The Boston Celtics are on a bit of roll. Winners of four straight and 11 of their last 15, the Celtics have finally started to figure things out right as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches. As a result, the front office, led by President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens, has some tough decisions to make over the next few days.
On one hand, Stevens could allow the team to play things out as is. They are finally healthy for the first time all season, and they have benefitted from playing a relatively weaker slate of opponents recently. That will continue throughout this month, where six of their 10 games come against teams currently under .500 (that includes Friday’s win over the Detroit Pistons).
On the other hand, Stevens could decide that this team still isn’t as good as it should be, and move some pieces while he has the chance to do so. The team has been playing better as of late, and it has resulted in a couple of players seeing their value increase over the past week or so. So in essence, Stevens could view this as an opportunity to sell high on a couple of players while he can.
Both strategies would work, but the Celtics recent run may present Stevens with some offers he probably wasn’t intending on having over the next couple of days. And as we saw over the offseason, Stevens isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on good deals when they come his way. If the C’s decide to move some of their bigger names at the deadline, let’s take a look at two players who have quietly turned into potential “sell high” candidates.
Boston Celtics sell high candidate No. 2: Josh Richardson
Josh Richardson‘s time with the Celtics got off to a bit of a slow start this season, but he has quietly turned into a really solid contributor off the bench for Boston this season. Richardson has really come on as of late though, and he’s scored at least 10 points off the bench in five of the Celtics last six games. Teams have certainly taken notice, and Richardson has quickly become a potential trade target for a number of teams.
In reality, Richardson is what the Celtics (and a number of other teams around the league) want and need. He’s a solid wing defender who can come off the bench and score. He’s only scoring 10.1 points per game this season, but his shooting splits (45.5 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from three) are both among the best of his career, showing that a potential uptick in his shooting volume could see that scoring average increase.
The performance that really turned heads for Richardson was his 23 point outing against the Charlotte Hornets. He shot 8/12 from the field (6/8 from three) and was the Celtics most consistent scorer on the night. Without him, they don’t win that game, and that’s the type of contribution teams are going to be looking for from their bench as they gear up for the postseason.
The problem with Richardson is that the Celtics have a bunch of young wings that they really don’t know what to do with, and he is blocking their path to minutes. Boston could conceivably move Richardson while his value is high and potentially get a package they didn’t initially think was attainable for him and see if young guys like Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith can develop into anything with the added playing time.
Richardson is just what the C’s need, so in terms of on court production, it wouldn’t make much sense to move him aside from the fact that the team could find out what they have in Langford and Nesmith. But Richardson’s recent play could force a team looking for some bench help to make Stevens an offer he cannot refuse. It may take a pretty sizeable offer considering how good Richardson has been recently, but the Celtics could be tempted into dealing the veteran wing.
Boston Celtics sell high candidate No. 1: Marcus Smart
It seems like Marcus Smart has been involved in pretty much every trade rumor as of late. For a point in time, it seemed like the Celtics would be lucky to get just a draft pick in return for Smart. Now teams are trying to create a big enough trade package to entice Boston to part ways with their hard nosed point guard.
I wrote last week about how Smart has looked like a completely different player since he returned from a six game COVID absence, and he’s put the league on notice. His efficiency has improved drastically, his assist totals are up, and his defense has stayed at a high level. This is the version of Smart the coaching staff has to be hoping would show up when Smart was appointed as the point guard of this team last offseason.
If Smart keeps up his recent level of play, there aren’t a ton of reasons to move on from him at this time. However, Smart has gone through good stretches of basketball before reverting back to his old ways before, and the front office may decide this is the best time for them to deal Smart in case he falls off a cliff later in the season. And realistically, they would have good reason to make a move like that.
Despite his strong play, Smart isn’t your typical starting point guard, and the Celtics may be better off switching things up. He’s not a true playmaker, and his scoring has never been consistent throughout his career. His game is based off of effort plays and good defense, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a starting point guard nowadays. But recently, it’s worked to an extent.
Truth is, Smart really is a sixth man who comes off the bench and stays on late in the game to help you close out leads. He’s switched up his playstyle drastically to fit this role, and while the results have been good lately, it’s taken more than half of the season to get here. Who’s saying he won’t struggle over the next few weeks? Smart has played well, but this could be the Boston Celtics best chance to get a solid return for a player who once looked untradeable this season.