Do the Boston Celtics need to make a trade?
Despite stumbling into the NBA All-Star break, the Boston Celtics are still considered one of the most talented rosters in the Eastern Conference. They have a legit superstar, strong supporting stars, and one of the best coaches in the league. Heading into the second half of the season, the expectations are still high for Boston.
However, one big question that the team has to answer over the course of the next couple of weeks is whether or not a trade is necessary to spark that second-half run that many are expecting this team to make.
According to reports, the Celtics have been linked to multiple players that may or may not be on the trade block. A few names that have been thrown out as potential Celtic trade targets have been Harrison Barnes, Nikola Vucevic, and Jerami Grant.
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To land any of those players or likely any other player on the trade block, the Celtics would have to unload a strong asset or two. And that’s where the dilemma comes into play. Should the Celtics elect to move a substantial asset in order to land a player that may or may not work out in the long-term for the team?
And perhaps most importantly, do the Celtics need to make a trade to break out of the first-half funk that they’ve been in? Through the first half of the season, the statistics indicate that the Celtics are a little above-average as a team.
They have the 12th ranked offense, 16th ranked defense and 10th best net rating in the league. They’ve also had to play without Marcus Smart in the lineup since January 30. Smart is expected to return to the lineup sooner rather than later and you’d have to wonder if Boston believes that his return would help solve some of the team’s issues.
If Boston believes that Smart’s return won’t be enough of a spark to catapult the Celtics in the second half of the season, then perhaps a trade should be on the table for the team. However, would any of the realistic trade targets (for what the Celtics are willing to give up) really make that big of a difference for the team?
Are there any players available that would have a significant impact on the team? It’s tough to say but if Danny Ainge truly believes this is not a championship-worthy roster, then perhaps a trade is coming. Or, at the very least, Ainge is going to try and make a big splash.
With a core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Kemba Walker, you’d think that the Celtics would be a bit better than just a .500 team. Although, that’s what the Celtics have been through the first half of the season.
A trade might be the only thing that could save the Boston Celtics. The problem is that it’s one big gamble and that there’s no guarantee that it’ll work out long-term for the team.