There are a lot of tired storylines right now with the Boston Celtics.
You either are screaming for Danny Ainge to get Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown some help with the $28.5 million traded player exception (TPE). Or you think this team is bad enough, likely due to the wrongdoings by Ainge and Brad Stevens, that it’s not worth investing in.
But I think the one thing we can all agree on is that Ainge better not say “we like our guys.”
If you like your guys so much, you would not be connected to Harrison Barnes, Nikola Vucevic, Jerami Grant, Larry Nance Jr, JJ Redick and even James Harden dating back to December.
Four of these six players would require a major haul from Boston. Harden is already in Brooklyn and dominating. Redick is a rental. Vucevic would be a home run slam dunk but I don’t think the Celtics are willing to part with the assets to get Vucevic.
So, what would it take?
Orlando would want a young star to build around in addition to first rounder if they were to part with Vucevic. Payton Pritchard doesn't fit that category. No one on the Celtics really fits that criteria considering you wouldn't put Tatum or Brown in this move.
On Twitter @OMFonWEEI, I threw out Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and a 2021 first-round pick heading to Orlando to get the All Star big man. Sixty-two percent of voters said the Celtics would say no to this hypothetical trade. Nineteen percent said Orlando would say “no” while the remaining 19 percent voted that it was a “fair trade” for both teams.
Side note: if Williams is the sticking point in not wanting to trade for Vucevic, please just click the X in the top right corner of your screen.
In general, does anyone really think Ainge will part with Smart? I do not. He’s their third best trade asset behind Tatum and Brown and yet it feels like there isn’t a trade out there that would sway the Celtics director of basketball operations to pull the trigger.
Here’s how the Celtics trade assets rank, player wise, heading into the deadline:
1. and 2. Tatum and Brown (not available)
3. Marcus Smart (likely untouchable unless the Celtics are blown away; would be shocked if he’s involved in any deal besides a trade for Vucevic)
4. Kemba Walker (massive money, red flag with his knee issues)
5. The vets with value (Thompson, Theis, Robert Williams)
6. Rookies (Pritchard, Nesmith)
7. Rotation players with little value (Grant Williams, Semi Ojeleye)
8. No value whatsoever/contract filler (Carsen Edwards, Tremont Waters, Tacko Fall, Javonte Green, Jeff Teague)
So if Tatum, Brown, Smart and Kemba are likely off limits, all for different reasons, then Boston really has just five players of value they could move. You could make a case that Payton Pritchard is untouchable, unless he nets you a starter in return in a package, after the way he’s played to start out his rookie season.
And then there’s Romeo Langford -- potentially the biggest mystery on the Celtics roster. I am not looking to include Langford in any package as his value will never be lower. I’m one of the few still on the Romeo bandwagon and this team can desperately use some wing depth.
This is the reality for Ainge, Stevens and the Celtics decision makers as they look to improve the team ahead of the March 17 trade deadline. There aren’t many sellers. The Celtics don’t have many assets that they are actually looking to part with. Minor moves seem to be the likely path.
Get ready for most of the $28.5 million trade exception to be taken into the offseason when the team can get more flexibility with the cap space and trade market. This allows Boston to pursue potential sign and trade options.
This trade deadline will likely be a dud. After all, is there ANY realistic move out there that would put Boston in the same tier as the Lakers, Jazz, Nets, Sixers and Bucks? (Key word: realistic.)
The clock is ticking for Ainge to make a move and stop being connected to these major stars. The stars aligned in Brooklyn.
It’s time for Ainge to ensure that his stars don’t turn into disgruntled guys like Harden who give up on their franchise after multiple playoff runs. And with the on-paper outlook of the Nets, no one may beat them this year or anytime soon.
This team needs improvement now but more so for its future. The way Ainge uses the $28.5 million trade exception is a swing at the plate to keep his stars happy.
The value of doing that is priceless.