The more the Boston Celtics win this season, the less likely it appears to be that they will mess with what is working — and quite well, at that — for them as they lead the NBA in the early going of the 2022-23 season.
But there are always potential deals that could be a step forward even for a team this good, as well as swaps that could set up the team for the future to consider. And such trades might conceivably materialize once some teams around the league presumably begin to sell off assets in pursuit of a top lottery pick, though that is yet to happen.
To try and get ahead of such deals, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently laid out three such potential trade targets for the Celtics.
Celtics Lab 155: (Not a parody NBA basketball podcast) with Sam Sheehan https://t.co/p4hyDUkazF
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Alec Burks - Detroit Pistons
“Boston’s bench has been great so far — third in net efficiency, per NBA.com — but it could still use more depth on the wings,” writes Buckley. “A multi-skilled swingman like veteran Alec Burks would be ideal.”
“His bag is deep enough to answer calls for almost anything. He can create offense off the dribble, slip past defenders with timely cuts, bury catch-and-launch triples and hold his own defensively, on and off the ball.”
Kelly Olynyk - Utah Jazz
“While Boston’s frontcourt obviously isn’t the same without Robert Williams III, even at full strength it might be one big man shy of an ideal mix for a playoff rotation,” suggests the B/R analyst. “Kelly Olynyk … could be obtainable if (when?) the Jazz cool off … .”
“A return to the norm for Olynyk himself might speed up that process, as the 31-year-old currently sports career-high (and almost assuredly unsustainable) shooting rates from the field (53.1) and from 3 (47.3).”
Jakob Poeltl - San Antonio Spurs
“Do the Celtics need to spend what it would take to pry Jakob Poeltl out of San Antonio?” ponders Buckley. “There’s some speculation on that front around the league.”
“Robert Williams III isn’t healthy now and often hasn’t been … Horford will turn 37 in June. Grant Williams is handling a bigger role than ever. Maybe having Poeltl as a pricey insurance policy could be worth it.”
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