Chris Forsberg's Celtics TPE wishlist, Version 1.0
The Boston Celtics have lost 10 of their last 15 games and the cries for Danny Ainge to use the bulky Gordon Hayward traded player exception have grown louder.After delivering Hayward to Charlotte in November, the Celtics have until this summer to take back as much as $28.5 million in trades without having to match that salary. Now, Boston is hard-capped after using the midlevel exception to sign Tristan Thompson, so Boston can only take back roughly $19 million in salary but that increases with any salary sent out as part of a deal. Still, there obstacles in any move-making, especially if the Celtics yearn to stay under the tax given the spike in their cap sheet when Jayson Tatum’s extension kicks in next season.So who should the green target with that exception? Here’s one writer’s first crack at a wishlist that we’ll update as other potential options become available before the March trade deadline:
Hear me out here. Winslow has been sidelined for over a year, most recently due to a hip injury before the bubble restart. We know Danny Ainge lusted for him years ago (and the cost wouldn’t be nearly as high this time!) and the Grizzlies owe Boston a solid for basically gifting them Desmond Bane in November’s draft.
Contract situation: Winslow is making $13 million this season and has a team option for $13 million next year.
The price tag: Give Memphis the two second-rounders they sent in the Bane deal (that also delivered Enes Kanter to Portland) and let Ainge finally get his guy. It’s virtually a low-risk flier, even if you throw in a sweetener, and there’s still a good chunk of the TPE to play with moving forward.
A Sixth Man of the Year candidate who has routinely scorched Boston, the 30-year-old Human Torch feels like a fun option if the Celtics elect to split up the TPE. Yes, his 3-point shooting is down this year — he’s shooting 32.7 percent, well below his 36.8 career mark — but Ross is still averaging 14.8 points per game. He’d give the Boston bench some extra pop and add depth at the swingman position. All while leaving Boston $15 million to play with on the TPE.
Contract situation: Ross is making $13.5 million this season but is under contract for two more seasons at descending money.
The price tag: Would the Magic move him for a couple second-round picks? A heavily protected first? Again, this can’t be Boston’s only move but it’s a low-cost option that could add a little consistency and depth to the bench.
One of the problems the Celtics might run into is that there might not be a lot of sure-fire sellers before March’s trade deadline. Even a team like the Bulls — five games under .500 — are technically in a play-in position and only two games behind Boston and Indiana for a spot in the top half of the East playoff bracket. But if the Bulls become sellers, the 32-year-old Young is an intriguing low-cost option. He can give you some veteran defensive versatility while also aiding your playmaking at the other end (a career-best 4.3 assists per game this season). It’s certainly not the glitzy move that Celtics fans crave but Boston could make the move and still have nearly $15 million of the trade exception to play with.
Contract situation: Young is making $13.5 million this season and is non-guaranteed at $14.2 million for the 2021-22 campaign.
The price tag: It feels like a pick should be able to get a deal done considering Young doesn’t match Chicago’s timeline for being a contender again and the cap relief would really position the Bulls to be free-agent players.
If the Cavs are one of the few sure-fire sellers on the market, it’s worth a call to check on Nance (and maybe Taurean Prince, too). The Celtics need size and 3-point shooting. Nance would bring size and rebounding on the wing, while also being able to play some center. He’s shooting a career-best 38.1 percent on 3s this season. The Cavaliers shrewdly hopped into the Nets-Rockets blockbuster and pried out Prince. Is he available for the right combo of picks and players? It’s worth a call for two teams that are familiar with dealing together.
Contract situation: Nance is making $11.7 million this season and is under contract for two more years at descending money.
The price tag: Based on the way Carsen Edwards scorches the Cavs, Ainge should start the conversation there (then add whatever draft capital necessary to get the Cavs’ attention).
Grant sits at the top of colleague Brian Scalabrine’s wishlist; we’re not so sure he’s available or if he’s willing to be a third option here. It led to a spirited debate on Pregame Live last week. We’re including Grant here because the cellar-dwelling Pistons have to at least consider moving him with no real path to contention before his current deal is up. That said, we’re guessing Detroit would still have to be overwhelmed by an offer and we’d really need to know if Grant was OK with not being a focal point before spending big money.
Contract situation: Grant is making $19 million this season but is under contract for two more season at minor increases.
The price tag: The direction-less Pistons, after winning a tug-of-war with Denver for Grant this offseason, would almost certainly want a ransom here. If you think Boston’s picks all project in the 20s, then maybe that’s not a big deal. But if they ask for young talent as well, you’d better be certain that Grant is OK being a third option again. Maybe there’s a way to entice Detroit to deal by taking back Blake Griffin’s contract but a swap gets a LOT more cumbersome (and includes Kemba Walker) in that instance.
The 30-year-old center is putting up numbers comparable to his 2018-19 All-Star season for the rudderless Magic. Vucevic is averaging a career-best 23.7 points while shooting a blistering 43.1 percent beyond the 3-point arc on 6.2 attempts per game. Imagine the looks he’d get while sharing the floor with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston would potentially have one of the most potent offenses in the league with Vucevic at the 5. Alas, he’s an average defender at best and it’s fair to wonder how he’d hold up against guys like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the playoffs.
Contract situation: Vucevic is making $26 million this season but is under contract for two more years at descending money.
The price tag: Boston would have to send out at least $7 million in salary to stay under the hard cap and avoiding the tax gets real tricky. Beyond the cap relief, Orlando would be targeting a major draft haul like three first-round picks.
Currently sidelined by a left ankle sprain, the 25-year-old Gordon is an intriguing option who has never quite met his potential in Orlando. He’d add size and much-needed athleticism at the 4 spot. He was shooting a career-best 36.9 percent on 4.4 3-pointers per game before his injury and would seemingly almost certainly get better looks in Boston than Orlando. He rebounds well and limits his fouls but he’d have to be less careless with the ball (career-high 2.8 turnovers per game this year). It simply feels like he could thrive in a new environment with less pressure to be a top option.
Contract situation: Gordon is making $18.1 million this season and is under contract for one more year at descending money ($16.4).
The price tag: If Vucevic would cost a ransom, Gordon is probably decidedly less expensive. His salary is in a sweet spot where Boston wouldn’t necessarily have to send out salary but could still offer a young player to Orlando, along with draft picks, in a quest to stay out of the tax. Boston would also have a pretty healthy chunk of the midlevel leftover ($10.4 million) to potentially do some maneuvering down the road.
Barnes checks all the boxes for Boston. He’s got size (6-8), he’s got shooting (38.8 percent on 3s this season), he’s got defensive versatility, and he knows what it’s like to be a third or fourth option on a championship team. The Kings won seven of eight — including a W over visiting Boston — spanning into early February to sneak over .500, which left us all wondering if they might keep Barnes for a playoff push (the Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2006). But four straight losses might have created an opening for Boston to make an offer that encourages the Kings to embrace their youth movement and build around De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton.
Contract situation: Barnes is making $22.2 million this season but is under contract for two more years at descending money.
The price tag: Boston could start the conversation with a young player (Aaron Nesmith?) and a future first-round pick. Given Boston’s struggles lately, their 2021 first-rounder is slowly getting more valuable.
