The Celtics no longer have the largest traded player exception in the NBA. Brad Stevens allowed the $17.1 million TPE he got from last summer's Evan Fournier trade to expire Monday at midnight.
On the surface, that might seem like a waste. Even if Stevens wasn't going to use the whole TPE, he could have used a portion of it to round out his roster, perhaps by adding a backup big man or wing.
But there are also understandable reasons Stevens ultimately elected not to use it. First, the right trade to use it in just may not have been there.
Stevens likely determined that whatever players may have been available for a picks-only trade (remember, the Celtics can't send salary the other way if they're using the TPE) would not have been good fits for this Celtics team. Stevens has made it clear that he places a high value on chemistry and fit, so he's not going to add a player -- especially a relatively high-salary player -- just for the sake of adding a player.
There may have been players that would fit under the $17.1 million that he liked, but the other team still has to agree to trade them.
Second, Stevens has already added to the roster this summer, including by spending more than $17.1 million to bring in Malcolm Brogdon, who makes $22.6 million. The Celtics' roster already runs 10 deep on rotation-caliber players, and they're already about $20 million over the tax line (only four teams are further over). That's not to say that they can't spend more (Stevens has said they can) and get even deeper, but again, it would have to be the right deal and not just spending for the heck of it.
Third, the Celtics still have ways to add to their roster. They have six more TPEs, although four are for less than $2.2 million. The two biggest are for $6.9 million (from trading Juancho Hernangomez) and $5.9 million (from trading Dennis Schroder). Those expire Jan. 19 and Feb. 10, respectively, so Stevens could use them now or in-season before the trade deadline. The Celtics could also sign a free agent to the veteran minimum if there's anyone that makes sense for that.
It's understandable if some Celtics fans are frustrated to see the big TPE go unused. There is certainly a case to be made that if you're truly all-in, you find a way to use it, picks and luxury tax be damned. But it's also worth pointing out that the C's were two wins away from a championship, have already gotten better this offseason (arguably significantly so), and still have the ability to tweak the edges of the roster if they need to.
