1 player Celtics must trade in 2024 NBA offseason

07/01/2024 01:43 AM

The Boston Celtics won the 2023-24 NBA championship in five games over the Dallas Mavericks, and the team appears fairly set heading into the upcoming season. Boston has an established core signed to long-term deals, as well as a number of role players that fit perfectly around their star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

However, things aren't quite perfect. There is one player that has performed well during his time with the Celtics but is a candidate to be moved due to financial considerations.

Celtics must trade Kristaps Porzingis

In 2023, Kristaps Porzingis signed a multi-year deal worth approximately $60 million that would keep him with the Celtics through the 2025-26 season. With Porzingis under contract for two more years and then hit free agency, it will likely cost the Celtics a significant chunk of money to retain him past 2025-26.

If the Celtics either don't want to retain Porzingis or don't believe he'll be worth the money that he will command on the open market, it makes more sense for the team to deal Porzingis while they can get something in return for him.

If the Celtics' front office sees Porzingis as integral to contending, they may keep him throughout the duration of his contract in an attempt to repeat champions and accept the fact that they will likely lose him for nothing in free agency. However, if they think the team can succeed without him, they would be better off preparing for life after Porzingis. The closer he gets to free agency, the less teams will be willing to surrender to obtain his services.

Why Porzingis might be a trade candidate

If the team is going to let him leave without a serious effort to retain him, they would be better off finding a trade partner and getting some assets in return. If they do intend to deal him, they would be better off doing so this offseason, rather than waiting until the trade deadline this winter.

The longer that the Celtics wait to deal Porzingis, the more his contract will become a depressed asset that will command less value. After all, the team acquiring him mid-season will be getting his services for a shorter duration before having to shell out a large contract to retain the star for the foreseeable future.

Therefore, it makes the most sense to deal Porzingis this offseason in exchange for financial flexibility for a player that fits better into the team's long-term plans.

Rockets could be a potential trade partner

The Houston Rockets need to stretch the floor from the four and five positions. If they don't believe in Alperen Sengun's ability to develop into a respectable shooter, they could potentially look to make a deal for Porzingis and solidify their frontcourt of the future.

Porzingis and Sengun would form a lethal frontcourt averaging north of 40 points per game combined. With Porzingis in tow, they would have a lethal mix of interior and perimeter scoring from their frontcourt.

The Rockets drafted Reed Sheppard with the third overall pick in this year’s draft, but that doesn’t mean they will keep him long-term. If the team elects not to trade Jalen Green, their backcourt is in solid shape. Boston would likely open negotiations by asking for Sheppard once he is eligible to be traded, and the Rockets should consider that.

Because Sheppard doesn’t play at a position of immediate need for Houston, this could have been a pick that was made with a potential trade in mind. The Rockets drafted somebody that a lot of teams were high on to maintain flexibility. Sheppard could easily become a valuable asset as the team tries to obtain another star. Porzingis would fit that bill, but since he isn’t a superstar Houston might try and offer a different package that doesn’t include their 2024 first-round pick.

If Boston decides they’re unwilling to pay Porzingis what he would likely command on the open market, it makes sense to get something back for him instead of nothing. Even if that is just one or two first-round picks instead of the four first-rounders package that seems to be the going price for stars these days, that would still be a much better return than letting Porzingis walk for nothing in free agency.

Boston could use these assets to draft a better fitting and cost-controlled young player in the next couple of years who will complement their aging and costly core, or they could flip the assets in a subsequent deal to acquire the next veteran player who becomes disgruntled and asks out from his team. Many players across the league would fit on the Celtics roster because Boston’s front office has done an excellent job of building a versatile rotation that can accommodate any player’s strengths.

This would be a risky but proactive move by Boston's front office

The best front offices in the league function by focusing not only on the present, but also on the future. They're always looking to move their team forward, and are never satisfied with where they are. Boston’s front office is no exception. They have demonstrated their forward thinking and proven their ability to build a talented roster with players who fit around each other. The next step is to maximize the value of all of their assets and restock their pipeline by dealing a player they’re unlikely to commit big money to in free agency.

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