The 2020 NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching. And ahead of the deadline, the Boston Celtics are involved in some trade rumors as they usually are at this time of year.
Danny Ainge has been one of the NBA's most active general managers at the deadline in years past, and that's how he earned the moniker of "Trader Danny".
That said, the C's haven't been as active in trades over the past couple seasons with a loaded roster. And this year, it looks possible that they could stand pat again, especially considering their long list of untouchable players.
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As Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald detailed in a recent article, the Celtics have no interest in moving one of their top-five guys. And it could even extend beyond those guys to the team's valuable rotation pieces.
In the words of one general manager, 'Boston’s not interested in moving any of their top five guys.'
Brad Stevens has repeatedly identified that quintet as Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart. But there may be more to it all.
The GM added, 'I don’t see him (Ainge) giving away any of the other rotation guys away for cheap, either. They’re getting good contributions from a lot of guys who are under really good contracts. You don’t want to mess with that if you don’t have to.'
This makes sense, as the Celtics have great chemistry at the moment and even despite injuries, they sport a 34-15 record with the All-Star break approaching. While a move for another shooter or another big could help them, Ainge will have to weigh the costs of acquiring one.
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If those costs are prohibitive, it seems that the C's are content to keep things as is. Especially if they continue to get solid contributions from guys like Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter.
We'll soon see what happens for the Celtics at the deadline. At the very least, they will certainly be involved in trade talks over the course of the next two days.
Don't miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of the NBA trade deadline. This Thursday at 2:30 p.m., stream the 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Show on the MyTeams app and on NBCSportsBoston.com. Then at 7 p.m., tune into our Celtics Trade Deadline Special.