Free Agent/Trade/Waiver Thread, 2025-26, pt 3 – (Trade Deadline = Thurs, Feb. 5, 3pm, ET)

[Dogen]

Ayo is ok but he's not worth that much

I was thinking about it, if Brad trades Simons for a big, I wouldn't mind taking a flyer on Coby White as a rental for Hauser+seconds. He's a better player than Simons although we almost certainly can't afford him after this year

I think Ayo's skill set makes him a sort of Anti-Pritchard which would well enough off the bench.

It's true, his skillset would fit in really well. Turning Simons and Hauser into Ayo/Claxton in a 3 team deal would definitely help the team imo, but you're still somewhat in the tax if you do it (though under the first apron)

Claxton, Dosunmu to BOS
Hauser, P Williams to BKN
Simons, T Martin to CHI

This trade works. I'm not sure why Nets do it, unless they like Patrick and want Hauser as a vet shooter to add to the young core. Mainly this is shuffling around some expirings. I would think both Chicago and Brooklyn want some extra incentive, especially Chicago as they can just stand "pat" and let things play out, keeping Pat Williams and either letting Ayo go or resigning him -- he at least seems worth his current contract.

I'd like to see Williams get a chance somewhere else than Chicago, but Nets might not be the place for him and he's signed for a few years.

[hugepatsfan]

How about Simons and Tillman to Bulls

PatrickK Williams, Boston 2nd and Portland pick from Chicago to Nets

Ayo and Sharpe to Boston?

Bulls say no. They have no need nor desire for anfernee.

if you want Ayo, it would probably cost you hauser and the pelicans 2nd round pick.

Agreed that the Bulls have no desire for Simons, but they'd accept in a heartbeat if giving up Ayo allowed them to dump Patrick Williams' contract for an expiring like that. They'd accept that trade in half a second solely on the financials of it.

The issue is that BRK isn't taking on Patrick Williams' albatross-length contract for that pick return. CHI would owe more value picks wise but they wouldn't be willing to pay it since even though PWilliams' contract is terrible they aren't in a position where it makes sense to pay to dump it.

[GoCeltics123]

Read on Twitter

Pfffftttttttttttt oh my god if Trae gets sent there hahahhahahaha

[Fierce1]

Read on Twitter

Pfffftttttttttttt oh my god if Trae gets sent there hahahhahahaha

McCollum and Kispert for Trae for the trade to work.

It's not all bad for the Wiz because they're getting an All-Star in Trae.

Definitely sucks for Trae.

[redslastlaugh]

Zach Lowe on his pod today says Celtics want to buy at the deadline, not big names and probably not adding salary, but said Celts have picks to trade and could look at something like Simons for a big or aggregate a few small salaries plus a pick and get a big.

Zach said he's not hearing Celtics are looking at sexy names per se, and specifically mentioned the name Jusuf Nurkic as a possible target... "I think they're buying and I think they should be buying, the conference is so wide open."

[GoCeltics123]

Zach Lowe on his pod today says Celtics want to buy at the deadline, not big names and probably not adding salary, but said Celts have picks to trade and could look at something like Simons for a big or aggregate a few small salaries plus a pick and get a big.

Zach said he's not hearing Celtics are looking at sexy names per se, and specifically mentioned the name Jusuf Nurkic as a possible target... "I think they're buying and I think they should be buying, the conference is so wide open."

I listened to that pod, I don't think he was hearing anything, I think it was just his opinion that we were going to buy. And he brought up Nurkic as a speculative possibility

[GoCeltics123]

Read on Twitter

Get ready to learn DC Cherry Blossoms buddy

[redslastlaugh]

Zach Lowe on his pod today says Celtics want to buy at the deadline, not big names and probably not adding salary, but said Celts have picks to trade and could look at something like Simons for a big or aggregate a few small salaries plus a pick and get a big.

Zach said he's not hearing Celtics are looking at sexy names per se, and specifically mentioned the name Jusuf Nurkic as a possible target... "I think they're buying and I think they should be buying, the conference is so wide open."

I listened to that pod, I don't think he was hearing anything, I think it was just his opinion that we were going to buy. And he brought up Nurkic as a speculative possibility

Could be. But I think Zach talks to a lot of people, and I don't think he would come up with Nurkic on his own unless someone brought up the particular name first... could be wrong though, but that'd be my assumption, that someone with Celtics or Utah told him that there's been some tire kicking on Nurk

[Celts17Pride]

Read on Twitter

Pfffftttttttttttt oh my god if Trae gets sent there hahahhahahaha

I knew it!!!

When I looked around there were only 2 teams dumb enough in my opinion. Wizards or Kings

[Celts17Pride]

Luka Garza looks like prime KG defensively compared to Nurkic. No thank you.

[brackdan70]

Zach Lowe on his pod today says Celtics want to buy at the deadline, not big names and probably not adding salary, but said Celts have picks to trade and could look at something like Simons for a big or aggregate a few small salaries plus a pick and get a big.

