OFFICIAL: 3 Trade Targets For The Boston Celtics Confirmed
With a 20-6 record so far this season, Boston is presently the best seed in the East. The Celtics are off to another fast start. The Celtics are ready to challenge for the championship thanks to their impressive start and deep roster.
Nevertheless, as the trade deadline draws near, the front staff has reportedly stated unequivocally that they won’t back down and will continue to be aggressive. Following Grant Williams’ off-season trade to the Mavericks, the Celtics raised their traded player expectations to 6.2 million.
Despite their high budget, the Celtics have a clear path to improving their squad thanks to traded player expectation, or TPE for short. The Celtics can use Grant’s TPE or other movable components to target these three players.
3 Trade Targets for The Boston Celtics
Isaiah Stewart: Detroit Pistons Forward/Center
Isaiah Stewart is a name that’s been linked to the Celtics in recent weeks and it makes a lot of sense fit-wise. Stewart is a great rebounder and hard-nosed defender. Additionally, Stewart is shooting a career-best 36% from beyond the arc.
This skill set makes him an ideal backup big man for the Celtics. Improving their depth and providing needed insurance for both Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford in the process.
However, Stewart is under a “Poison Pill Provision” restriction meaning the Celtics would have to send out 13 million dollars in salary to make a deal work. Given the Celtics’ cap space situation, they would have to part ways with a plethora of deep-rotation players to make a deal possible.
As a result, Stewart is an intriguing yet likely unrealistic target for the Celtics. Ultimately, it would take a lot of salary maneuvering and possible draft incentives to make this deal work. But Stewart is arguably the best fit on the market for Boston’s needs so he’s worth pursuing despite the difficulty surrounding his contract.
Andre Drummond: Chicago Bulls Center
A Bulls fire sale is likely at the deadline and Andre Drummond could be available at a bargain price. Drummond’s 3 million dollar contract would fit under the Celtics’ TPE and Boston would likely not have to give up anything else. Drummond can provide a valuable role for the Celtics as a rotational big. Providing Boston with more size and rebounding off the bench. Drummond provides a similar role to Neemias Queta but has far more experience making him a better playoff option. Furthermore, Boston needs all the big man depth they can get given Porzingis’ injury history and Horford’s age. A Drummond acquisition doesn’t necessarily move the needle. But it would be a solid pick-up to round out the roster nonetheless, especially at a cheap cost. Drummond is a great alternative if Boston can’t land a player like Stewart.
Alex Caruso: Chicago Bulls Guard
In this move, the Celtics would be doubling down on their elite perimeter defense. Pairing Alex Caruso with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White would give the Celtics three all-defensive guards. Creating one of the most lethal perimeter defenses the league has ever seen in the process. However, Caruso is expected to be a hot commodity on the trade market and his 9 million dollar contract is just above the TPE threshold. Nevertheless, a move is still possible for the Celtics.
The framework would involve the Celtics parting ways with Payton Pritchard, Oshae Brissett, Luke Kornet, and some package of picks. It’s unclear how many picks the Bulls are asking for Caruso. But given his league-wide value, especially as a defender it’s safe to assume the Celtics would have to part ways with at least a first-round pick. Brad Stevens has shown to be aggressive and proven he is not afraid to part with picks. If Stevens views Caruso as a piece that could swing the title for Boston don’t be surprised if he makes a big move to land him.
The Last Word
Ultimately these trade possibilities are intriguing options for the Celtics at the deadline. The Celtics don’t need another big trade to win the title and this roster can certainly win a title. However, improving and rounding out the roster is never a bad thing. While Stewart and Caruso would raise Boston’s upside, Drummond is a safe move to perfect the roster. As the trade deadline inches closer I would expect the Celtics to make some kind of move to upgrade the roster. It’s unclear what caliber player Boston will target however they have a surprising amount of options given their lack of cap space.
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What Each Big Ten Team Wants For Christmas
The holidays are coming up and that means one thing, conference play is about to start. We are almost two months into the season and the Big Ten has already played a handful of games in conference. From the play we have already seen, we can pretty accurately assess the needs of each Big Ten team and see what each Big Ten team wants for Christmas this year.
