Getty Alec Burks, New York Knicks
If the Boston Celtics want to add further depth to their roster, then looking to add an additional wing player should be high on their list of priorities.
According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, Alec Burks would be an ideal trade target for Boston due to his three-level scoring and playmaking ability, and because the Detroit Pistons could be tempted to move on from the veteran wing.
Thank you Alec Burks for a great stint with the Knicks!
“His bag is deep enough to answer calls for almost anything. He can create offense off the dribble, slip past defenders with timely cuts, bury catch-and-launch triples and hold his own defensively, on and off the ball. The 31-year-old can be hugely helpful for a winning team, which makes it seem impossible he’ll last beyond the deadline on the rebuilding Pistons,” Buckley wrote on November 22.
Last season, Burks was one of the standout players for the New York Knicks, averaging 11.7 points, three assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 40.4% from deep and 37.8% from two-point range – and it’s that type of production that could interest the Celtics if they were looking to add another veteran to their roster.
Burks is currently in the second year of his three-year contract and is set to earn $10 million this season, so it would be interesting to see who the Celtics would be willing to part ways with in order to make a trade happen.
Celtics Could Part Ways With Two Players
According to an Eastern Conference Executive, who spoke with Heavy on Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, Boston could potentially move on from two of their players before the February trade deadline.
Noah Vonleh checks in and fouls immediately. No surprise there
“Either (Vonleh) or Jackson or maybe both, in the end…Robert Williams comes back and Vonleh is, what, your fifth big guy? If they’re looking to add something, though, it is probably a wing. That would mean Jackson probably is out…When we get to the buyout market, by the time we get to the playoffs, there is a good chance both Jackson and Vonleh get replaced,” The executive said.
Given Boston’s need for an additional wing and/or forward, and their depth at both the guard and center positions, it makes sense that Vonleh and/or Jackson could be let go, as neither currently holds a guaranteed contract, and their absence would make room to acquire a legitimate difference maker should the Celtics enter into the trade market.
Malcolm Brogdon Calls for Balance
There’s no guarantee that Brad Stevens will decide to make a trade, or look to remove some of the deeper rotation players from the roster this season, especially given how well the Celtics have been playing to start the new season.
However, it would appear that Malcolm Brogdon wants to ensure the current roster doesn’t develop any bad habits, especially settling for three-point jump shots rather than pressuring the rim while penetrating off the dribble. Speaking to the media on November 21, following the Celtics’ loss to the Chicago Bulls, Brogdon spoke openly about the need to find a balance between the team’s offense and defense.
“I think we’re such a high-level shooting team from the arc, we rely on that. And, I think we need more balance, especially if those threes aren’t falling. If we’re not making shots out there, we gotta be able to play inside the arc and still defend for sure, that’s one thing that can’t slip regardless of how we’re shooting the ball on the offensive end,” Brogdon said.
The Celtics are back in action on Wednesday, November 23, when they face off against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks as they look to bounce back with a win at the first time of asking.