New Faces Coming to Boston?

The Boston Celtics, who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2020 postseason, are now the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 14-13, just one game above .500.  It’s no secret that they have been underperforming as of late, winning only 4 of their last 10 games after a great 8-3 start to the season.  Considering their recent shortcomings, many believe that it would be a good idea for them to fill some needs with a trade.

So far, the Celtics have had to rely on their top 4 players, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Kemba Walker.  Unfortunately, each of these players has dealt with injuries and has had to miss time this season.  With this being the case, role players and young prospects have had to play more than they usually would to fill in for their injured teammates.  Many of these role players and prospects have been inconsistent with their performances which has led to the realization that Boston lacks depth.  It will likely be in their best interest to trade for a piece or two to fill their rotation.

This past offseason, the Celtics let Gordon Hayward walk and fortunately were able to arrange a $28.5 million trade exception that gives them the ability to trade for a player with a relatively large salary.  One player the Celtics could potentially target in trade is Blake Griffin.  Griffin is a former all-star and a player who could definitely be a good addition to the Celtics as a good scorer and playmaker.  At 6’9”, 250lbs he also brings some size that Boston has been lacking.

Another potential trade target for Boston would be Andre Drummond.  At about 6’11”, 280 lbs, Drummond is a rebounding machine and a good post-scorer.  He would be a big offensive threat in the post for Boston that would help out their wings and guards.  However, Drummond has been linked to Boston for many years and there are differing opinions on how he would fit in Boston’s system.

Like most years, there are currently many players in discussions for a potential Celtics trade, but Boston fans are hopeful that one is made this year.  It would be disappointing to let the $28 million trade exception go to waste by not making a trade this year.  Either way, the Celtics need to do something if they want to compete for a championship and a trade just might be it.