No one expected the Boston Celtics season to end in the second round against the New York Knicks. Even worse, no one anticipated that the most durable player in the league, Jayson Tatum, would rupture his Achilles.
These two outcomes have raised questions as to how Brad Stevens and the Celtics will approach this offseason. Although the Celtics will want to remain competitive and keep Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, there’s uncertainty about who’s on the roster next year besides those two.
What’s certain is that the Celtics must make changes, as the current roster will cost them an estimated $238 million in luxury tax for being a repeat second-apron offender. Additionally, the second-round loss highlighted the need for improvement in the supporting cast around Tatum and Brown.
With the offseason nearing, here is one free agent and one trade target the Celtics must make to remain competitive and get back into contention.
Trade Target: Walker Kessler
An area in Tatum’s game that he doesn't get credit for is his rebounding, leading the team in rebounds (8.7) last season. With Tatum out for presumably all of next season, the Celtics need to find someone to fill his void on the glass, and there’s no better option than Walker Kessler.
Kessler, 24, has been a rebound machine for the Utah Jazz, posting 12.2 rebounds last season, which ranked 5th in the NBA. Not only is he an elite rebounder, but he’s also an amazing rim protector, leading the league in blocked shots last season (2.4).
Kessler was linked to the Celtics at the trade deadline with the Celtics needing insurance in the frontcourt, but no move was made. Kessler’s value has seemingly gone down this season as rookie Kyle Filipowski emerged as a solid option for the team.
Trading for Kessler should be the number one priority for the Celtics heading into this offseason, considering their current frontcourt situation. Kristaps Porzingis’ future with the Celtics is up in the air, Al Horford will be 39 next year, and Luke Kornet will be a free agent.
Trading for Kessler at whatever cost is a must for the Celtics as they need better production and consistency from their bigs. Kessler would immediately become an impactful player for the Celtics and would strive alongside Brown and Tatum.
Free Agent Target: Trey Lyles
This year’s free agency class isn’t anything special, but it has some solid bench options. The Celtics desperately need frontcourt production, and they can find that in Trey Lyles, who won’t be a costly addition.
Lyles, 29, averaged 6.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 69 games for the Sacramento Kings, averaging 19.6 minutes per contest. With this upcoming season likely being Horford’s last, the Celtics need someone to fill his void, and Lyles could do that.
Lyles, although not on Horford’s level, shares some similarities with him as the two can shoot threes. Lyles is a career 34.7% three-point shooter, but in his last four years with the Kings, he’s hit 36.2% of his outside shots.
The Celtics had one of the worst scoring benches this season, averaging 30.4 points off the bench. The addition of Lyles would help the Celtics improve in this area and still allow the Celtics to stretch the floor with him on the court.