The 2024 NBA trade deadline is right around the corner, and with each passing day, more and more trade rumors begin to come to fruition. Given that they are currently the team with the best record in the NBA, all eyes are going to be on the Boston Celtics to see if they do anything to strengthen their roster in their quest to win a championship this season.
When they are fully healthy, the Celtics don't have many weaknesses on their roster. They have easily the best top six rotation of any team in the league, and when you add in Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, that's an extremely strong eight-man playoff rotation. You can never have enough depth off the bench, though, which is realistically the area Boston will be targeting ahead of the upcoming deadline.
But realistically speaking, does this team need to make a move before the trade deadline? They have been receiving solid contributions from guys further down the bench such as Luke Kornet, Oshae Brissett, and Neemias Queta, and considering their current salary cap situation, it's fair to wonder whether or not the C's would be better off standing pat at the deadline.
What should the Celtics do at the 2024 NBA trade deadline?
The trade deadline is always a big event across the NBA, as contending teams look to add reinforcements to their squads, while rebuilding teams look to collect assets for any players they can. Over the past few seasons, the Celtics have been buyers, but it's not as if they are going out and swinging massive deals every season, and that's going to be the case again this year.
Boston's rotation is largely set in stone. Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis are the starting five when everyone is healthy, and when they aren't healthy, Al Horford can seamlessly slide into the lineup. These guys aren't getting moved, and chances are there isn't going to be anyone brought in to change this pecking order.
As previously noted, the bench is where Boston will make an addition if they make one at all. Pritchard and Hauser have both been having great seasons in their new roles, and Joe Mazzulla has gotten more than he could have reasonably expected from guys like Kornet, Brissett, and Queta. Come playoff time, though, how much can these guys be relied on?
While there are concerns about Pritchard and Hauser defensively, both guys have held up well in their extended minutes this season. The bigger question is whether or not the three guys behind them will be usable in the postseason. Kornet, Brissett, and Queta have never played big minutes in the postseason, and if someone from the list of eight guys ahead of them goes down, that would change in the blink of an eye.
As has been the case for much of the season, shoring up the frontcourt would be the Celtics most reasonable move at the deadline. Having just Pritchard off the bench at the guard spot seems bad on paper, but Brown can flip between playing small forward and shooting guard in the event something were to happen to White or Holiday.
After losing Grant Williams, there were concerns about how that would have an impact on Horford, with Boston wanting to do what they can to keep the veteran big man fresh throughout the course of a full 82-game season. To this point, that hasn't been an issue, thanks to Kornet and Queta, but can they be trusted in the playoffs? Whether Brad Stevens believes so or not will become clear at the deadline.
The C's could also add another three-and-d wing to come in and help out alongside Hauser, but they have guys deeper on their bench, such as Lamar Stevens or Svi Mykhailiuk, that are probably worth giving a longer look than going out and trading for someone. They could potentially pursue guys such as Naji Marshall of the New Orleans Pelicans or John Konchar of the Memphis Grizzlies, but the potential gain from adding either guy feels somewhat minimal.
Adding another big man is probably the best option for the C's at the deadline, but the options are few and far between. A potential reunion with Kelly Olynyk, who is on the Utah Jazz, would be a home run move, but cap issues will make doing so easier said than done. Regardless, Olynyk is a guy who can do enough on both offense and defense to hold his own in a few playoff minutes per game if needed, and that may be Boston's best option on the trade market right now.
If they don't feel that adding another big man is needed, though, there's no reason to go out and force a move. The Celtics have the assets to make moves at the deadline, but their roster is already so talented and deep that they can sit out the deadline without being worse for wear. Boston has the best record in the NBA for a reason, and if they feel there are no gains that can be made at the deadline, it would be best for them to watch all the madness from the sidelines.
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