The Boston Celtics have cooled off a bit over the past month, but with a 38-12 record, they still comfortably have the best record in the league as we approach the trade deadline. The Celtics have been the top team in the league all season long, and that shouldn't change because they haven't been as dominant as they were out of the gates.
For the most part, Boston has done precisely what was expected of them entering the season. Armed with the deepest top-six rotation in the league, they have battered their opponents on a near-nightly basis, all while allowing their new squad of players to become more comfortable playing alongside each other. The hope is that by the time this team reaches the playoffs, they will be playing their best basketball of the year.
With the trade deadline just hours away, the Celtics could reasonably stay put and still be in a great spot, but they also have a chance to bring in a player to round out their rotation, preferably a stretch big or a two-way wing. So with that in mind, let's take a look at the top three trade targets Boston should look to pursue before the deadline approaches.
Santi Aldama, PF, Memphis Grizzlies
The biggest need for Boston at the deadline is likely their big man rotation, even with Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet playing pretty well throughout the season. With that in mind, all three of these top targets are going to be big men who can come off the bench and shoot, with the first guy being Santi Aldama of the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 2023-24 campaign has been a nightmare for the Grizzlies thanks to a bevy of injuries, but it's opened the door for more minutes for Aldama, who has taken a step forward with a bigger role for his team. Aldama is averaging career-highs across the board with his per game numbers (10.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 43.5 FG%, 35.7 3P%), and would immediately provide Boston with another shooter off the bench who can also help out on the glass.
Aldama is still just 23 years old, and he is under team control through the 2024-25 campaign before he hits restricted free agency, so that likely increases the price tag associated with him. The Grizzlies probably aren't going to be actively looking to trade him, but if the Celtics make the right offer, they could manage to land the talented Spanish sharpshooter.
Dario Saric, PF/C, Golden State Warriors
Dario Saric's career has been impacted pretty heavily by injuries, as he looked set to be a key piece of one of the Celtics top rivals in the Philadelphia 76ers early on in his career. Instead, he's bounced around the league over the past few years, but he's putting together one of the most impressive seasons of his career with the Golden State Warriors currently.
Not much has gone right for the Warriors this season, but they've gotten more than they could have hoped for in Saric, who they signed to a one-year, $2.7 million deal this past offseason. Saric has put together one of the best seasons of his career (10.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 48 FG%, 41 3P%), and Golden State would be wise to move him while they can to recoup some draft capital before he potentially leaves in free agency this upcoming offseason.
As previously noted, Saric's deal is up at the end of the year, so while he may just be a rental for the Celtics, he would be precisely what this team needs off the bench for the remainder of the campaign. The Warriors overall trade deadline strategy remains up in the air, but if they decide to sell off some spare parts, Boston should make a run for Saric.
Jalen Smith, PF/C, Indiana Pacers
It feels like Jalen Smith is a potential trade target for the Celtics every single year, but there isn't a season where it's made more sense (from a Celtics perspective, at least) to make a move for him. Smith is putting together the best season of his young career so far, and his style of play is precisely what Boston needs off their bench.
After not panning out with the Phoenix Suns, Smith was dealt to the Indiana Pacers, where he's been a decent contributor for them over the past two-and-a-half seasons. He's taken things to another level this season (10.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 62.3 FG%, 47.2 3P%), but the problem is his path to minutes has gotten a bit more crowded after the Pacers picked up Pascal Siakam in a trade with the Toronto Raptors.
Of the three guys on this list, Smith is probably going to cost the most of the bunch, as he is still just 23, and is beginning to flash the potential that made him the tenth overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. The Pacers might not be thrilled to trade him to the Celtics, but this is a perfect time for them to sell high on a guy who may not be a big part of their rotation down the stretch of this season, and picking up Smith would be the perfect move for Boston to make at the deadline this year.
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