Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens may make moves at the trade deadline, but there's one asset from his busy summer in 2025 that won't be used between now and February 5.
MassLive's Brian Robb relayed the relatively low likelihood Stevens flips the Kristaps Porzingis trade exception created by last offseason's multi-team swap with the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets by the deadline. However, Robb didn't write off the chance of an offseason move.
"Brad Stevens spent his entire offseason ensuring Boston was able to duck below the second apron and the team currently sits $7.8 million under that mark. Needless to say, the Celtics will not be going back over that second apron this year for the basketball and financial penalties involved," Robb wrote.
"So what does that mean for the Porzingis exception? The Celtics won’t use it to absorb a big contract unless they are also sending one out as well (Anfernee Simons in all likelihood). Otherwise, this trade exception would be much more likely to be used this offseason to absorb a bigger contract in July once Simons’ deal expires."
Celtics May Be Aggressive at Deadline With Other Assets
It wouldn't have been a wise bet to expect Stevens to try to surpass his predecessor, "Trader Danny" Ainge, and continue to make trades while at the helm of the Celtics. He's not done himself any wrong wheeling and dealing yet.
He has a championship ring, and this season, a cleaner cap sheet and a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference through mid-January, to show for it.
Shams Charania reported on Friday's edition of The Pat McAfee Show that Stevens would be making an aggressive bid for a "big-time starting center."
“I could see Boston adding, they’ve been in the marketplace for a big time starting center — they’re going to be aggressive to move the needle," Charania said.
If Stevens pursues a player like Ivica Zubac, Daniel Gafford, or even Myles Turner, Anfernee Simons' salary works as a trade chip. If the team were to aim for a bigger fish like Domantas Sabonis, that KP exception would still not be needed, as Sam Hauser's salary could be successfully added.
Whatever Stevens does, that Porzingis trade exception could wait until the offseason, so expect him to be creative with other assets in the meantime.