The Celtics are the sleeping giant of this upcoming NBA offseason.
Boston was pegged as a true title contender entering the postseason this year after a shockingly successful regular-season campaign, but flamed out dramatically in the first round, blowing a 3–1 lead to the rival 76ers. The early postseason exit was a failure that fell on the shoulders of all the key members of the organization—and president Brad Stevens was clearly not happy about it.
Speaking to media for his end-of-season press conference, this season’s Executive of the Year openly stated the roster must improve to fix the issues he’s observed on the floor the past few playoff runs. Specifically Stevens mentioned finding players who can put better pressure on the rim to create higher-quality shots on a possession-to-possession basis.
The Celtics’ recent history of aggressive offseason maneuvering would suggest these comments precede an eventful summer in Boston. The last time he swung for the fences by overhauling the roster was in 2023, when he landed Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday in a shocking series of moves that came out of nowhere and launched the franchise to its 18th championship banner.
It seems change is on the winds once more, and nobody other than Jayson Tatum should feel safe.
In light of Stevens’s comments, we looked ahead to this offseason and identified a few big-name trade targets that would make sense for Boston to pursue this offseason. Not every target is guaranteed, or even likely, to get traded. But the right combination of circumstances and assets can move mountains in the NBA; if the Celtics put their best trade chips on the table (including Jaylen Brown) there are few players they wouldn’t be able to land.
So let’s dig into it. Here are five big-name trade targets to think about as Boston enters another offseason with an aggressive front office leader looking, in his own words, to add to the roster.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Why it makes sense
Antetokounmpo is the first and most obvious name to come to mind in this discussion for two reasons: he fits the team need for rim pressure perfectly, and seems all but certain to end up on the trade block this summer. Giannis is the most dangerous paint scorer the NBA has seen since Shaq and won two MVPs because of it. Acquiring a talent like that would also be in line with Stevens’s desire to create as large a margin for error as possible by stacking the deck and ensuring the Celtics have more talent than most (if not all) of their opponents. Even in light of the concerning lower-body injury issues, Antetokounmpo is a top five player in the world right now and adding him to play alongside Tatum would be a dream scenario for Boston.
Why it wouldn’t happen
These kinds of players are only traded for a king’s ransom and the Celtics won’t be able to offer that unless they include Brown. Boston’s first offer definitely wouldn’t include him. Instead, it would probably be built around Derrick White and Sam Hauser’s salary along with a few of the young wings who flashed talent this season and all the picks Boston is allowed to include. That is not a very good package for a two-time MVP, even if the Bucks reroute White and Hauser to other teams for more rebuilding assets. Boston would have to include Brown to be taken seriously and it isn’t automatic Stevens would do so given he was named Finals MVP only two years ago—not to mention Brown is by far the best player the Celtics currently have at attacking the rim.
Kevin Durant
Why it makes sense
Durant has long been seen as an ideal fit alongside the Jays in Boston. The Rockets don’t seem likely to pull the plug so early after trading for him one year ago, but it’s something they’ll have to consider given how poorly the year ended. If they did try to move him, the Celtics can offer up multiple shooters from their rotation to alleviate the Rockets’ spacing issues. Payton Pritchard would be a boon for Ime Udoka’s squad. It would hurt Boston to lose him, White and the other role players required to match salary but Durant would be the safety valve the offense has been missing the last few years in the playoffs. As he showed in his one postseason appearance this year, KD is still a bucket against loaded defenses and the attention the Brown/Tatum duo command would give him a ton of space to work with—more space than he’s seen since his Golden State days.
Why it wouldn’t happen
The Rockets won’t give up a superstar talent for a handful of role players, no matter how much those role players would help address the biggest issue at the center of this current roster. The Celtics wouldn’t give up Brown for a 38-year-old forward who missed almost all of the first round with injuries. And while Durant’s midrange game remains elite, he does not pressure the rim anymore—he averaged fewer than one paint touch per game this year. All that adds up to the conclusion that, if Houston really wants to leave the Durant era behind, Boston would be glad to land him for a discount. But Stevens won’t be putting together a Godfather offer.
