After a disappointing start to the 2021-22 NBA season, the Boston Celtics are rolling at the moment. In their last 14 games, the Celtics won 10 and are currently occupying the eighth spot in the East. The Cs can still sneak into the top six, due to the recent slide of the Brooklyn Nets.
Still, for the Celtics to do that, they need to be active in the trade market. Brad Stevens has to show that he will be more active, in contrast to Danny Ainge, and he will need to capitalize on a few available players that will improve his team. Thus, here are two players the Celtics must trade for to keep the gravy train rolling.
2 key trade targets for the Celtics
2. Jusuf Nurkic
The Blazers have just signaled a fire sale in Oregon with a recent trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. One of the players who could be on the block is Jusuf Nurkic. The Bosnian Beast has been thriving this season, especially as of late. In the last 10 games, Nurkic has averaged 17.9 points, 12.8 boards, 1.3 steals to go with a 51.7% shooting from the field. With Nurkic in the middle, the Celtics would improve on their major issue, which is paint scoring. Right now, Boston is 25th in the league in inside scoring, so Nurkic will be a major upgrade there.
Additionally, Celtics' coach Ime Udoka might be able to utilize a system where Al Horford and Nurkic help with the ball distribution. While his assist numbers are not ideal, Nurkic is a willing passer. He comes from the European system, where centers are taught to pass the ball and he has shown that in some regard in Portland. The numbers will suggest otherwise, but the eye test will be indicative that Nurkic has a lot of passing skill that might be great combined with Horford on the elbows.
Nurkic is also a good rim protector. He is not having an amazing season in that regard, but he has shown in the past that he can be a defensive anchor in the middle. Nurkic would also not cost much, as the Blazers don't have much leverage on the negotiation table to ask a high price for Nurkic. They need to trade him before the deadline or lose him in the upcoming free agency for nothing. The Celtics would be getting a great center for a small price and they would have around 25 games to fully judge whether he is worth signing in the offseason.
One issue the Celtics might have if they get Nurkic is the mobility of their frontcourt. While he can protect the rim, Nurkic gets exposed on switches, as he is not the most mobile center. Combined with Horford in the frontcourt, that could spell trouble for the Celtics, as they could get exposed in a major way when it comes to the playoffs. Also, getting Nurkic would limit the numbers of Robert Williams, who the Celtics clearly believe to be their center of the future. Still, even as a rental for one postseason run, getting Nurkic would be great for the Celtics in this instance.
1. Goran Dragic
Continuing on with the Balkan theme, the Celtics should also inquire about the Slovenian point guard, Goran Dragic. Currently, Dragic is in a dire spot with the Raptors, especially after the comments he made after his trade to Toronto was finalized. Apologizing clearly did not work, as he played just five games for the Canadian franchise. The Celtics need an experienced guard and with his run to the 2020 NBA Finals just a few years ago, Dragic is the perfect candidate.
Additionally, similar to Nurkic, he is in the last year of his deal. Due to the situation with his current team, the Celtics would likely get Dragic for pennies on the dollar and then make the decision in the offseason about his future in the squad. Giving up someone like Dennis Schroder should be good enough to pry the Slovenian from Toronto, and this is a move that the Cs need to make.
Of course, Dragic is not the ideal player, for obvious reasons. He has not played much and he is going to be 36 in May, so the long-term plans might be hindered to get him for potentially just 30 games, just like Nurkic. Still, if the Celtics want to keep the ball rolling, they need to make improvements in key parts of their squad. Getting an experienced guard that has been able to run an offense that reached the NBA Finals for basically nothing could be an upgrade and spark the Celtics even more.
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