In addition to having the best record in the league, the Boston Celtics, at 35-11, are the only team to rank in the top three in both offense and defense. On paper, the Celtics have every reason to stick to their “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” credo and head into the 2024 NBA Playoffs with confidence.
There are underdogs for the Celtics as they try to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy ahead of the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks in June.However, anyone who has followed the 2023-24 Celtics closely will agree that the team could use some help from the bench. Note that only three bench players have logged more than 20 minutes — Al Horford turns 38 in March — and the other two key rotation players, Sam Houser and Payton Pritchard, have little playoff experience.
Houser averaged just 1.6 points per game in limited postseason appearances, while Pritchard averaged 4.2 points in 39 playoff games. With neither player producing proven results, Chris Forsberg of Yahoo Sports called for Boston to make some moves before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Like many title contenders, the Celtics have little financial flexibility to make major trades.
Additionally, as the first team to pass the luxury tax apron, they won’t be able to acquire Kyle Lowry or Gordon Hayward, who are expected to hit the trade market. However, the Celtics have $6.2 million in Traded Player Cap (TPE) created by sending Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade deal.
In this scenario, Forsberg gave the Celtics three clear trade targets: They are the Pelicans’ Naji Marshall, the Hawks’ Saddiq Bey and the Raptors’ Thaddeus Young. While the salaries of Marshall ($1.9 million) and Bay ($4.6 million) could easily add to the $6.2 million TPE, Young’s $8 million salary makes it a tough spot for the Celtics front office and GM Brad Stevens. Hauser or Pritchard as part of the deal.All three 3 and D wings could be great additions for Boston.
The6-foot-7 Marshall, who is holding opponents to 43 percent shooting, shot a career-high 37.6 percent from 3-point range and averaged 13.1 points and 6.6 rebounds for the Bay Hawks. Meanwhile, the veteran Young has played just five games for the Raptors this season, but brings a wealth of playoff experience to the Celtics’ young bench.
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