NBA trade deadline week is upon us. The faucet could soon open as teams maneuver in advance of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET buzzer on the NBA’s annual swapping spree.
We’ve already seen a few trade drips — De’Andre Hunter getting shipped from Cleveland to Sacramento and Vit Krejci relocated from Atlanta to Portland — but we’re entering crunch time, when teams must take a hard look in the mirror and decide whether they are buyers or sellers with 60 percent of the 2025-26 season in the rearview mirror.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes could be clogging the spigot until teams know his future.
The Boston Celtics, still tied for second in the Eastern Conference while outkicking most outsider expectations with their overhauled roster, have decisions to make about what comes next in the roster shaping process.
Some of those decisions could be tied to the potential in-season return of All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, though he added a layer of intrigue to that discussion by admitting last week that he’s still pondering his own timeline now eight-plus months removed from Achilles surgery.
Will Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens take a big swing given the wide open nature of the Eastern Conference?
Would a smaller depth move make more sense given the success (and vibes) of this year’s team? Or is Tatum’s potential return enough for Boston to stand pat and maybe just browse the buyout bargain bin in the aftermath of the deadline?
Let’s set the table with a Celtics trade deadline primer.
What is Boston’s biggest need?
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Daelyn Waters/NBC Sports Boston
Daelyn Waters/NBC Sports Boston Neemias Queta is having a breakout season for the C’s.
While Neemias Queta has thrived after elevating to a starting role and backup big man Luka Garza has provided relentless hustle since his return to the rotation in late December, the Celtics should be tempted to add size. An injury to either player would leave the team perilously thin up front, even as rookie two-way center Amari Williams shows flashes of being able to help the team down the road.
The Celtics’ path out of the East could include matchups against Detroit (maybe the most physical frontcourt in the league) and New York (Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson will stress any opponent). Philadelphia (Joel Embiid is putting up loud numbers again) and Cleveland (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen offer a dynamic duo) could be part of the roadblock, too.
Any hunt for depth should take nothing away from how good Queta has been this season. On Sunday against Milwaukee, Queta decidedly outplayed Myles Turner, who signed a $108 million pact with the Bucks last summer. Queta’s +11.3 net rating is second best on the team behind only rookie Hugo Gonzalez (albeit, in almost double the minutes).
Queta has a been a screen-setting, lob-spiking bundle of energy who hasn’t looked out of place as a starter. In fact, Boston’s preferred starting five has the fourth-best net rating (plus-18.6) among the 47 five-man lineups with 100-plus minutes this season.
What are Boston’s tradable assets?
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Anfernee Simons is shooting almost 40 percent from 3-point range this season.
The Celtics own a first-round pick in five of the next six drafts. They already sent out their 2029 first-round pick to Portland as part of last summer’s Jrue Holiday swap, and that means the team cannot immediately trade its 2028 or 2029 pick, as the Stepien Rule prevents teams from not holding first-round picks in consecutive years.
The Spurs also have the right to swap spots with the Celtics in Round 1 of the 2028 draft (the final piece of the Derrick White trade), though both teams would seem to project as legitimate contenders at that time. The Celtics have some second-round draft capital this year, but also traded some of their future second-rounders as part of roster tinkering.
Anfernee Simons, who’s making $27.7 million in the final year of his contract, has been tossed into trade rumors since the very moment he first arrived in Boston. His offensive outbursts could leave the Celtics waiting until the summer to ponder his future, though Boston has limited other means to make big-salary deals without disrupting the core of the team.
Sam Hauser is making $10 million in the first year of his four-year, $45 million extension. He’s coming off a scorching hot January and has thrived since reascending to the starting lineup.
Bigger moves might force the Celtics to dip into their stash of young wings. Versatile bigs Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman have played sparingly and could be moved if the team needed to cut salary, though both are on minimum deals.
TPE season is back
The Celtics do have an ability to take back salary without necessarily needing to match outgoing money, thanks to a small collection of traded player exceptions.
The Celtics have an $8.2 million TPE generated from dealing Georges Niang to Utah, and a $4.7 million TPE generated from the Holiday deal. A $4 million TPE was also generated from trading Jaden Springer to Utah at last year’s deadline, but first apron teams cannot use TPEs generated in previous seasons.
The most intriguing asset is a $22.5 million TPE generated from the Kristaps Porzingis trade with Atlanta. It doesn’t expire until July, but the Celtics could use even a smaller chunk of that total to target a potential mid-tier salary.
Just keep in mind that, should the Celtics utilize a TPE, they cannot scale back above the second apron, which wasn’t even a consideration after the team worked so diligently to get off that spot this past summer.
