Inside The Celtics

Celtics Dream Trade Target Viewed as $5M Defensive Guard

Boston is in a bit of a tenuous place this year, but doesn't have major mechanisms for adding depth.
Alex Kirschenbaum|
Nov 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) is fouled by Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Nov 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) is fouled by Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

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Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics find themselves in a bit of a tenuous place this year, but doesn't have major mechanisms for adding depth.

Sporting a respectable 28-12 record, Boston is currently the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, and at its best still looks like one of the best squads in the NBA.

Then again, the Celtics just dropped a game to the 10-win Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, and have looked somewhat shaky for the past several weeks.

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Over the last month, Boston has gone a positively pedestrian 8-7, dropping bouts to sub-.500 clubs like the Raptors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls.

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Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report lays out ideal trade fits for all 30 NBA teams (which he calls "Dream Targets") and more pragmatic matches ("Realistic Targets") in a must-read new piece.

For a hard-capped Boston squad with few mechanisms available to it for roster improvement in-season, Swartz submits that Sacramento Kings bench shooting guard Keon Ellis is probably the best the Celtics can get.

"Unless this franchise is willing to part with Al Horford in a deal, the Celtics are going to have to use Jaden Springer's $4 million salary to try to match money with," Swartz writes. "This means finding good players on cheap deals, which obviously isn't easy,"

Horford, who'll turn 39 this summer, is the team's sixth man. He is obviously no longer in his All-Star prime, but remains a useful stretch big who can play either next to or behind starting center Kristaps Porzingis. Despite being almost a decade younger than Horford, Porzingis is far less durable.

But at some point, Boston will need to upgrade its third big man from Horford as he continues to age.

"Ellis is making $2.1 million from the Kings and has become one of the better bargains in basketball," Swartz notes. "At 6'6", he's averaging 7.1 points, 1.4 steals and making 41.1 percent of his threes."

Beyond that, Ellis is a stout defender, and could give the Celtics an intriguing young two-way wing with upside to develop off their bench.

Boston boasts some terrific point-of-attack coverage already, thanks to All-Defensive Team guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

Ellis could thus learn from the best to improve in that aspect, where he's already quite good.

Swartz considers 3-and-D Chicago Bulls wing Torrey Craig, who's fallen out of the team's rotation this year and is signed to a veteran's minimum deal, to be the Celtics' best "Realistic Target."

More Celtics:

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For all the latest news and notes on the reigning champs, stay tuned to Celtics On SI.

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Alex Kirschenbaum
ALEX KIRSCHENBAUM

Currently also a scribe for Newsweek, Hoops Rumors, The Sporting News and "Gremlins" director Joe Dante's film site Trailers From Hell, Alex is an alum of Men's Journal, Grizzlies fan site Grizzly Bear Blues, and Bulls fan sites Blog-A-Bull and Pippen Ain't Easy, among others.

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