With the NBA trade deadline now less than a month away, it's safe to expect the Boston Celtics to make some moves between now and February 10th. President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens clearly likes to wheel and deal, and he closed his first in-season trade last night.
Business on paper is not interesting at all. The Celtics signed a three-team deal with the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets which originally swapped reserve players for each team. It will fly under the radar (as it should) but it could be the first domino to fall for Boston in what figures are a frantic trading period. Here are the business details:
Boston Celtics Received: Bol Bol and PJ Dossier
Denver Nuggets Receive: Brian Forbes
San Antonio get the Spurs: Juancho Hernangomez and Denver's 2028 second round pick
So not a very exciting deal, but it could be very important for C as the deadline inches closer. After all, head coach Ime Udoka said Stevens made about 10 phone calls after their most recent win over the New Orleans Pelicans, so it's clear the front office is currently looking for ways to improve the mediocre squad. . Let's take a look at what the deal means for the Boston Celtics, including the final grade for the deal.
Boston Celtics relinquished two roster spots to free up some cap space
The early return to Boston left many fans scratching their heads. Dossier is currently out for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in November, and Boll recently elected to have surgery on his leg after his physical failure failed to materialize for a potential trade to the Detroit Pistons. Sure, Hernangomez contributed almost nothing to this team this season, but at least he was healthy and could be called upon when needed.
The problem was that Hernangomez was getting $6.9 million to warm the bench for Boston this season. Transferring to Hernangomez generated $4.3 million in the deal, helping Stevens closer to his goal of moving below the luxury tax line. Taking two injured players off Hernangomez for a low cost was clearly something Stevens saw as a positive move for the team, and it's hard to disagree with him on that.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether the dossier or lyrics will ever be suitable for the Celtics. Dozier is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and he may eventually relocate because he has a team-friendly contract that could appeal to another team down the line. Bol may return this season, but if he doesn't he is a banned free agent this upcoming season.
Of the two, it seems that the lyrics are more likely to stick around rather than dossier. Bol has a lot of potential, and he's kind of a unicorn standing at 7'2, but he could never figure things out in Denver. It may be hard to remember now, but he was considered one of the top draft picks during the lead-up to the 2019 draft, despite falling on the way to the 44th pick.
A kind side note; You can't help but be a little disappointed that Boston somehow didn't come to terms with Forbes in this deal. Forbes is a career 41.3 percent shooter from the back of the arc, and his knockdown instincts on catch-and-shoot shots would be a perfect fit off the Celtics bench. Getting closer to the luxury tax is probably more important in the long run, but Forbes would have been a solid short-term fit with this team.
While the deal ultimately achieves nothing in terms of what the Boston Celtics do in court, it is the first domino to fall into the team's trade deadline strategy. Moving closer to the luxury tax gives them more flexibility to make some big moves down the line, and the fact that they were able to find someone to take over Hernangomez's contract at this point is a win in itself.
I wouldn't count on Bols or Dossier to stay with this team for a long time, but if either of them develops into a solid bench player, it's easily a win for Boston. Nevertheless, they have team-friendly contracts, so if they become part of a great deal for C, the goal of this trade was accomplished.
The deal was done to create more cap flexibility to improve the team in the long run. It's not going to make Boston better on the court, but it could lead to another step. And who knows, maybe Bol may develop something in the future. It's not the most lucrative deal ever, but the Celtics are easily in a better position than they were yesterday, winning the deal. Final Grade: B