Even with multiple reports indicating the Celtics were inquiring about a trade, they were unable to get a deal done before the 3 p.m. deadline.
Throughout the year, the team had been linked to multiple players, ranging from All-stars to bench pieces. The Celtics seemed to have been locked into boosting up the roster by the deadline, as players such as Andre Drummond and Clint Capela were rumored to be guys the Celtics were interested in.
The team needed acquiring a big-man, as the likes of Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter are not long-term solutions in that role. Theis and Kanter are both solid players, but adding a player with Drummond or Capela’s talent would have definitely helped the Celtics become a true contender for the finals.
Drummond wound up getting traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Brandon Knight, John Henson, and 2023 second-round pick. The Celtics have plenty of first-round picks that could have outbid this trade. They could have given the Pistons a first-round pick, along with one of the rookies and Theis or Kanter to acquire the league’s best rebounder.
Capela was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a very complex four-team trade on Wednesday night. The 25-year-old is also one of the better rebounding centers that could have pushed the Celtics over the top in the Eastern Conference. Both players fell through the Celtics’ grasp.
But on the bright side, losing out on both these centers means the team would not have to go over their salary cap and pay the luxury tax.
Danny Ainge and the Celtics kept busy the past few days. According to insiders at Prime Time Sports Talk, the Celtics were rumored to have tried to get center Christian Woods of the Detroit Pistons and forward John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks. Although those trade talks ended up falling through, Danny Ainge made an attempt to find another big man to help the team.
Source: The Celtics, after being rejected on a deal for Pistons’ Christian Wood last night— have restarted conversations with Detroit in hopes to get a deal done.
— Prime Time Sports Talk (@TalkPrimeTime) February 6, 2020
Source: Celtics and Hawks discussed a deal that sends John Collins to Boston a few hours ago.
Talks didn’t escalate – but – something to watch as we approach the deadline.
— Prime Time Sports Talk (@TalkPrimeTime) February 6, 2020
The team was also linked to forward Davis Bertans of the Washington Wizards. It was reported by Keith Smith that the Wizards were asking for two first-round picks for the sharpshooting forward. A high price for a potential bench player, the Celtics seemed to have not wanted to give in to the high demand. Bertans would end up not being traded, as the two first-round picks were too high for any team to take a chance on him.
Told that despite being pressed by several teams teams, the Washington Wizards have held firm on demands of two first round picks for Davis Bertans. So far no one is meeting that asking price with less than 30 minutes to go.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 6, 2020
What the Boston Celtics have now on their roster is a young team. The Celtics, unfortunately, could not add any veteran presence to the bench, or fill out their need for a starting center. The team is still one of the better teams in the NBA with a record of 35-15. With having a young roster, it will make the team’s chances of winning the title much harder. As these rookies have all shown potential, they are still young and inexperienced to the NBA, especially in the playoffs.
The best takeaways that the Celtics got from today’s deadline was that they will not have to give up any of their first-round picks. They can now use these picks for an offseason trade or use them in the 2020 draft. The team was also able to keep forward Gordon Hayward who has been a tremendous contributor to the team’s success.
What the Celtics have to deal with next is trying to figure out how they will compete against the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and both of the Los Angeles teams in the playoffs.
