Celtics Rumored Trade for Center Would Be a Big Mistake

The Boston Celtics continue to be in a minor slump, losing to the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. For the season, they are a disappointing 13-7 at home and have won only eight of their last 15 games. They are currently 6.5 games behind the Eastern Conference leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

At this point, it's unlikely that the Celtics will be able to take over the Cavs for the top seed in the East. For the reigning champions, that is far less important than going all the way in the postseason.

Yet, the disappointing stretch has raised speculation about whether the Celtics need to make a move at the February 6 trade deadline. Cameron Tabatabaie of CelticsWire suggested that Boston should go after Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler.

Kessler has previously been speculated as a potential Celtics target due to his favorable contract status. The 23-year-old big man only makes $2.9 million this season and $4.8 million in 2025-26. Since the Celtics are a second-apron team, they can't aggregate salaries in a potential trade. Kessler is one of the few quality players the Celtics can acquire by trading Jaden Springer and his $4 million salary.

The problem with this move is what it would take to acquire Kessler. Boston is all too familiar with Utah's lead decision-maker Danny Ainge. The Jazz aren't going to trade Kessler for at least one unprotected or lightly protected first-round pick.

The Celtics can trade their 2025 or 2031 first-round picks for Kessler. For a player who will likely not close games for the Celtics and be behind Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford in the rotation, that is a steep price to pay. Plus, Kessler's inability to shoot does take away from Boston's desire to play five-out offensively.

Boston is going to be the most expensive team in NBA history starting next season. They will likely need their draft capital to reduce their tax bill and make some changes to their roster as their core ages. Using one of their few trade assets to get another center when they also have Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, and Neemias Queta on the roster may not be the smartest move.

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