Anthony Davis
Why it makes sense
Davis is an elite two-way big who figures to be exactly the sort of player Stevens would want to bring to town. He’s a dominant paint presence offensively and would add top-tier rim protection to a roster that finished fourth in defensive rating without a star big man swatting shots on the back end—something that led to their elimination as Joel Embiid fouled out Neemias Queta over and over again in the playoffs. Most of all, Davis’s skillset would make life much simpler on both ends for the Celtics’ star wings and anybody who does that will be worth an evaluation from Boston.
Why it wouldn’t happen
The Wizards traded for AD at the deadline last year with the intention of trotting him out alongside Trae Young next season. Unless Davis indicates he wants out, Washington will want to at least see what he looks like in D.C. And even if he did, there would be hestitation from any possible trade partner due to his notorious injury issues. Plus there’s the fact that Davis’s dad publicly ripped the Celtics’ organization back in 2019 when his son was trying to force his way to the Lakers and there were rumors Boston might try to get in on the action. That may not be relevant seven years later but enough question marks remain otherwise to think this wouldn’t be Stevens’s first choice.
Donovan Mitchell
Why it makes sense
Mitchell’s name is brought up regularly as a star talent who might be on the move this offseason if the Cavaliers’ playoff run ends in disappointment again. If that came to fruition, he’d be a great fit with the Celtics. The high-flying guard is one of the best backcourt slashers in the NBA, ranking 10th in drives per game this season, and overall averaged nearly 28 points per night. How quickly he can pop off for big scoring numbers offsets his lack of defensive impact and he is constantly putting pressure on the defense to protect the rim because he’ll rise up for a slam the moment a sliver of daylight appears. The Celtics haven’t had a backcourt scoring option of that caliber since Kemba Walker and Mitchell is better than Walker was in Boston. On top of all that, he’s buddies with Brown, so chemistry shouldn’t be a concern despite how ball-dominant Mitchell is.
Why it wouldn’t happen
Mitchell’s last few playoff runs haven’t been great and whatever move Stevens makes will be with the postseason offense in mind. His inability to play high-caliber defense wouldn’t inspire a particularly strong offer from Boston and Cleveland would presumably be looking for a lot in return for its most marketable star. The star guard makes a lot of sense on paper but isn’t a needle-mover to the same degree as the other names on this list so it feels unlikely the Celtics would be willing to offer up the quality of trade package Mitchell can fetch from more desperate teams.
Bam Adebayo
Why it makes sense
Who wouldn’t want the man who scored 83 points? Historic night aside, Adebayo would make for a big frontcourt upgrade in Boston. He doesn’t quite dominate the paint but is definitely a capable scorer inside and we’d all view his offensive talents more favorably if he was cast as an overqualified third scoring option rather than an under-qualified No. 1. Defensively he is elite, an annual DPOY candidate who can switch on the perimeter and protect the rim in equal measure—something the Celtics know all too well after numerous postseason battles. He also has a documented friendship with Tatum and played on Team USA with the Boston superstar so they’d mesh immediately.
Why it won’t happen
Pat Riley is the head man in Miami and said he’d only ever trade Adebayo for “eight picks and Wemby” a few weeks ago. His love for the All-Star center seems like it can only matched by his lifelong distaste for the Celtics. The chances of striking a deal seem astronomically low, even if Boston was willing to trade Brown—and it’s a serious question as to whether the Celtics are a better team with Adebayo instead of the 29-year-old All-NBA star. But it doesn’t hurt to pick up the phone given the Heat are still struggling to find a way forward in the post-Jimmy Butler era.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Big-Name Trade Targets the Celtics Could Pursue After Brad Stevens’s Comments About Improving Roster.
