Amidst all that went down prior to this season's trade deadline in February, one team that refused to jump in on the action was the Boston Celtics.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Celtics had already decided early on that they were going to stand pat and keep the status quo instead of attempting to make moves during the window in an attempt to bolster their lineup. Most importantly, they deemed All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving as untouchable:
The Celtics’ leaders believed the team was built for a title. The Clippers made a preliminary call to Boston on Irving prior to the Harris trade to Philadelphia, league sources said. A quick no was given.
Irving's current deal will expire in the summer, which will allow him to enter free agency. Despite his earlier verbal commitment to sign an extension with the team, nothing has been set in stone, and the former Rookie of the Year could still walk away from Boston in the offseason.
Nevertheless, Boston's front office was fully committed to Irving and their current lineup, and they had little interest in trading their star when the Los Angeles Clippers came calling.
This decision appears to have paid dividends thus far, with the team now just one step away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals again this season. However, the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks will prove to be a huge stumbling block, so the Celtics will need to play the best basketball they've ever played if they hope to topple Giannis Antetokounmpo and company in the second round.
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