At 12-10, the Boston Celtics sit at fourth place in the Eastern Conference with about a third of the regular season out of the way. It hasn't been the most exciting start but, all things considered, it hasn't been a bad start to their 2020-21 campaign.
Still, after losing Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets, and after a season where a big man seemed to be a key part of the equation that was missing, there still looks like there's some work to be done. And though that work didn't involve a trade for James Harden, nor did it involve Myles Turner — which, in hindsight, might be hard to stomach — there could be a big move still to be made.
In his latest power rankings, Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer wrote that multiple executives around the league sent him a "flurry of texts" saying that "the Celtics were up to something." It didn't get any more specific than that, though O'Connor notes that the thought is, and has been, that Danny Ainge is looking to upgrade the wing and big man position.
It makes sense. Behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, both of whom have played phenomenal basketball this season, the depth chart is pretty desolate at the wing. Without Brown in recent games, the team's lack of depth at the wing is evident. And though Tristan Thompson, Daniel Theis, Robert Williams and Grant Williams are more than capable big men, someone who can add another dimension — say, a shooter — at the big man position could really help the Celtics to make a push into the top three or two teams in the East, along with the Sixers and Bucks, if they're not there already.
John Collins is a name that comes to mind right away, considering a reported disagreement earlier in the season between him and the Hawks.
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However, at 11-12 (right behind Boston) and with strong production from Collins to this point, the Hawks may be content letting him play the season out if they think they'll be able to keep him on board as he enters restricted free agency.
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