CelticsBlog roundtable: What does Brad Stevens need to find in the trade and buyout market?

Jan 26, 2023 - 2:00 PM

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What do you think the Celtics need to add most at the trade deadline or the buyout market? Do they need a wing? Another big? Something different?

Gregory Maneikis: Considering I don’t want to mess with chemistry, I think I want to buy low on a wing (like a Cam Reddish) where we don’t have to give up any of our current pieces because I think everyone on the team right now can play a role in a given matchup in the playoffs. I think we need one more guy to take a bit of the burden off of the Jays throughout the regular season and also provide a bit of a scoring punch.

Michael Spooner: Very much on Team “Add a Wing.” Feel like mission number 1 in the second half should be to reduce the load on the Jays. If Rob or Al go down for a long stretch on the playoffs we are screwed anyway and Luke is fine for the regular season.

Jared Zero: Honestly, I think we mainly need another big. Especially on nights like against Miami with Al out, needing to rotate Rob out, it just would help so much more. I would say wing, but we are relatively healthy at that position, and Al has been (in my opinion) playing like more of a wing this season and it’s honestly kind of been working.

Greg Brueck-Cassoli: I think they’re set. I’d want an innings eater on the wing or a big or both to let them rest the key pieces a bit down the stretch, but they kind of already have those players and don’t utilize them in that way.

Simon Pollock: I’ll join Greg. I think the Celtics are more or less set.

For bigs, I don’t have much to add. I love what Luke Kornet has been showing in his limited minutes. He’s finding chemistry with ballhandlers offense. He’s working his tail off too (and taking pride in) protecting the rim. I think having a big who knows how to move with the team is an excellent backup to have when the rotation gets shorter in the postseason.

At the wing: I believe in Hauser as a shooter, for now. As Keith wrote in his Takeaways from the Celtics’ most recent Miami game, Hauser spent the first 22 games on fire. He doesn’t need bounce back to being damn near 48% from deep (that’d be nice, though—hear us, oh Basketball Gods!). If he could get back to 39-41% and continue to hold up on defense, I think that’d work just fine.

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Jeff Clark: I like the idea of a wing for depth. The ideal is a 3-and-D wing, but we aren’t getting that cheap, so you have to pick one. Shooter or defender. Defenders might be easier to come by and they could be a good option for getting our star wings a breather every once in a while (during the regular season).

Second choice is a cheap 3rd or 4th big. Right now I feel like we could get that in the buyout/G-League call-up market but I admit I don’t know any specific names.

William Weir: Also on Team Backup Wing. With Hauser feeling like he is going to more regularly demoted to DNPs, I think a low-cost wing on the trade market or a buyout guy would be perfect. Don’t need anything crazy but need someone that can help bring down the Jays minutes a little night to night through the end of the regular season to keep them fresh. However, at this point, I would guess regardless of whatever move(s) they might make, we are already looking at the core playoff rotation as is.

Greg Brueck-Cassoli: Question for team add a wing: Do you think they could get someone with the assets they have that would actually be good enough to inspire Joe to trim down the minutes for the Jays? That’s where I get stuck. You’re not getting a legitimate two-way wing for a bunch of seconds I assume.

Michael Spooner: It’s difficult to predict what Joe will do rotation-wise, but I think you can grab a Javonte Green-level guy for a few seconds and he’s an upgrade on Hauser. Whether Joe uses him to take the Jays from 38 mins to 33, I’m not sure, but at the cost for a second or two, I think it’s worth it.

Greg Brueck-Cassoli: I’m never going to say no to more Javonte Green in my life! I guess what I think is if you’re just upgrading the Hauser minutes slightly I’m not that excited, but if you’re upgrading the Hauser minutes AND cutting into Jays minutes we’re really in business.

Bill Sy: I’m on Team Wing too, but I don’t want to spend anything, a second at the most into the TPE. Really, I’m targeting the buyout market and half seriously, looking for former Brad Stevens-coached Celtics, 1) for familiarity and 2) vibes.

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Mike Dynon: The missing piece for the Celtics is Danilo Gallinari, who would’ve been a productive asset. Hauser turned out not to be an effective replacement, and we can’t trust that his hot shooting will return. So, my answer is to get a wing who’s a proven shooter, even if he’s just an average defender, to fill Gallo’s intended role.

Jeff Pratt: Adding another big makes sense with Horford resting on the second night of back-to-backs and Rob Williams’ injury history, but I find myself agreeing with a lot of people here. Another wing should be the priority. We all love Sam Hauser when he’s hitting shots, but the reality is he’s not doing that consistently anymore, and while I respect his effort on the defensive end, he’s not good enough to justify throwing him out for 5-7 minute stints if he can't contribute offensively. I’m already nervous about Tatum’s extensive workload and the possibility of wearing him down before the playoffs even start. Acquiring a capable, rotational wing who you can play 10-15 minutes a night if necessary should be the priority.

Jack Simone: I really think the need for another wing is more pressing than that for another big. All the reports indicate otherwise, but with how well Luke Kornet is playing along with both Robert Williams and Al Horford, I’d take wing insurance over another big. Plus, I think the Celtics should seriously consider keeping Derrick White in the starting lineup and bringing a big off the bench. That lineup has been great this year, and they could still run double bigs when the matchup is advantageous.

With Sam Hauser’s struggles, and even when he’s playing well, that leaves Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Hauser as the only true wings on the roster. Adding a guy like Josh Richardson or Will Barton could help take a load off of Tatum and Brown and give the team an extra option in case everyone else goes cold (like what happened in the Finals a couple of times). Having that extra body at the wing could prove to be extremely important through the end of the regular season especially.

Benjamin Torbert: Wing is a bigger need for the regular season. Big is a bigger need for the playoffs in case Rob or Al miss a game or games.

Keith Smith: Boston is fine with bigs, unless you really worry about losing Rob Williams or Al Horford to injury. But you can’t really invest significant trade assets in a “break glass” type of player.

Adding a wing, however, is important. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have both talked about being worn down by last year’s Finals. Getting some minutes of them should be a goal. That’s true even if that player won’t play much come playoff time. There are still 33 regular season games to manage through.

Ideally, any trade would come with someone under some level of team control for the next season or two. Given Boston’s limited ability to make deals without moving a key rotation player, it’s more likely help comes from the buyout market than the trade market.