Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Insider expects Celtics to be active in trade market

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 12/5/23

After a busy summer that saw Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens swing for the fences by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, it's becoming clear the roster still needs some work. Payton Pritchard has struggled in his new role as the first guard off the bench, and there's a worrying lack of depth at the center position.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, who was speaking on a recent episode of FanDuel TV's "Run It Back," the Celtics are expected to explore potential deals.

"Late-game execution is still an issue for this team," Charania said. "...21 points off the bench, Sam Hauser scored a little bit, Luke Kornet scored. The Pacers, on the other hand, got 33 points off the bench...The Celtics gave up a couple of first-round picks in that Jrue Holiday trade. They still have a few first-round picks left over. I expect the Celtics to be active in the trade market, to try and see if they can beef up their bench rotation."

"I expect the Celtics to be active in the trade market as we get closer to February, to try to see if they can beef up their bench rotation."@ShamsCharania's biggest concern for the Celtics is late game execution, what kind of player are they missing?

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— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 5, 2023

The Celtics are a second tax apron team. They're limited in terms of the players they can target. Still, finding a way to bolster their bench rotation will be essential if the Celtics have genuine aspirations of becoming NBA champions at the end of the season. The bigger question is whether they look to bolster the guard or center position.

Regardless of what direction Stevens goes in, the Celtics will have some tough decisions to make. Right now, the only bench player who would likely be untouchable is Hauser. Everyone else is likely to be fair game. Boston also has a traded player exception worth $6.2 million, which was generated when Grant Williams was traded to the Dallas Mavericks during the summer.

Boston has plenty of trade assets left in its treasure trove, but right now, it's anybody's guess as to the type of player the Celtics are looking to acquire.

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