In the days leading up to the trade deadline in February, one team that decided to distance themselves from all the trade talks was the Boston Celtics.
As it turns out, it was not a matter of not being able to find the right type of potential trade deal, but instead, it was actually a decision made by the front office to fully commit to their current lineup. Shams Charania of The Athletic shed some light into this huge, season-defining decision.
Sources say Boston ownership and senior leadership in Ainge and coach Brad Stevens agreed before the trade deadline that the team was moving forward with the current roster — which owners believed was ready for a title run — and not to make moves that would impact the roster’s chances of competing in the East, such as listening to offers for Irving. The Celtics’ leaders believed the team was built for a title.
In truth, the more prudent approach would have been to at least field offers for Kyrie Irving. Sure, he remains to be the team's talisman, but his current deal does pose a problem for the team. The 26-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer, and despite his verbal commitment to re-sign with Boston, no contract has been signed as of yet.
This means he could very well decide to leave the Celtics in the offseason with nothing to show for. Surely, how the team fares in the playoffs will have a major impact on his decision.
Boston made easy work of the Indiana Pacers in the first round, but will be faced with a much tougher challenge in the second round as they hope to take down Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Celtics front office has fully committed to their current lineup, and this upcoming series will define if they made the right choice.
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