The Celtics are back in Boston to play their first home games of 2025 after a successful road trip this week following the return of Kristaps Porzingis. Boston will look to build some chemistry as they get a fully healthy roster back this weekend but intriguing trade discussion awaits around the league. Let’s answer some questions about potential moves and the season so far. If you have questions about the Celtics or NBA, email brobb@masslive.com or tweet @briantrobb
Hey B Robb how do the Celtics get another wing or big at the trade deadline any potential names? — Carlo C
Should the Celtics prioritize a wing or a big at the trade deadline and who are realistic targets? — The 617hub
It’s been surprisingly quiet on the trade front around the league since a few moves towards the end of December. That should change as we get closer to the trade deadline and some teams are better able to choose whether they are heading towards buying or selling both conferences.
We know the Celtics are going to be quite limited in terms of what type of add they are willing to make. They can bring in veteran minimum guys and that’s essentially it unless they find a taker for Jaden Springer in a deal (which will likely just be a salary dump with a draft pick sweetener from Boston’s end).
So the question right now is whether there are any minimum level players that could be available and useful as added depth on this Celtics roster. It’s probably fair to look at a few batch of likely sellers right now in that mold. The Hornets, Nets, Raptors and Wizards will surely be open for business in the East and perhaps the Bulls too to a lesser degree. Out west, it may simply be the Pelicans, Jazz and Blazers with 12 teams firmly in the mix for the play-in tournament and motivated to win now.
Out of those options, finding cheap players on those teams worth assets is not exactly easy. Old friends Javonte Green and Daniel Theis could be available out of New Orleans but those guys aren’t going to play most nights on this team. Beyond that, there’s just not much talent on these roster making cheap money. Brad Stevens could simply look to the free agent market to fill a slot rather than have to use a draft asset if he ships Springer away. Until more sellers emerge, that or an internal promotion (Drew Peterson?) is probably the type of add we are looking at. Ultimately, adding a wing over a big would be a priority for me if I was Stevens.
As we get closer to the halfway mark of the season, what letter grade would you assign the Celtics for their record & results so far this season? And why? — Ed H
My first instinct was leaning towards a B+ but upon further reflection I think an A- is warranted as we approach the halfway point. This team is on a 60-win pace right now and they’ve dealt with a lot more injuries already than they’ve had all of last season.
Some players (Tatum, White, Pritchard) have made up for a few key absences during various stretches but it’s hard to knock what they’ve achieved while only being at full strength for two total games over their first 37 overall. There certainly have been a few more inconsistent stretches, particularly in December than we saw for most of last year but the overall production remains promising. The team has three legitimate All-Star candidates (Derrick White will need a strong finishing kick) and Payton Pritchard already looks like a runaway for Sixth Man of the Year. Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser have had “down” years for them but some of that can be attributed to age or injury. Al Horford continues to defy Father Time while Kristaps Porzingis is continuing to get his bearings after returning from surgery and being hobbled so many times.
There have been a few shortcomings of late (getting to the free throw line, offensive rebounding) and forcing turnovers remains a challenge for this group but they look every bit the contender we saw last season on most nights. The problem this time around is they have some competition that’s at or above their level so far this regular season in the Cavs and Thunder.
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
