Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge has become known for being rather stingy in trade talks while also making it a point to note how âcloseâ he has come on certain deals. In fact, the Celtics' last in-season acquisition came six years ago when they acquired point guard Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Marcus Thornton and a 2016 draft pick.
Boston is once again involved in plenty of trade rumors, and this time around it's evident the team could really use some help. The Celtics are just 17-17 despite Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown being named to the All-Star Game. the youth and inexperience of the Celtics' supporting cast could drive Ainge to actually do a deal.
Ainge has a $28.5 million trade exception at his disposal to help facilitate a trade, but many are still wondering if he'll put it to use now or in the offseason. There's some skepticism a deal will get done, for a specific reason.
âTheyâll only do something,â the West executive said, âif they think theyâre going to bury you.â
Many believe Boston is looking to acquire a capable scorer to fill in the hole at the forward position after the departure of Gordon Hayward. An upgrade at point guard would also be useful given Kemba Walker's situation, Marcus Smart's injury and Jeff Teague being bad.
There are still a lot of games to be played in the season, so the Celtics could very well turn things around, with or without a trade. However, it seems like making roster moves in the middle of their campaign should be strongly considered, and perhaps Ainge shouldn't focus so much on totally winning the deal in order to upgrade his roster.
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