The Boston Celtics have the best record in the league through their first 35 games. At 28-7, Boston is dominating opponents, including a perfect 17-0 record at home. That doesn't mean Brad Stevens and the Celtics will stay put, though, at the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
Following a disappointing loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics improved their roster drastically in the offseason. Boston traded for former All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis and two-time All-Star guard Jrue Holiday.
Holiday and Porzingis have paired well with stars Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown. Boston has quality complementary players around their four stars, with Derrick White standing out. White is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He is an elite defender and a great shooter. White can also create for his teammates and himself. He is averaging 16.5 points, four rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.2 steals and blocks per game. White is shooting 49 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three. He brings significant value to the Celtics roster and is playing at a high level.
Al Horford has also been an impactful player for Boston. Despite being 37 years old, Horford is playing a significant role for the Celtics. He is averaging 7.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks. Horford is also shooting efficiently at 48.3 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from behind the arc. He has been a solid contributor off the bench.
Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet have also been impactful off the bench. The Celtics are a championship-caliber team and could be active at the deadline. With that said, here are our Celtics early 2024 NBA trade deadline predictions.
Celtics trade for a backup forward
While Boston doesn't have a ton of flexibility at the deadline, they will still be active in trade discussions. The Celtics could use depth at the end of their rotation, especially at forward. Boston has reportedly expressed interest in Toronto Raptors big man Chris Boucher, Kelly Olynyk, Delon Wright, and Alec Burks.
Boucher and Olynyk's contracts are both over $11 million per year, which would be difficult for Boston to match. They are also both bigs, and with Horford at backup center, it's not as big of a need as a backup forward.
Burks's contract could also be difficult to match at $10.5 million. The 32-year-old forward is averaging 10.9 points and 2.3 rebounds. Burks is shooting 37.3 percent from three. He is a quality two-way forward and would fit well off the bench for Boston. Burks would be a great addition if they can find a way to match his contract.
Delon Wright could be a more realistic target. Wright is on an $8.2 million expiring deal. He is a six-foot-five guard who has been an impactful two-way player in the past. In 14 games this season, he is averaging just 4.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals. Wright is shooting inefficiently at 36.4 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from behind the arc. At his best, Wright operates as a quality shooter and good wing defender.
Cedi Osman is a cheaper forward on a $6.7 million deal. The Spurs are not competitive this season and could move their role players at the deadline.
Celtics use their $6.2 million TPE
The Celtics have a $6.2 million traded player exception (TPE) from this offseason's Grant Williams deal that they could use in a trade. Brad Stevens stated, “We're gonna exhaust (the TPE), we're gonna look at it.” Using the TPE could help Boston land one of their trade targets and add depth at wing.
The Celtics have an exciting season ahead. Boston has been the best team in basketball, and if they can add depth to their bench, they will continue to be favorites to win the title.
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