With a 20-6 record so far this season, Boston is presently the best seed in the East. The Celtics are off to another fast start.

With a 20-6 record so far this season, the Celtics are off to another fast start. Boston is presently ranked first in the East. The Celtics are ready to challenge for the championship thanks to a potent squad and a solid start. Multiple reports state that the front management has made it plain that they will not back down and will continue to be active as the trade deadline draws near. The Celtics opened up a 6.2 million traded player expectation when they traded Grant Williams to the Mavericks during the off-season. The Celtics have a clear path to improving their squad in spite of their high budget thanks to traded player expectation, or TPE for short. With Grant’s TPE or other movable components, the Celtics can pursue these three players.

3 Trade Targets for The Boston Celtics

Isaiah Stewart: Detroit Pistons Forward/Center

Isaiah Stewart is a name that’s been linked to the Celtics in recent weeks and it makes a lot of sense fit-wise. Stewart is a great rebounder and hard-nosed defender. Additionally, Stewart is shooting a career-best 36% from beyond the arc. This skill set makes him an ideal backup big man for the Celtics. Improving their depth and providing needed insurance for both Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford in the process.

The Celtics would need to pay Stewart $13 million in salary in order to close a transaction, though, because of the “Poison Pill Provision” restriction. A transaction would need to be made possible by the Celtics parting ways with a number of guys who are deep in the rotation given their cap space position. Thus, Stewart presents the Celtics with an interesting but probably unattainable aim. To make this agreement work in the end, a lot of pay wrangling and potential draft incentives would be required. Even though Stewart’s deal is complicated, he is still worth pursuing because he may be the best available option to suit Boston’s demands.

Stewart is an interesting trade target for Boston. He’d be a great addition.

The challenge? He’s PPP restricted (Poison Pill Provision). That means trading for him is difficult. Boston would have to match over $13M in salary to bring him in. That’s tricky for the Celtics.

Andre Drummond: Chicago Bulls Center

A Bulls fire sale is likely at the deadline and Andre Drummond could be available at a bargain price. Drummond’s 3 million dollar contract would fit under the Celtics’ TPE and Boston would likely not have to give up anything else. Drummond can provide a valuable role for the Celtics as a rotational big. Providing Boston with more size and rebounding off the bench. Drummond provides a similar role to Neemias Queta but has far more experience making him a better playoff option. Furthermore, Boston needs all the big man depth they can get given Porzingis’ injury history and Horford’s age. A Drummond acquisition doesn’t necessarily move the needle. But it would be a solid pick-up to round out the roster nonetheless, especially at a cheap cost. Drummond is a great alternative if Boston can’t land a player like Stewart.

Alex Caruso: Chicago Bulls Guard

In this move, the Celtics would be doubling down on their elite perimeter defense. Pairing Alex Caruso with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White would give the Celtics three all-defensive guards. Creating one of the most lethal perimeter defenses the league has ever seen in the process. However, Caruso is expected to be a hot commodity on the trade market and his 9 million dollar contract is just above the TPE threshold. Nevertheless, a move is still possible for the Celtics.

The framework would involve the Celtics parting ways with Payton Pritchard, Oshae Brissett, Luke Kornet, and some package of picks. It’s unclear how many picks the Bulls are asking for Caruso. But given his league-wide value, especially as a defender it’s safe to assume the Celtics would have to part ways with at least a first-round pick. Brad Stevens has shown to be aggressive and proven he is not afraid to part with picks. If Stevens views Caruso as a piece that could swing the title for Boston don’t be surprised if he makes a big move to land him.

The Last Word

Ultimately these trade possibilities are intriguing options for the Celtics at the deadline. The Celtics don’t need another big trade to win the title and this roster can certainly win a title. However, improving and rounding out the roster is never a bad thing. While Stewart and Caruso would raise Boston’s upside, Drummond is a safe move to perfect the roster. As the trade deadline inches closer I would expect the Celtics to make some kind of move to upgrade the roster. It’s unclear what caliber player Boston will target however they have a surprising amount of options given their lack of cap space.