What Each Big Ten Team Wants for Christmas
Illinois: Some Help for Terrence Shannon
Illinois has been on fire to start the year, particularly Terrence Shannon Jr. who is scoring 20 ppg this season. A great Christmas gift for him would be a night off. He has been carrying the Illini on his back as the second-highest scorer, Marcus Domask, is only scoring 11.8 ppg. No one else is scoring in double digits. If a third option can emerge for Illinois, they could win the Big Ten this year.
Indiana: Three-Point Shooting
The Hoosiers have started the season pretty well. They have not been amazing, but they have a few solid wins and played close against Kansas over the weekend. However, the one glaring weakness of the team is its three-point shooting. The Hoosiers shot 28.5% from deep, which ranks 320th in the country. Having a knockdown shooter is definitely at the top of Indiana’s Christmas list.
Iowa: Defense
Fran McCaffery’s squads have never been known for their elite defense, but this season Iowa has been particularly bad on the defensive side of the ball—the Hawkeyes rank 130th in Kenpom this year. Iowa will need to step up its game in Big Ten play.
Maryland: Three-Point Shooting
Similarly to Indiana, Maryland has struggled from deep this season. However, the Terrapins have been even worse. Maryland has shot 25.5% from three this season, last in the power five. Although they did shoot better in their game against Alcorn State, one consistent shooter could go a long way for the Terps.
Michigan: Consistency
On and off the court, Michigan has been inconsistent this season. On the court, they started off strong with a blowout win against St. John’s. Following that, they have struggled against some very beatable teams. Off the court has arguably been even shakier. Rumors of Juwan Howard’s departure have been swirling following accusations of an altercation between him and strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson. Michigan could really use a few weeks of stability this season.
Michigan State: A Big Man
The Spartans have been off to a shaky start and a lot of that can be attributed to a lack of presence in the paint. Returning center Mady Sissoko has hardly made a difference this year; he only averages 4.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Five-star freshman center Xavier Booker has not lived up to expectations and has barely seen the floor in the past few games. If Tom Izzo wants his team to be a factor in March they will need to figure out their frontcourt situation as soon as possible.
Minnesota: A Bench
The Golden Gophers have been a pretty surprising team so far this season. While they have not been incredible by any stretch of the imagination, they have been significantly improved. Dawson Garcia has looked very good and Cam Christie could possibly be Big Ten Freshman of the Year. But, other than center Pharrel Payne, Minnesota’s bench options have been lacking.
Nebraska: Respect
What the Cornhuskers need isn’t on the court, it’s in the media. Nebraska has some nice wins against Kansas State and Michigan State. Fred Hoiberg’s squad has really stepped up this season. If they continue to play this well, we could see a good season in Lincoln this year. A little respect could do wonders for the Nebraska program this Christmas.
Northwestern: Big Men
Northwestern has had a puzzling season thus far. They took down Purdue a few weeks ago then followed it up by losing to Chicago State and Depaul. Boo Buie has been incredible but has received little help from his frontcourt. Northwestern’s leading rebounder is Brooks Barnhizer who is a guard. If they want to compete in the Big Ten, the Wildcats will need to find an inside presence.
Ohio State: Depth
Ohio State has a great big three of Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, and Jamison Battle. But after that, they aren’t quite as good. If they can find a more reliable sixth man, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Buckeyes make a deep run in March.
Penn State: Defense
The Nittany Lions have started off the season pretty poorly, which was emphasized by a home loss to Bucknell a few weeks ago. Penn State has a few good scorers in Ace Baldwin and Kanye Clary, but the Nittany Lions have not found their stride on defense this season. They are close to the 150th-ranked defense on Kenpom and they let up 72.4 points per game.
Purdue: A Deep Tournament Run
Purdue is another school that doesn’t need anything on the court for Christmas. Purdue has struggled in the NCAA tournament in the past few years. They lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year and haven’t made the Elite Eight since 2019. The Boilermakers need to make a deep run in March Madness this year.
Rutgers: Offense
Over the past few years, Steve Pikiell has established Rutgers as one of the best defensive teams in the country. But, they have continued to struggle on offense. The Scarlet Knights are averaging 69.1 ppg and rank 192nd in offensive efficiency. Rutgers needs to improve its scoring if it plans to make it back to March Madness.
Wisconsin: Faster Pace
Greg Gard has built his reputation as a slow defense-first coach who uses the entire shot clock on offense. While this style can win you games, it is ineffective in the postseason. Wisconsin ranks 324th in tempo this season. This Christmas, Wisconsin could pick up the pace to help them spring into the new year.
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