The Celtics enter the meat of NBA trade season with a dual mandate, two tracks that go in opposite directions. They’ve played well here in the early season, and at 15-11, they’re in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. With Jayson Tatum slated for a possible comeback, the Celtics could do some roster tinkering to strengthen their position and perhaps move forward with a run in the playoffs.
But the other track has them still seeking to make salary cuts, forcing them to move off a player or two to get under the luxury tax and gain some payroll flexibility heading into next season.
While enthusiasm around their string of 10 wins in 12 games opened the question trying to contend now, in the short term, losses to Milwaukee and Detroit are a reminder that Brad Stevens is running a front office that probably needs to stick with the salary-slash plans that it started the season with.
Celtics Best Assets Will Not Be Traded
The Celtics will be active at the trade deadline, but it will be to sell off cap hits. With that in mind, the folks at Bleacher Report listed the Celtics’ best assets on hand (they did so with all 30 teams), with the intent to, “rank every team’s most appealing goodies.” And the Celtics have some goodies.
The list that B/R produced:
It is an interesting trio, but there is no expectation that any of the three will actually be moved. Boston values White highly, and Pritchard is averaging career highs in points (16.7) and assists (5.0) while on a bargain-basement four-year, $30 million contract.
Walsh is having a breakout year for Boston, shooting 48.8% from the arc as a 3-and-D wing, and on a $2.2 million contract, it would be pointless to trade him.
Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser Likely to Be Dealt
Still, as B/R notes, they are the most “appealing” players on the Celtics roster and the payroll sheet.
The site wrote: “Whether the Boston Celtics will sell is officially debatable. Hovering around the top four in the Eastern Conference could change things. It nevertheless feels like they’ll look to duck the luxury tax, which requires shaving $12.1 million in salary. Contributing another year towards the repeater-tax clock doesn’t make too much sense even if Jayson Tatum plans to return at some point this season.”
Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty ImagesBrad Stevens, Boston Celtics
Celtics Could Have Trouble Pulling off Trade
That is the view on the Celtics’ approach around the NBA, but while other teams might seek to make offers for White, Pritchard and Walsh, the Celtics are not that desperate to get under the tax line. They feel they can do it by dealing either Anfernee Simons or Sam Hauser (with another player) and going from there.
Both of those players have potential trade problems, though. Hauser has struggled and isn’t the reliable sharpshooter he has been in the past (34.0% from the arc this year), which will hinder Boston’s chance to move him. Simons is an expiring contract whose salary makes him a complicated player to deal.
Hauser is in the first of a four-year, $45 million extension, while Simons is owed $27.6 million for this year.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Celtics’ ‘Most Appealing’ Trade Assets Revealed appeared first on Heavy Sports.