Between now and the NBA trade deadline on February 8, you’ll probably hear a lot of predictions, the majority of which will be incorrect.
This one will undoubtedly be accurate: There won’t be any major trades made by the Boston Celtics.
They made their initial impressions throughout the offseason by bringing in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps PorziņĂis. Furthermore, they didn’t need to make any significant changes because their roster was already among the best in the league before those additions.
While it still has options to tinker with the margins to improve their bench, Boston should steer clear of these three possible targets.
Mitchell Davion of the Sacramento Kings
One of the best candidates for a change of scenery is Davion Mitchell. As a rookie, the No. 9 pick in the 2021 draft was a high-mileage rotation regular for the Kings, but he has since seen his role cut repeatedly.
Sacramento appears to have determined that the third-year guard’s tenacious on-ball defense is insufficient to compensate for his shortcomings as a scorer and shooter, as seen by the fact that he is no longer even getting nightly minutes.
In an attempt to give its backup backcourt more defensive bite, Boston would theoretically take a chance.
The Celtics can’t really afford to give him the developmental minutes he needs. They would also hardly ever find themselves in a situation where they needed Mitchell’s defense more than Payton Pritchard’s attack, considering how many other stoppers they had on the roster.
Toronto Raptors’ Otto Porter Jr.
One specific objective is in mind for Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics: “see how we can find another big wing or so that can help us.”
Boston could benefit from having more wings, but it’s probably something that every win-now customer wishes they could have. Due to the fact that all of their large wages are dependent on its star players, the Celtics do not have the largest trade budget either.
Perhaps Stevens and company should give Otto Porter Jr. another look as they rummage through the clearance section. He is a versatile 6’8″ swingman with championship experience and a career three-point percentage of 39.7. He can line up wherever along the frontcourt.
However, Boston will need to locate a trustworthy reserve if it decides to go after a depth player. Porter’s long history of injuries just makes him incapable of being that. Three of the previous four seasons saw him play fewer than thirty games, and this one he has only made fifteen appearances. Boston can find someone more reliable than Porter, even on its budget.
LBW IV for the Brooklyn Nets
Given the lack of production from their bench, the Celtics may find it intriguing to add a sparkplug scorer such as Lonnie Walker IV.
Although his output is inconsistent, his successful nights can be very beneficial. This season, he has scored more than 20 points six times, and in all but one of those games, he has played less than 28 minutes.
He is essentially a 6’4″ scoring specialist, though. How likely is it that he will genuinely make the playoff roster? If the team only has one backup backcourt player for the postseason, why would Walker’s explosive scoring be preferable than Pritchard’s excellent shooting and ball handling? Walker is undoubtedly bigger and more athletic, but his physical prowess has never translated into reliable defense.
Oh, and he’s battled injuries long enough that the next time he plays in more than 70 games, it will be the first of his career. The Celtics are obviously not one of those teams that is so desperate for offense that he will still be worth the risk.
