday. But, honestly, this move means zilch for anyone in the grand scheme of things.)

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The 26-year-old, Harris, is one of the most underrated players in the league.

So what should the Celtics do?

First, just to reiterate, the Celtics are not able to trade for Davis until at least after July 1, 2019, so we already know he’s not coming here this season. However, the team could potentially do a bit more to put themselves in an even greater position to acquire The Brow this summer if New Orleans decides to stand their ground and wait for what they know will already be the best offer out there. Much has been made about everything the Lakers have allegedly offered to the Pelicans over the past week, but they still can’t match the level of talent and future assets the Celts currently possess.

If the Celtics were to trade someone like Terry Rozier – an impending restricted free agent – for, say, another first-rounder, they could sweeten the pot even more. They’d also be getting at least something in return for someone who is very likely to leave in the offseason. But, they’d also be leaving themselves desperately thin at the position, especially if Kyrie Irving were to get injured, and this team is still right in the middle of contending; even after the frustrating loss to Golden State on January 26, the team has won five straight and vaulted up to third place in the Eastern Conference. Furthermore, there really just aren’t many teams who’d be willing to trade such a valuable future asset for a guy who could walk in five months. So, Scary Terry ain’t going anywhere.

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Terry’s time will come soon enough. He’ll have to tough out just being “one of the guys” for a bit longer.

Or – and make sure you’re sitting down for this one – the Celtics could trade Kyrie Irving. Much like Rozier, Kyrie is also a free agent this summer; unlike Rozier, Kyrie is an unrestricted free agent, meaning he can go wherever he wants and there’s nothing the Celtics can do to stop him.

Just to set the record straight: I do not think the Celtics should trade Kyrie right now. However, I can see some logic in doing so, especially after his pretty frank comments last week regarding his commitment to the team’s future. In case you missed what he said, here ya go:

To be fair to Kyrie, I think he was just getting frustrated with the incessant “rumors” and “predictions” of where everyone was going to be next season, himself included, and we still haven’t even reached this year’s All-Star break! It’s actually pretty ridiculous, and to be entirely honest I’m getting sick of it myself. Slam Magazine also made sure to focus on other things he said during the interview, which pretty much back up what I just surmised and also points out the fact he still views the Celtics as the lead dog in the race. Finally, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald, Danny Ainge is refusing to take calls from any team that’s even tried to start the conversation anyway.

Were Kyrie to actually up and leave this summer, though, the Celts’ title contender status would immediately evaporate. And then, even if they still somehow traded for Davis, there’s no way he’d re-sign for the long term without at least one more superstar. So standing pat on Kyrie does not come without risk. But, keeping Kyrie right now at least gives you a plausible scenario which could see both he AND Davis here next season; trading him now does not give you anything close to that. In sum, the Celtics need to keep Kyrie and hope for the best.

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The Celtics need to do everything they can to keep this man happy for the next couple of months.

OK, so they can’t really trade Rozier or Kyrie at the moment. So what else should they do?

Honestly, nothing. Sure, maybe they could use some help in the rebounding department from time to time, but this team really doesn’t have any glaring issues. As I’ve said multiple times this year, I just believe there’s actually too much talent on the roster, and they just need to learn how to play better together as one unit.

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Or maybe a little more playing time for Robert Williams and his 10.0 rebounds per 36 minutes could provide a big help, too!

Again, while this team has certainly struggled much more so than I thought to this point in the season, they’ve still shown the ability that got them within minutes of an NBA Finals appearance last year. They’ve also quickly jumped up two spots in the standings after ripping off five-straight victories, and they’re still a top-five defensive team.

Brad Stevens has also started to refine the rotation a bit more in recent weeks, which will hopefully help guys settle into their roles for the stretch run and provide a bit more consistency. This team can still do some damage, as evidenced by their sound victory over the Raptors three weeks ago followed by a close defeat to Golden State, and I don’t think a major shakeup would be helpful right now in any way.

So, for the first time in years, I will be perfectly content with Ainge & Co. deciding to pass on doing anything at the deadline. Seriously, shut the phone off, Danny. Just bide your time and let the rest of the league continue to tire themselves out. Our golden opportunity still awaits.

Soon. Soon.