Getty Celtics big man Al Horford.
Trade season is unofficially, officially upon us.
December 15 marks the day that more than 100 free agents who signed contracts this past summer become eligible to be moved. For the Boston Celtics, that means Dennis Schroder and Enes Kanter Freedom are now permitted to be traded. Fellow teammates Marcus Smart and Josh Richardson’s eligibility will kick in approximately a month down the road, due to the timing of their extensions. However, while these names have been heavily floated in trade speculation, they aren’t the only Celtics players worth monitoring ahead of the February 10 deadline.
With Boston floating around a .500-record and failing to look the part of legitimate contenders, many have painted them as potential sellers at the deadline. However, Brad Stevens and company may have different plans over the next two months. With a healthy Jaylen Brown back in the fold and multiple trade exceptions at their disposal, a string of wins could quickly catapult the Celtics into the buyer’s category. So much so in fact, that Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston believes the Cs would be wise to give the Detroit Pistons a call in hopes of acquiring a third star to team up with Brown and fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum.
Forsberg: ‘Celtics Should at Least Call Detroit’
While Jerami Grant’s $20 million base salary does exceed the $17.1 million traded player exception created in the Evan Fournier sign-and-trade to the Knicks, the prospect of adding another dynamic 20-plus points per game scorer to the mix could be enticing enough for Boston to swing for the fences.
“If the Celtics wanted a player above the $17.1 million mark, they could investigate the feasibility of moving Al Horford, whose $26.5 million final-year salary is only partially guaranteed next season. The Celtics should at least call Detroit to see if Horford and a slew of future first-round picks is enough to consider moving Jerami Grant,” wrote Forsberg.
Celtics Have Been Linked to Grant in the Past
Grant, 27, was a commonly rumored trade target for the Celtics at last year’s deadline. In fact, The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III revealed in mid-September that the Celtics aggressively pursued a trade to acquire the Pistons swingman last season, reportedly offering multiple late-first-round picks.
While Grant ultimately stayed put in Detroit, it looks as if his name will once again be engulfed in trade chatter this year. According to Edwards’ colleague, Shams Charania, Grant is already receiving heavy interest on the trade market.
“Jerami Grant is one of the most sought-after players in a potential trade, with the Lakers and Trail Blazers among the teams pursuing the Pistons’ versatile forward, sources said. Grant will miss extended time with torn ligaments in his right thumb, but that is not expected to impact his trade market,” noted Charania. “Dozens of teams call the Detroit front office about Grant each week, and sources said the team is open to a possible deal.”
In what is his second season in the Motor City, Grant is averaging 20-plus points for the second consecutive year. His field goal percentage (41.4) and 3-point percentage (33.1) have each taken a bit of a dip in 2021-22. However, he has flashed on the defensive end, averaging 1.1 blocks and a career-best 1.1 steals per game.
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