Anonymous East exec thinks Celtics ‘have to do something’ at deadline
The Boston Celtics brass have signaled they won’t make a move out of panic, and while they may well not make a bad deal over making no deal at all, not everyone is buying their story that they could wait until the offseason to use their massive, $28.5 million traded player exception (TPE).
The exception, generated in the exit of star forward Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets last offseason, is the Celtics’ best remaining tool for upgrading a roster in need of both depth and perhaps also additional star power. If starting point guard Kemba Walker can’t return to being a consistent high-level scorer, Boston will have a lot of issues in need of addressing.
Jayson Tatum ‘extremely excited’ to start ASG with Bradley Beal next week https://t.co/JmAtPRco1I
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 1, 2021
And while the UConn product has been on the upswing, there's no guarantee Walker will stay hot for the remainder of the season -- never mind the playoffs, where he'll be needed most. And despite both majority team owner Wyc Grousbeck and team president Danny Ainge both taking the position that the optimum time to use the TPE would be the coming offseason, anonymous league insiders cited in a recent ESPN piece by Tim Bontemps reportedly aren't buying it. And for good reason -- with time, a year of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum as elite talents would be wasted, and the existing pool of available players shrink as teams talk themselves into believing maybe next year is their year. The proverbial iron to strike never is hotter than at that trade deadline. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1366782653127667716?s=20
"There comes a time where you have to do something to keep your stars placated and show that you're trying, especially when they're young and early in their primes," an anonymous East executive related to ESPN. "You have to make that commitment to them." We're inclined to agree, and there should be plenty of options if Ainge et al. are willing to push, whether going all-in on a wing with a proven champion wing, betting big on a restricted free agent or opting for high-end role players. It's time for Trader Danny to do his thing. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=26EgBaFEzX-1179087-8380&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json [lawrence-related id=47247,47226,47221,47190] [listicle id=47229]
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