Danny Ainge recently acknowledged that the Boston Celtics squad, as constituted, is not good enough to win a championship.
This suggests that the president of basketball operations for the Celtics will be active before the NBA trading deadline, March 25, perhaps with the goal of acquiring someone who adds both kicks and size.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps recently spoke to rival executives who believe the Celtics are basically looking for what they missed in the off-season, when Gordon Hayward left for the Charlotte Hornets as part of a contract and exchange.
“The rival executives believe they are looking for a player who can play in any forward position and punch the goal – exactly the type of player they lost when Hayward left,” wrote Bontemps in an article published on ESPN Tuesday. with.
The exception of negotiated player (TPE) that Boston acquired from Charlotte in the Hayward deal is huge, as it will allow the Celtics to trade for players without having to match wages.
Still, Cs will need to forgo assets – choices in the draft, young players, etc. – to close these deals. And Boston’s treasure isn’t as attractive as it once was, complicating things for Ainge if he would like to make a significant impact this season.
In all, the Celtics, which entered a record 17-17 on Tuesday, may require more than one or two simple adjustments to become legitimate candidates to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals. It’s a surprising reality for a team with two incredibly promising young All-Stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“There comes a time when you have to do something to keep your stars at ease and show that you are trying, especially when you are young and at the beginning of your cousins,” an Eastern Conference executive told Bontemps. “You have to commit to them.”
The question is: Are the Celtics good enough to make that commitment right now? Or will Boston wait and use its TPE during this off-season in the hope of taking the next step in 2021-22?
Miniature photo via Paul Rutherford / USA TODAY Sports Images