The case for and against 5 potential commercial targets for Celtics

With the Boston Celtics entering the All-Star range, the biggest question around the team – despite a disastrous stretch, interrupted by a three-game winning streak – is whether Danny Ainge will use the team’s record of $ 28.5 million exception of traded player (TPE) before the deadline.

Ainge stated that he can kick the can into the off-season, so we address that here, as well as take a look at some pros and cons of swapping for five of the players most discussed by fans and analysts.

Nikola Vucevic, Orlando

The case for: This is one of the simplest: Vucevic is a very good offensive player. He he is not as good a passer as Al Horford proved to be during his tenure at the Celtics, but he would give Boston an important piece he does not currently have. His contract goes down a little in structure and ends at $ 22 million in 2023. A small amount of salary would have to go, but Orlando would probably require players who would make up the difference anyway.

The case against: The Magic would probably need to be impressed. Many teams will be interested, so the Celtics would probably have to beat other offers, which would probably require a lot of choices. How willing are you to mortgage the future of a great man, especially with Robert Williams already on the list? Williams’ game recently suggests that he will need fewer big men ahead of him in the rotation, not more.

Harrison Barnes, Sacramento

The case for: Barnes is one of the most popular potential targets for the Celtics. He is a veteran who won a title as a starter and appears to be a great citizen, even in the reconstruction of Kings. He is also having a solid season overall – 16.6 points per game, 40.3 percent of 3-point shots – and has recovered from a recent cold spell. If Walker’s recent wave is real and sustainable for the rest of the year, another great wing that can shoot, create a little and defend makes a lot of sense to the Celtics. Barnes’ contract shrinks over the next two years and ends at a relatively friendly $ 18.5 million at age 30.

Meanwhile, Sacramento fell off a cliff, losing nine of his last 10. The Kings may be ready to sell soon.

The case against: The Barnes business would consume almost all of Boston’s TPE. Are the Celtics confident that Barnes would solve all their problems? On paper, he makes a lot of sense, but his timeline is not perfect alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. That won’t be the end of the world if he helps turn the Celtics into a candidate, but if Danny Ainge has bigger goals this summer, Barnes may not fit in with what he’s looking to do.

Aaron Gordon, Orlando

The case for: Magic seems to like Gordon’s defense – he is versatile, with great athleticism and a 7-foot wingspan. Offensively, he is pitching his career maximum of 36.9 percent in the 3-point range and has reached 46.7 percent of his catch and shoot triples, according to the NBA statistics website. Gordon is 25, only a year older than Jaylen Brown, so he fits Boston’s timeline better than Harrison Barnes.

Meanwhile, his contract goes down year by year and fits perfectly into the Celtics TPE. In theory, Boston wouldn’t even need to change a player to make it work, although Orlando – of course – would require players in exchange for Gordon).

The case against: Gordon may be back on the team by the time the deadline for negotiations ends, after suffering a 4-6 week ankle injury on February 1, but the Celtics would like to be confident in their health before the playoffs arrive. . Orlando’s demand would probably also be high – hyper-athletic and versatile attackers are not cheap.

Also, how confident are the Celtics that Gordon’s shooting numbers are real? Before this year, he never fired 35 percent deep and had some disastrous seasons (last year’s 30.8 mark is distressing).

Thaddeus Young, Chicago

The case for: Want a reliable veteran? They are not much more reliable than Thad Young, 32, who has been everywhere and seen everything. Young is not a floor spacer, but he is shooting 60% of the ground this season with a variety of weird hooks and shots in the paint, and he is a reliable destroyer. Interestingly, in the striker he has an average of 4.4 assists and only 1.9 turnovers per game. Defensively, he can cover several positions.

Young earns about $ 13.5 million, so he fits comfortably into the Boston TPE and can be part of a multi-change timeframe. His contract is partially secured at $ 6 million next season.

The case against: Do Celtics need more? Certainly, bringing Marcus Smart back will help a little, but replacing Gordon Hayward for a year or two with Thad Young would be a big loss for the Celtics, and Danny Ainge seems to think a little bigger, and Young may be too far out of line. time of the Celtics.

Larry Nance Jr., Cleveland

The case for: Nance is another lineman who can defend several positions well and is an intelligent and opportunistic scorer who probably would not have too much trouble to fit in with a trio of high-use stars. He is shooting 38.1 percent in the 3-point range and just under 66 percent around the edge.

The case against: Nance is a strangely bad free-throw shooter – this season, he’s making 57.1 percent of his attempts.

Realistically, the only other case against Nance is that he is probably not a sure or broken candidate. It helps with many small things, but 18-17 Celtics feel they need someone to help them with big things. If Boston could find a way to acquire Nance and another impact player, he would be a solid addition.

Do nothing

The case for: Is the Celtics about to become a candidate this year? Otherwise, the player they acquired would need to help them improve now and still be a good acquisition in the future, as they continue to build the team. Will such a player be available before the deadline?

The case against: How Ryan Bernardoni he pointed out, the trading market could dry up quickly this summer, and negotiations now guarantee an extra postseason with that player on the list. If the player is expiring, trading for them now is the only way to get them on the list. The Celtics will also lose their TPE if they don’t use it this summer. Other teams may try to take advantage.

Other options

This is your reminder that Danny Ainge almost always seems to come up with innovative ideas and that any list of players often seems to be missing his real goal. The Celtics will almost certainly find some use for TPE, but expect the unexpected.

The negotiation deadline is March 25.