Report: 'Extremely active' Celtics eyeing these types of deals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Apparently Brad Stevens' phone is still "ringing off the hook" as the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline approaches.
The Boston Celtics have been "extremely active" in trade discussions ahead of the deadline, Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com reported Monday. While the Celtics appear committed to keeping Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Stevens and Co. are looking to "reconfigure the pieces" around their two young stars by perhaps dealing some of their recently-acquired veterans, Bulpett reports.
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"They’ve definitely been looking to get something done," one "rival GM" told Bulpett of the C's.
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Stevens made his first in-season move as president of basketball operations last week by unloading Juancho Hernangomez and acquiring Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier in a trade that freed up cap space for Boston. Bulpett noted the Celtics are exploring similar moves that also could allow their young players to see more action.
"At this stage, sources are indicating that first-year head of basketball operations Brad Stevens is at the very least looking to unload some salary cap burden (as he did in moving Juancho Hernangomez last week) and clear a path for Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford to get more playing time," Bulpett wrote.
Pritchard, Nesmith and Langford all are averaging well under 20 minutes per game and have produced mixed results when on the court. But more consistent playing time could help elevate their game: Pritchard showed promise with increased minutes as a rookie last season, while Langford has scored double digits in two of his last three games.
That trio of recent draftees obviously won't elevate Boston to contender status. But if the Celtics can get decent asset(s) in return for a veteran like Dennis Schroder, Josh Richardson or Al Horford, it could position them better to make a big move next offseason while giving Stevens and head coach Ime Udoka a larger sample size with "the kids" to see if they should be part of the Celtics' long-term plans or not.
Even if Boston doesn't make a blockbuster deal before Feb. 10, a minor shakeup could help this 24-24 team play more inspired basketball down the stretch.
"(Celtics ownership has) big expectations, and they really want the Brown-Tatum tandem to be special," a league executive told Bulpett.
