The NBA trade deadline is around the corner (6 Feb), and it is time for teams to gear up to do some self-evaluation. This means checking on its roster and seeing who they need to be on/off of it. The Boston Celtics currently have a pretty neat roster. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge and his Celtics have a tricky line to walk. The Boston Celtics (32-23) hit the All-Star break having won 10 of their last 12. This includes a 139-134 overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Celtics are well aware of their better than average roster and the fact that some changes in it are also welcome.
Some Players that The Boston Celtics should Try to Trade onto the Team:
Davis Bertans:
The Wizards have said they don’t plan to trade Bertans, that feels like posturing before the trade deadline. If the Celtics are serious about being tough competition this year, consolidating some of their young players and picks into some desperately needed floor spacing/scoring off the bench makes a lot of sense. The Celtics’ bigs have actually held things together pretty well, despite all the noise. The bench could use some help. Bertans will be pricy, but the NBA feels pretty open this year. Getting an established shooter to come off the bench could give major results, even if the price is hefty.
Bryn Forbes:
An outside-of-the-box name to monitor is expiring contract Bryn Forbes of the San Antonio Spurs. He has come back to earth a bit this season but nailed 42.6 per cent of his triples last year. Additionally, he has a solid reputation as a shot creator if need be. If Brad Stevens allows Hayward to run the second unit offence more frequently, Forbes would be an excellent running mate. Due to their guard-heavy roster, the Spurs could afford to move him. Boston has picked to play with and a change of scenery for Forbes could result in some much-needed bench scoring.
Dwight Howard:
With him on the back-nine of his career, Howard is still a double-double guy. It would be nice if that continued for him in Boston, but he doesn’t need himself to be that guy anymore, not with this team. More than anything, the Celtics need a low-post centre who can defend, which is still something that the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year does well.