Zach said he's not hearing Celtics are looking at sexy names per se, and specifically mentioned the name Jusuf Nurkic as a possible target... "I think they're buying and I think they should be buying, the conference is so wide open."

Jusef isn’t sexy?

[redslastlaugh]

Zach Lowe on his pod today says Celtics want to buy at the deadline, not big names and probably not adding salary, but said Celts have picks to trade and could look at something like Simons for a big or aggregate a few small salaries plus a pick and get a big.

Zach said he's not hearing Celtics are looking at sexy names per se, and specifically mentioned the name Jusuf Nurkic as a possible target... "I think they're buying and I think they should be buying, the conference is so wide open."

Jusef isn’t sexy?

Sexy to me, sure, but Zach Lowe is a whole level up and I guess he thinks he can do better, lol

[Fierce1]

The good thing about Nurkic is he doesn't have to start.

Nurk will only be used against teams that will fit Nurk's style of play.

Celtics get insurance at the Center spot while Queta and Garza continue getting the minutes at Center.

But for the Cs to get Nurk, Simons would have to be the one getting traded.
That will hurt the bench production of the Cs.

If Cs are trading Simons, Brad has to replace him with someone like Cam Thomas.

[Celts17Pride]

Nurkic and Vucevic are a total waste of time and would make the Celtics worse. These guys can not defend.

Neither is what the Celtics need and I don’t expect either one will end up on the Celtics.

Both would require trading Anfernee Simons and Simons has a ton more value to the Celtics than either Nurkic or Vucevic.

I’m not even that big on Anfernee Simons

[165bows]

Zach Lowe on his pod today says Celtics want to buy at the deadline, not big names and probably not adding salary, but said Celts have picks to trade and could look at something like Simons for a big or aggregate a few small salaries plus a pick and get a big.

Zach said he's not hearing Celtics are looking at sexy names per se, and specifically mentioned the name Jusuf Nurkic as a possible target... "I think they're buying and I think they should be buying, the conference is so wide open."

Here’s the wording from the transcript:

I think they might buy at the trade deadline and I think they should.

I think they should look at, they have a lot of draft assets to trade. I don't think it's going to be anything splashy. It may not even end up adding payroll to their team.

I think there's a Simons for a big man trade, a spare parts and a pick for a big man trade. I don't know who the team is, like who the player is, like would Youssef Nurkic help their team? I don't know.”

From The Zach Lowe Show: Concern for the Thunder? Plus, Eastern Conference Power Rankings!, Jan 5, 2026
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zach-lowe-show/id1805478723?i=1000743884644&r=4894

So sounds like a combo of his opinion and probably what he’s heard from other teams.

[165bows]

Zach Lowe on his pod today says Celtics want to buy at the deadline, not big names and probably not adding salary, but said Celts have picks to trade and could look at something like Simons for a big or aggregate a few small salaries plus a pick and get a big.

Zach said he's not hearing Celtics are looking at sexy names per se, and specifically mentioned the name Jusuf Nurkic as a possible target... "I think they're buying and I think they should be buying, the conference is so wide open."

Jusef isn’t sexy?

Sexy to me, sure, but Zach Lowe is a whole level up and I guess he thinks he can do better, lol

I remember being into that guy at the draft ages ago. I’d be ok but not excited at this point.

[Celts17Pride]

Zach Lowe on his pod today says Celtics want to buy at the deadline, not big names and probably not adding salary, but said Celts have picks to trade and could look at something like Simons for a big or aggregate a few small salaries plus a pick and get a big.

Zach said he's not hearing Celtics are looking at sexy names per se, and specifically mentioned the name Jusuf Nurkic as a possible target... "I think they're buying and I think they should be buying, the conference is so wide open."

Here’s the wording from the transcript:

I think they might buy at the trade deadline and I think they should.

I think they should look at, they have a lot of draft assets to trade. I don't think it's going to be anything splashy. It may not even end up adding payroll to their team.

I think there's a Simons for a big man trade, a spare parts and a pick for a big man trade. I don't know who the team is, like who the player is, like would Youssef Nurkic help their team? I don't know.”

From The Zach Lowe Show: Concern for the Thunder? Plus, Eastern Conference Power Rankings!, Jan 5, 2026
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zach-lowe-show/id1805478723?i=1000743884644&r=4894

So sounds like a combo of his opinion and probably what he’s heard from other teams.

I listened to it, 100% speculation. He literally just threw a name out after a 2 second pause

[chrisab123]

Horford left the Celtics because he thought the Cs were gonna be bad this season.

How did that work out?

Can Horford legally be traded back to Boston?

[Fierce1]

It's true Nurk is horrible on defense.

If Zubac is like molasses, Nurk is asphalt.

Nurk totally doesn't defend on the perimeter.
He's the reason why GSW swept the Blazers in the 2019 WCF.

Kerr exploited Nurk, in the PnR, every chance they got.

[165bows]

I will say it’s coming to the point that they can trade for a guy for the playoffs ie matchups.

And I’m not at all saying Nurk is the guy for the playoffs but they do need a solution on the defensive boards and he’s got the best dreb% in basketball.