One of the biggest surprises in this off-season was when Gordon Hayward gave up the last year of his contract with the Boston Celtics and joined Charlotte Hornets on a $ 120 million contract for four years. For all intents and purposes, it was a Hornets free agent subscription, but the two teams technically agreed to sign and switch, meaning that the Celtics managed to generate a $ 28.5 million Player Negotiation Exception (TPE).
We don’t need to go into all the tedious limit details about how trading exceptions work, but the big thing to know is this: for a year after the Hayward deal is concluded, the Celtics can trade for a player who wins $ 28, 5 million or less, without having to send any players back to match wages.
This is a very useful tool for a potential candidate like the Celtics, and during a radio appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday, Danny Ainge said the “sweet spot” for using the exception will be in late March. (The negotiation deadline is March 25).
Here are some additional tips from Ainge on who the type of player the team is targeting:
“I would say that maybe kick, with size. There are many different ways for you to win in this league. We can use the kick, we can use the pass. But you always need defense and our team is built on defense. We have been defending ourselves I know we haven’t won a championship, but we need the defense. ”
“It is difficult to find a sniper who cannot tag anyone and expect that person to come and make a big change in our team. We are looking for complete players. But I think that shooting in great position is something we haven’t yet had.”
This makes a lot of sense, since the Celtics are very advanced as a point guard and on the attacking court, but are weak behind the developing stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Unfortunately, large wings that can shoot and play defense are rare, and those that have these characteristics are generally not available through exchange.
Still, there are a few options out there that usually fit the mold that Ainge has in mind. Here’s a look at five potential players who can help the Celtics:
Barnes has been kind of an afterthought since he left the Golden State Warriors, but in Sacramento he is organizing one of the best seasons of his career. In 21 games, he averaged 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists, while shooting 49.8% on the field and 41.3% on 3-point terrain – both of which are the best marks in the game. career.
He is not really someone you would think of as a pure sniper, nor is he a blocking defender, but he is capable in those areas and in terms of combining all the characteristics that Ainge is looking for, he may be the most suitable. The big question with Barnes is if the Kings are still right in the playoff contest at the end of March, would they be willing to give up on one of their best players?
Magic is a bit of a mess this season, largely because a number of important players were injured, including Gordon himself. A severe sprained ankle will leave him out for four to six weeks, meaning he will return shortly before the deadline. Assuming Magic is still working at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, they could be salespeople on time – although any deal involving Gordon would certainly be more engaging than just throwing him into the Celtics’ commercial exception.
If Gordon is available, he will be another player who usually checks all boxes. Although he has reached his career record of 36.9 percent in depth this season, he has historically been a more unstable sniper than Barnes, but he is a much better defender and also offers more gameplay.
Ever since the Rockets started taking things apart, Tucker has been an important commercial target for competitors throughout the league. Tucker did not accept the extension offer that is on the table and would be open to a trade, according to The Athletic last month. Given these factors and everything else that happened in Houston recently, it seems likely that Tucker is moving ahead of schedule.
Tucker is not the biggest wing, but he makes up for his lack of size with incredible strength and stamina that allows him to defend much larger players. Your mindset at that end of the word would be exactly what the Celtics are looking for. Offensively, it is much less dynamic than some other options, but you can count on it to open 3s.
With new coach Billy Donovan and a host of interesting young players, the Bulls are a team that looks to the future. As such, they may be inclined to transfer some of their veterans on time. That includes Thaddeus Young, whose contract is only partially guaranteed for the next season.
Again, it is difficult to find a player who brings kick, size and defense, and Young is not a 3-point threat – 26.3% this season and 33.2% in his career. But it would definitely provide the latter two aspects for the Celtics. In fact, they would have a hard time finding a better defensive option than Young, who is one of the most versatile and underestimated players on that side of the ball in the league.
One of the forgotten members of James Harden’s four-team mega negotiation last month, Prince ended up at Cavaliers. He’s throwing 37.8 percent off a 3-point field this season and has the size and athleticism to be an impactful defender, although he hasn’t always proven that on that end of the court.
It definitely won’t be the first option for the Celtics, but it may be worth considering if the price for someone like Barnes or Gordon gets too high. Although much better than many expected this season, the Cavaliers are still in the early stages of a long reconstruction and would probably be willing to move Prince without requiring much of a return.