The Boston Celtics are reportedly trading for veteran big man Mike Muscala in a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Shams Charania of the Athletic. Boston will send guard Justin Jackson and two second round picks as part of the deal.
Muscala, 31, is set to make $3.5 million in salary this season, with a $3.5 million team option for next year. This is a low-cost move for Boston’s front office, which has been looking to improve the team’s frontcourt depth on the cheap with added urgency after the San Antonio Spurs rejected their trade overtures for big man Jakob Poeltl earlier on Thursday morning.
Since joining the NBA in 2013-14, Muscala has been one of the standards for floor-spacing bigs. He’s shooting 39.4% from 3 this year on 3.3 attempts per game. Last season he connected on 42.9% of shots from deep.
Report: Spurs spurn Boston Celtics offer for Jakob Poeltl, deal center to Toronto Raptors https://t.co/QQ5Qqtvpu8
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 9, 2023
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype reported Boston was able to acquire Muscala in part thanks to a $5.9 million trade exception the team generated when trading Dennis Schroder last season.
The exception was set to expire tomorrow. The deal creates a new trade exception worth $1.8 million for the Celtics while leaving roughly $2.4 million in the Schroder TPE that can be used until tomorrow, Feb. 10.
Boston will also see its luxury tax jump by $7 million. Ownership had reportedly granted the Celtics’ front office clearance to go out and spend. Even small moves can be quite costly for tax-paying teams.
The team is not “looking to trade the 27-year-old forward who is internally regarded as one of the most important pieces of this youthful roster” barring a “‘can’t-turn-down… https://t.co/bY9QDdn3wD
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 9, 2023
Luxury taxes notwithstanding, this is an excellent low-cost deal for the Celtics. Muscala provides flexibility and insurance for Boston’s big man rotation. He’s also a professional and steady presence in the locker room.
Could Boston make more moves? We’ll see. The trade deadline is this Thursday at 3 pm Eastern Standard Time.
The NBA trade deadline is upon us. Here’s your cheat sheet for all the latest Celtics trade rumors, news, and buzz. https://t.co/H3ofndfzie
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 9, 2023
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