Put on your aprons, mind the tax
The Celtics currently sit $7.8 million below the second apron. If willing to pay a higher tax bill, the team could potentially add some salary as part of its maneuvering. That opens some possibilities with the TPEs, particularly if Boston also shed the salaries of some depth pieces who haven’t cracked the rotation much this year.
One area to keep an eye on: Boston currently sits $12 million above the luxury tax line and is already dealing with repeater penalties, which project their tax bill around $40 million this season.
Getting out of the tax doesn’t seem like a priority for new owner Bill Chisholm, though doing so as part of any moves would at least open the door to resetting those pesky repeater penalties down the road. (Then again, that will be a challenge if Boston is a legit contender with a fully healthy Tatum).
The no-cost upgrade
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images Jayson Tatum is rehabbing from an Achilles injury.
If Tatum were to elect to return this season, the Celtics would get decidedly better, even as he shakes rust. Tatum at 70 percent is better than whatever most rivals will add at the trade deadline — and with no cost to add him.
Tatum’s size and ability to defend multiple positions would shore up some of Boston’s occasional weak spots. He’d add another layer to an offense that’s already jockeying with Denver for the top spot in the league.
Tatum’s return would fortify the Celtics’ standing as a legitimate contender and allow Stevens to more seriously ponder moves that might send out players who otherwise would shuffle down the depth chart upon his return.
Let’s make a deal
So, what kinds of deals make sense for the Celtics?
Rumors suggested the Celtics made an offer for Clippers big man Ivica Zubac earlier this season. He fits the profile of a big worth man splurging on, given 1) His modest salary ($18.1 million this season), 2) His long-term presence (three years remaining on his contract), and 3) A play style that fits all of Boston’s needs as a defensive presence capable of gobbling up rebounds.
The problem: The Clippers have turned a corner since their rough start, which might have initially opened the door to Zubac pursuits. The even bigger problem: Trying to find another big man worthy of a splurge is nearly impossible.
Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. is intriguing but averages $52 million per year over the next three seasons, a prohibitive number for a team paying big money to superstars Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The question then becomes whether the Celtics would be willing to move a key piece of their rotation — whether it be Simons or Hauser — to add a lower-tier big man who might not move the needle much beyond what Queta and Garza have contributed.
Simons is fourth in the NBA in bench scoring at 14.2 points per game. He’s the only player to appear in all 49 games for Boston. His “Anferno” scoring outbursts have keyed a small handful of wins this season. Microwave bench guys who shoot 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc don’t grow on trees.
Hauser certainly struggled out of the gates but found his groove in January. Hauser’s 45.1 3-point percentage was fourth best in the NBA in January (minimum 40 makes). Hauser is averaging 14.8 points while shooting 43.7 percent beyond the arc over his last 10 games while adding 5.3 rebounds over 29.5 minutes per game.
Ultimately, unless someone is willing to overpay for Simons, the best path forward might be to work on the fringes. If the Celtics were willing to take on some additional money, they might be able to utilize their TPEs to entice tax-straddling teams.
Stevens likes to think big with his moves, though.
We’d call the Magic about Wendell Carter Jr., if only because of the money crunch that Orlando will soon find itself under. (Goga Bitadze also is an intriguing depth option, otherwise, while you’re on the phone.)
We’d investigate all three-team deals that could bring Robert Williams III back to Boston, given Portland’s need to trim money to sign a couple two-way players and still finish below the tax. New Orleans’ Yves Missi is a bargain option with the Pelicans already prioritizing other young bigs.
Difficulty in finding deals comes from the fact that maybe only six teams in the NBA view themselves as surefire lottery teams at the moment. The Bucks are probably on their way to being the seventh. The Pacers are navigating a gap year and might not desire to move remaining talent. Finding talent that moves the needle at a reasonable rate is tough.
Still, the Celtics have to investigate what’s available. Simons has played well enough to maximize his value despite a bulky, expiring contract. Do the Celtics trust that he will hold up defensively in a playoff series? And if Tatum returns, will there be the same volume of shots for Simons to consume?
These are good problems to have. Stevens simply has to determine what gives Boston the best chance of winning — both in the immediate short term and into next season, when Tatum could be back at the peak of his powers.
The Celtics are on a 52-win pace. They have the third-best point differential in the NBA and third-best net rating (trailing only Oklahoma City and Detroit in both categories). They have the second-best offensive rating, and are knocking on the door of the top 10 in defensive rating. The quest for 40 wins before 20 losses (Phil Jackson’s guide to legit contenders) is still in play.
Stevens has tough choices to make. But for all the best reasons.
