For the bulk of the 2023–24 NBA season, the Boston Celtics have been the top club in the league. This demonstrates how well-assembled the team’s whole roster is after the team added more studs (Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis) throughout the offseason. Jayson Tatum and company have the best opportunity to win the team’s 18th championship with this roster.
Not only do the Celtics now own the best record in the NBA, they also have the greatest net rating. The average Celtics game is a blowout because they are currently outscoring their opponents by 10.3 points per 100 possessions. As a result, they didn’t really need to make any big moves during the trade deadline to establish themselves as contenders because every other club in the league, excluding the Denver Nuggets, is watching them closely.
Though the Celtics did not technically make a trade that would be detrimental to the team in any way, one particular transaction sticks out as possibly not being the best Boston could have done.
The biggest error made by the Celtics at the 2024 NBA trade deadline was matching Xavier Tillman Sr.’s salary with Lamar Stevens.
Without a doubt, the Celtics did not make a grave error when they dealt Lamar Stevens to the Lakers in exchange for Xavier Tillman Sr. While Tillman’s addition makes perfect sense for a club gearing up for the playoffs, Stevens hasn’t played a lot of minutes for the Celtics. However, ought Boston to have given up Stevens for someone else?
After being dismissed by the San Antonio Spurs, Stevens was signed by the Celtics over the offseason, and the 26-year-old forward quickly won over the team’s notable players. Because of Stevens’ “personality and how hard he worked,” Jayson Tatum even went so far as to refer to Stevens as a “key guy” for their club following the deal. Tatum even stated that Stevens’ absence is felt in the locker room.
These are the players that can make a big difference for a squad with competing goals. It’s vital to preserve the locker room vibe. Lamar Stevens scarcely made an impact on the floor, but if players like Tatum really loved him, then he was a valuable component of the team.
In addition, if the Celtics are concerned about making the playoffs, why did they choose to trade Stevens, a player who might at least provide the club with some wing time while Boston’s foul trouble is at an all-time high? When it comes to his game, Stevens never tries to do too much. However, it’s a given that he plays every minute with everything on the line.
Lamar Stevens, who is averaging 12.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, has scored in double figures in each of his first three games with the Memphis Grizzlies. In spite of their severe shortage of players, the Grizzlies have gone 2-1 during that time, including a significant victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
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