The Boston Celtics have made their first move of NBA trade season.
The Celtics are acquiring Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier from the Denver Nuggets and sending Juancho Hernangomez to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a three-team trade that sends Bryn Forbes to the Nuggets, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported late Tuesday night.
Bol underwent foot surgery Tuesday and is expected to miss three months, while Dozier is out for the season with a torn ACL.
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So, what do the Celtics accomplish with this deal?
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Boston moves off Hernangomez’s $6.9 million salary without having to give up an asset. The Celtics will save a little less than $3 million in the swap, moving Boston a little closer to avoiding the luxury tax this season.
Boston Celtics
Dodging the tax in a year where Boston isn’t a surefire contender will help ease future repeater penalties, particularly if the Celtics splurge to add talent this summer. All nontaxpaying teams are in line to collect a healthy refund from the NBA this year thanks to big spenders like the Brooklyn Nets.
If Bol and Dozier are still on the roster after Boston’s deadline maneuverings -- no guarantee given their affordable salaries can be folded into other swaps, or Boston can pay a team to otherwise eat their salaries -- the Celtics could have an opportunity to bring either player back after the season.
The 7-foot-2 Bol just underwent surgery but could be healthy before season’s end and showed some potential in Denver. Dozier played for Brad Stevens as a two-way player during the 2018-19 season before landing with the Nuggets.
Hernangomez started Boston’s first preseason game but has played sparingly ever since. He logged only 96 minutes in 18 appearances this season despite Boston’s relative lack of depth at the power forward spot.
Boston is back at the 17-player roster limit for the moment, but it certainly feels like this is simply the first step in Stevens’ roster tinkering before the February 10 deadline.