Make a reasonable assessment of the Boston Celtics craft player exception

It is not interesting news that the Celtics need confirmation in court. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will both head to the NBA All-Star Game next weekend, but after falling to the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night, Boston is sitting 15-17. One month away from the trading date, most Celtics fans are urging Danny Ainge to use his $ 28.5 million trading exception as soon as possible to help this team. That’s fine and good if the right agreement is reached, otherwise it ‘s a bit complicated.

Boston doesn’t have enough talent around Tatum and Brown. Ainge was the first to tell you that, and he regularly points the finger at himself for the flawed roster build that hinders this team. Celtics play-by-play chairman Mike Gorman recently called both stars for their respective styles, but at some point, Tatum and Brown can only do so much. Outside of the two All-Stars, this roster is made up of bigs and guards as it currently stands, with a very poor defensive ability. I agree with most fans to say that this team needs help. It is impossible not to. Boston’s roster just isn’t good enough to compete at a high level right now, but that doesn’t mean the front office will have to go out of its $ 28.5 million trade exception toward a player in a niche market at the date of the trade.

It’s not hard to see that the options will be a bit scarce compared to normal seasons at next month’s trading date. Two games are currently split No. 4 and 11 seed in the Eastern Conference. In the West, the No. 10 seed is just three games back from the No. 5 spot. It’s tight across the board, and there are plenty of teams in playoff contention who would like to keep it that way, even if it’s just means a view of the play. There are not many willing sellers in this market. Yes, the Orlando Magic could be, but is Aaron Gordon a reasonable target? His timeline and skill set would be well-suited by the Celtics, but will Boston want to offer Gordon a big package that will be fresh from a badly torn ankle? Probably not. It is unlikely that the major moves that could have a significant impact will be available at the end of March.

Just because the big moves don’t mean that doesn’t mean the Celtics won’t trade, though. It makes more sense for Boston to go out and get a midfielder (or a little north of that) at the date, serving as something of a temporary fix. No player on this trading market is going to solve the big problems of the Celtics, so the smart play would go with a smaller deal. The Celtics still have exceptions of $ 4.8 million and $ 2.6 million in their back pockets, while they can also use part of the Gordon Hayward exception and save the rest for the offseason. Ainge could make a move for Garrett Temple or Nemanja Bjelica, for example, and keep some flexibility going into this offseason while leaving Boston under the luxury tax. That feels like the most likely scenario here.

I don’t see a deal at the trade date that will take Boston to the next level, meaning it would be worth using the full (or near full) TPE. Is Ainge desperate to deliver a capital draft and push the team into the luxury tax just to get and lose No. 5 seeds in the second round? That’s not to say the Celtics should make a tank, but they do have to be selective as to where they use this fund. If the trading market doesn’t change quickly over the next month or Boston gets the chance to move big, saving most of the TPE is the logical thing to do.

If Angel wants to make the most of the $ 28.5 million exception, waiting for the offseason is a way to go, where Boston can target a player under contract elsewhere. The crop of players available at the date will largely be made up of expiring contracts, limited free agents and others, and not all would be manufacturers. real differences for this team. There is something to be said about levers, however. If Boston waits until the offseason, trading partners are aware that the Celtics are facing a rather tight date, which certainly hurts Angel at the bargaining table. That’s an important feature that works against Boston in this approach.

I don’t think this team is as good right now, and I don’t think the right move will come at the deadline for pushing them over the crotch. Make a mid-term move and save most of that $ 28.5 million for the offseason when the market is a little more favorable. Again, I’m not saying you don’t trade – the Celtics have to make some sort of trade to help this team next month. Boston needs a support team to help take advantage of Brown and Tatum’s All-NBA playoffs, something they don’t have at the end of February. Unfortunately for Ainge, the big move is going to be hard to come by as the date approaches.

There is no need to make a move with a large lump of TPE to make a move. Harrison Barnes has been struggling lately, so for sure, his value may have fallen. It’s still a good option for this team, but there’s a good chance Monte McNair isn’t willing to even put it on the table.

“We may be able to use part of it within the strict limit of the trade date and if it is available to us and we want to do it, we will do it if the agreement is right,” Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck told 98.5’s Felger and Mazz Wednesday. “Another thing, we may be looking more at the right time. ”

Use a portion of the exception at the date, but the approach discussed here by Grousbeck is the correct one. There are ways to beat this roster except at the date without spending all the money in a season that is awful.

Celtics fans: Don’t be surprised when last date trading deals in smaller-than-expected installments.