It is not hard to suggest that the Boston Celtics not only can but should stand pat at the 2024 NBA trade deadline given they currently have the league’s best record. But one can also point to a handful of losses — emphasis on handful — vs. the best teams in the Association, and call that evidence that the Celtics still have some work to do on their roster.
For those among us who subscribe to the latter theory for Boston’s deadline plans, there are no shortages of people trying to find the perfect trade target for the Celtics. And we can count Bleacher Report‘s Andy Bailey as being among them.
Let’s take a look at what he sees as important for Boston to pursue at the deadline.
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“The more honest approach to this slide might be to simply say the Boston Celtics don’t have any needs,” admits Bailey to our point above.
“They are completely dominating a league as packed with talent as it’s ever been, and it doesn’t really seem to matter which members of their eight-man rotation are on the floor. When Boston has at least two of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard or Sam Hauser on the floor, it’s a stout plus-10.5 points per 100 possessions.”
“For context, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the second-best net rating in the league at plus-8.3,” he adds.
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“But, if forced to nitpick a bit, perhaps the Celtics could use a bit more size coming off the bench,” writes the B/R NBA analyst.
“Pritchard is (6-foot-1), and the team’s defensive rebounding percentage has taken a dip in each of the past two seasons when (6-foot-8) Sam Hauser is on the floor. Either or both could find themselves in some unfavorable matchups in the playoffs, and a bit more size and physicality off the bench might help to offset that.”
“But again, this is very minute stuff,” clarifies Bailey. “Assuming health, Boston will have plenty of high-end defenders they can mix and match with two or three reserves.”
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This is not far from the observations made by the team’s President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens on how the team is looking to add a bigger wing to the rotation.
The right target could also help bolster a minor need for ball-moving, rebounding, and scoring off the bench. But these are not glaring needs so much as a bit more size at the 3-4 is, and even that is not so severe as to warrant a major move.
And Boston could stand pat if they have a bead on a buyout candidate, so try to temper expectations for Feb. 8 and before.
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