The Boston Celtics have struggled for consistency this season, despite multiple veterans joining the team during the summer.
Perhaps Boston’s wishy-washy form has been down to injury troubles, or maybe learning a new system under a new head coach was more complicated than many expected initially.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear the Celtics still need further upgrades, especially when it comes to their bench rotation. Sure, Grant Williams and Romeo Langford have stepped up and earned themselves vital roles within the rotation, but the jury is still out on Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith, along with the team’s end-of-bench backup.
Jabari Parker has failed to grasp his opportunities when called upon, while Juancho Hernangomez has also struggled in limited playing time. And, of course, Enes Freedom has had flashes of impactful play, followed by eye-burning defensive lapses.
Luckily, Dennis Schroder has proven to be a valuable asset and continues to look a far better player than the one who donned the purple and gold of the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Furthermore, the Celtics have numerous trade assets and own all their draft picks moving forward. And now that the December 15 deadline has passed, most players around the league are eligible to be traded.
Of course, we’re not sure whether Boston is in the seller’s market or if they see themselves as buyers, which makes it difficult to predict what type of moves (if any) Brad Stevens will make as the trade deadline inches closer.
Celtics Urged to Trade For Terrence Ross
One player that has continually found himself linked with the Celtics in recent years is Terrence Ross. The veteran wing has been consistent within his role for the past four years and has been a reliable option for the Orlando Magic when coming off the bench.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley pinpointed Ross as a potential trade target in his recent article, noting that the wing would be an excellent acquisition when pairing him with the other members of the Celtics bench.
“Boston’s bench would be a problem for opponents on the good nights for Ross and Dennis Schroder,” Buckley wrote.
Ross is currently in the third year of a four-year $50 million contract, with the wing earning $12.5 million this season and $11.5 million next. Stevens still has the Evan Fournier TPE, worth $17.1 million, meaning the team could easily absorb Ross’s contract into their trade exception should they choose to do so.
The counterpoint to signing Ross would be the lack of flexibility it would give the Celtics front-office next season. Stevens has often spoken of financial flexibility since taking the reigns as President of Basketball Operations, and acquiring Ross would fly in the face of that.
Ross Would Add Firepower to Celtics Bench
They’ve struggled to find offensive consistency whenever the bench unit has taken to the floor this season. Dennis Schroder is clearly the team’s best player off the bench, but his high-usage rate can cause problems, especially on nights where he doesn’t have it going.
Beyond Schroder, Ime Udoka has relied on staggering his star wings minutes, with either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown spending time with the bench unit whenever health has allowed them to do so. Yet, adding Ross would take some of the pressure off the Celtics’ primary scorers and hopefully propel the team’s 20th ranked offense back to some form of potency.
Ross has averaged 14.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists over his last four seasons, participating in 224 games but starting only two of them. During that same timespan, the Portland native has averaged 35.6% from three and 41.4% from the field, per Basketball-Reference.
When looking at Ross’s numbers, it’s increasingly clear that he’s tailor-made for a bench role and knows how to play within a system, which would make him the ideal pick-up for Udoka’s team. However, as things currently stand, there have been no indications of interest from Boston’s side or Orlando’s willingness to move on from their reliable wing.
For now, the Celtics will have to keep rolling with their current roster, as we all wait to see if Stevens will make any in-season moves or if he’s playing the waiting game and going hunting during the summer months.
Celtics Urged to Create a ‘Problem’ With Trade for Top Magic Reserve