Six Under-the-Radar Boston Celtics Trade Ideas That Still Could Make Sense

MYLES TURNER
BOBBY PORTIS
JUSUF NURKIC
SANTI ALDAMA
JONATHAN ISAAC
GOGA BITADZE

The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching, and right now, the Celtics seem to be heading towards a quieter deadline than some expected. Part of it is Brad Stevens and company not feeling a need to overpay for talent at the moment, and part of it is league-wide forces at play, like teams waiting out the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation.

So the most obvious rumors don’t seem to be panning out. But that doesn’t mean we can’t guess at what Brad Stevens might be cooking up. He’s always working the phones and is often looking at names we don’t think to check on. So let’s expand our reach and see if we can find some trades that might make sense.

Since we’re working with the Anfernee Simons contract, I’m looking at players who make less than that so the salary matching is easier, and maybe save a couple of bucks (pun intended .. you’ll see) in the process.

MYLES TURNER

Salary: $25,318,251 - Three years remaining (final year player option)

Why it might work: It’s not working out great in Milwaukee right now, and there might be some regret on both sides. So moving on from him for a young scoring guard might make sense for a team looking to regroup after the Antetokounmpo situation settles down.

He’s a stretch big who can block shots, which works perfectly in Joe Mazzulla’s system, and Boston has had a lot of success making centers better than they’ve been before they came into town. Boston’s teaching and developing environment can bring out the best in Turner.

Why it might not work: Jon Horst already gifted Boston Jrue Holiday, albeit indirectly, a couple of seasons ago. He might not be in a hurry to give the Celtics another key player for a championship run. Also, the savings here for Boston is minimal. The Celtics will remain expensive, and they might not want to commit to that kind of salary for that long.

He’s 29-years-old, so he fits Boston’s timeline. The Celtics could easily go the Kristaps Porzingis route with him, keep him for a couple of years, and then try to trade him while he still has value down the road.

BOBBY PORTIS

Salary: $13,445,754 - Two years remaining (final year player option)

Why it might work: Again, if Milwaukee is cleaning house, then all options have to be considered. Portis is smaller, but he has burned Boston as a small-ball center before. He can hit threes and he’s a certified pain in the butt. Celtics fans probably hate him, but they’d quickly learn to love him and his intensity. This Celtics team needs an energy guy from time to time, and Portis could fill that role.

Why it might not work: He’ll rebound but he won’t fix the rebounding issues. He’ll defend but he can be attacked with smaller players. He might be better player next to Neemias Queta versus backing him up.

I would love to have Portis in Boston, but maybe not at that price. One best-case scenario for the Celtics would be a non-Simons deal to get Portis, re-signing Simons this summer, and Amari Williams ascending to a backup center role. That's a lot of moving parts, though, and I’m not sure Williams will be ready that quickly.

JUSUF NURKIC

Salary: $19,375,000 - expiring

Why it might work: He’s found some success in Utah, recently putting up three-straight triple doubles. He fixes the rebounding issue and he can hit a three here and there. Having a center who is strong enough to get boards and smart enough to make decent passes works well in this system.

Why it might not work: A lot of teams have tried to talk themselves into Nurkic, and he hasn’t exactly led to much success. He’s not exactly switchable, and he’s not the strongest finisher around the rim. He’s one of those great theoretical players with the skills to be really good, but it doesn’t always work in practice. Playing free in Utah is one thing, but playing disciplined in Boston might be another.

He’s running out of time to win a championship, so he might be a little more team-focused. He’d also be cheaper to re-sign this summer, so trading for him now to get his Bird rights could make this a free agent signing disguised as a trade. That would free up their exceptions to be used elsewhere.

SANTI ALDAMA

Salary: $18,485,916 - Two years remaining (final year team option)

Why it might work: He’s a legitimate seven-footer with good offensive instincts that can probably be developed into much more than he is at the moment. He’s 25, so he’s young enough to have plenty of development ahead. He’s an average three-point shooter who can be coached up and potentially become more of a threat. Boston’s development system could do a lot for a player with Aldama’s skills. Also, having another Spanish player around to help with Hugo Gonzalez’s growth could be helpful.

Why it might not work: He’s not the strongest player and he could be hunted on switches. He’s never been a great rebounder for his size, either. He’d probably lack an immediate punch, which is something the Celtics will need with Tatum back.

Aldama has been a bit of a personal obsession for me this trade season. The Grizzlies are going through turmoil, and we don’t know what will happen with the Ja Morant situation. I’ve been theorizing that Boston could get in as a third team in a Morant deal and try to snag Aldama in the process. The Grizzlies are open to moving him, but they might be asking for too much. I feel like getting him into Boston’s system would unlock something, though, so I’m going to beat this drum for a while.

JONATHAN ISAAC

Salary: $15,000,000 - Three years remaining

Why it might work: Orlando is desperate for some offense, so they’d certainly be interested in Simons. Isaac has excellent defensive instincts and will help with rim protection and rebounding. He could give Boston a switchable center to ramp up their defense with Tatum back. His contract stays level over the next three years as well, which is helpful in future planning.

Why it might not work: He’s always hurt. He’s basically Robert Williams without the playmaking, which is a big negative. He also lacks physicality, which Boston needs. There's a reason why he’s limited in Orlando now, and part of that is he’s not the big, burly, bruiser type they love.

Isaac is enticing. I don’t think I’d burn the Simons trade chip on him, but there are other ways to get to $15 million. Keeping Simons and trading Sam Hauser and salary filler to get Isaac would work, especially for a team desperate for shooting. Still, Isaac’s availability is too sporadic.

GOGA BITADZE

Salary: $8,333,333 - One year remaining

Why it might work: Again, we’re dealing with Orlando, but we’ve moved out of Simons range. Bitadze is more of Orlando’s style of player, but a Goga-Hauser swap could make sense for both sides if Boston ends up keeping Simons. Bitadze is 27, he’s a rim protector and rebounder who can finish inside, and he’s working on expanding his range. A one-two punch of Neemias Queta and Bitadze could make for a really strong Boston defense.

Why it might not work: Boston would be leaning into a couple of traditional bigs, taking away their switchability and forcing them into some small-ball lineups that come with their own problems. We’d see more Tatum at the five in this situation, especially if Bitadze got himself into foul trouble.

A Hauser for Bitadze swap makes some sense for Boston, but only if they are convinced Simons would stay this summer. If there's any threat of Simons walking, then I want no part of this deal.

The Celtics are active and trying to make deals. There are some rumors out there, but when is the last time their front office did anything we’ve heard of ahead of time? Thinking outside the box might the best way to hit on what Stevens and company might be cooking up.