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With the February 9 trade deadline now just over a week away, Boston Celtics fans will be waiting anxiously to see if their team makes a move to improve their current roster.
According to Wyc Grousbeck, who was speaking during an interview with NBC Sports Boston, he has informed Brad Stevens that he has the full backing to make any moves he deems necessary to push the Celtics toward their 18th franchise championship.
“The conversation that I had with Brad is: It’s about this year. It’s not about this will pay dividends in three years, or this will do this next year…It is this year. Muscle up, and let’s go get the job done. That’s his instructions, and that’s what we’re going to try to do. If there’s anything to do, we’ll do it. If not, we love this team. We’re top of the league right now,” Grousbeck said.
The Celtics have been the best team in the NBA for almost the entire season and have been producing some stellar basketball on both ends of the floor. However, there is always room for improvement, so it will be interesting to see if Boston decides to make a move before the deadline closes on February 9.
Celtics Continue To Hold Interest In Jakob Poeltl
According to a January 30 report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Celtics continue to hold interest in impressive big man Jakob Poeltl, who currently plays his basketball for the San Antonio Spurs.
“Several teams are increasing their pursuit of Spurs center Jakob Poeltl, and it appears a move to the Eastern Conference could be possible ahead of the deadline. The Raptors and Celtics are among the teams expressing interest in Poeltl, sources say. The 27-year-old will be arguably the top unrestricted free agent big man in July,” Charania wrote.
Poeltl is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current season, and as such, it appears unlikely that Boston would be willing to part with the necessary assets to acquire a player who would likely be a sixth-month rental due to the interest he will garner during the 2023 free agency period.
Naz Reid Floated As Potential Celtics Target
Another big man that the Celtics continue to find themselves linked to is Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid. In a January 30 article, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale proposed a trade that could make sense for both teams if they wanted to get a deal across the line.
The trade proposal looks like this:
Celtics Get: Naz Reid
Timberwolves Get: Justin Jackson, Portland’s 2023 second-round pick, San Antonio’s 2024 second-round pick
“Going after him is more than short-term insurance. Having his Bird Rights will come in handy if Grant Williams gets a huge offer sheet Boston isn’t inclined to match during restricted free agency,” Favale reasoned.
Regardless of whether the Celtics choose to make a move at the deadline or not, it’s clear that their current roster is more than capable of challenging for the NBA championship this season. However, injury concerns around Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown could be enough reason for Stevens to make a slight tweak to the team’s bench unit.
