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

[brackdan70]

Shams is pretty much full of ****.

[Marvel]

We're not trading Sam.

For the right piece we are. And don't ask me who that piece is. There's a tier of players that i would definitely trade Sam for.

[Marvel]

TLDR: How confident are you in the Cs ring chances this year? How comfortable you'd be with a quiet deadline knowing East teams will improve?

Hi guys. I've been thinking: this might feel a bit less likely with his calf injury from last night but it is still a very real possibilty that the Knicks could basically trade KAT+ for Giannis in the next 10 days (likely with a 3rd team, more players involved, etc. ok). He wants to play in New York, the Bucks have been losing and he seems checked-out lately. It screams of a silent trade demand.

If the Knicks get Giannis they'd become instant favourites in the East, right? The Celtics used to have Giannis "stoppers" in Grant Williams, Al Horford... but now? Do we? How well has Queta done against him? I genuinely ignore it but I don't think he's quite that.

Are you comfortable having a quiet deadline if that were the case? If Brad is serious about winning this year, he should really consider that possibility, right? With a Tatum at 70% we have a fair chance against Detroit, but I don't think we'd have it facing a Giannis-led Knicks team. It might get overlooked because of familiarity, but he remains an absolute two-way beast when engaged.

My opinion is we won't have real championship chances this year unless we'd swing for the fences (trade for JJJ or similar). As of now we are contenders to get to the Finals if the East stays put. Then if we got to the Finals I don't think we'd have a real chance against Denver or OKC. We don't quite have the defensive personnel and scoring will only get harder in the Play-offs with teams focusing and game-planning against Jaylen. Sorry if I'm a downer, I'm trying to be realistic here and not a homer.

All that is if things just stay as currently are in the East. However, there's a fair chance an East team makes a strong push in the second half of the season (Orlando, Cleveland, Philly, even Toronto or Miami...) and / or make a win-now trade before the deadline. We could well go down an echelon in that process.

A big win-now Celtics trade could prove too risky nevertheless and jeopardize our ability to make moves and contend for the next few seasons with a hopefully fully-healthy Tatum. Or maybe, just maybe, it is exactly what we need. Who knows.

My take is Brad is not fully believing we have a real chance for the ring this season. It was supposed to be a gap year after all and we've only "overperformed" and he will act with that awareness in mind. In other words, I don't think he'll get too crazy.

With my heart I wanna say we could actually fight for the chip and of course I will believe it and root for it once in the heat of the play-offs. Though with a cool head I say now, barring a revolution or a miracle, we don't have a realistic chance.

What do you think?

First of all, full marks for putting the right colours for each team. Kudos to you. Second, if we stay as is and Brad makes a move around the margins and with Tatum back, i believe we have a fighters chance to beat whoever comes out the West and win the chip.

In saying that, i think this team will have some readjusting problems when and if Tatum comes back this season. BUT, if Brad goes big for a big at the deadline and we lose some key role players in addition to getting Tatum back? I still believe we have a strong chance of winning the chip.

[Marvel]

Zion
4
Simons
Hauser
Boucher
26 1st rd pick

We'll take Murphy instead.

[165bows]

Where’s Giannis ending up?

I’ll guess Brooklyn for a boat load of picks and a couple random young guys. Could be Simons to Milwaukee and Claxton to Boston.

Offseason BRK signs something like Porzingis, Van Vleet and Dosunmo and just gets back on the big market fake contender circuit.

[jmr07019]

I think Giannis ends up in New York. Seems he wants to go there and I'm sure the league office would like to see it as well. Those 2 factors are probably more important than the package the Knicks can put together.

[GoCeltics123]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/283578/Celtics-Aggressively-Pursuing-High-Level-Starting-Center

Via RealGM Wiretap.

On a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said the Boston Celtics are looking to make an impact move ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. Charania describe Boston as "aggressive" in trying to get a deal done.

"They’ve been in the marketplace, trying to go get a big-time starting center potentially," Charania said about Boston's approach to the trade deadline. "They’re going to be aggressive in moving the needle. They’ve got assets. They’ve got contracts to play with."

The Celtics have been linked to players like Ivica Zubac of the LA Clippers and Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies. Boston has Anfernee Simons' expiring $27.7 million contract to offer in trade, as well as a $22.5 million traded player exception at their disposal. Boston also owns most of their own future first-round draftpicks, although their 2032 pick is frozen from being a second-apron team last season.

Boston worked hard to shed salary this past offseason to get under the second apron, in part to avoid further draft-pick restrictions down the line. The Celtics currently stand $7.8 million under the second apron and are highly unlikely to go back over that market this season.

trying to go get a big-time starting center potentially," Charania said


In others words, Shams know ****!

I watched the video and it's 100% speculation on Shams part. Wish Woj was back!

Shams is **** AWFUL. He's such a clickbait loser now.

Woj wasn't perfect but I miss him

[Fierce1]

Shams is still always first to break the news about a trade.

But when it comes to his speculation, it's a different story.

[fallguy]

We're not trading Sam.

For the right piece we are. And don't ask me who that piece is. There's a tier of players that i would definitely trade Sam for.

I didn't say Sam was untradeable. I said we're not trading him.

[GreenBlooded]

I'm still off the opinion that Brad is going to try to thread the needle by trading Simons and draft capital for a decent, not elite, big and tax relief. He'll sell it as improving the team while most of us here will call it a salary dump

[Hal14]

I'm still off the opinion that Brad is going to try to thread the needle by trading Simons and draft capital for a decent, not elite, big and tax relief. He'll sell it as improving the team while most of us here will call it a salary dump

Depends who the big is and how much draft capital we're giving up. If it's not a great big and/or lots of draft capital, it's likely a bad trade.

Team is getting worse if we go from Simons to MIssi..team likely doesn't get better going from Simons to Sharpe..

[ThePigeon]

Now that GS season is down the drain maybe go for Al (he is dead to me, but there is always the Undertaker). His salary is atrocious, but he knows the drill and the team

Daniel Gafford and Bobby Portis (if Giannis is traded) are other options for a big

I would keep Simons for the offensive punch off the bench

[Celts17Pride]

I'm still off the opinion that Brad is going to try to thread the needle by trading Simons and draft capital for a decent, not elite, big and tax relief. He'll sell it as improving the team while most of us here will call it a salary dump

Depends who the big is and how much draft capital we're giving up. If it's not a great big and/or lots of draft capital, it's likely a bad trade.

Team is getting worse if we go from Simons to MIssi..team likely doesn't get better going from Simons to Sharpe..

Celtics probably won't have to move Simons to get Missi. Missi will probably cost a young wing and draft capital. I have no idea if Brad Stevens and the Celtics value Missi and if they do, how much are they willing to spend?

[165bows]

They won’t get worse getting rid of Simons. Tatum is replacing Simons which is a huge upgrade.

It’s about either adding depth at C so they don’t have to play a SF at C if they don’t want to, or upgrading the C production by bringing in someone better than they have now.

Simons is irrelevant filler on this team once Tatum comes back.

[brackdan70]

They won’t get worse getting rid of Simons. Tatum is replacing Simons which is a huge upgrade.

It’s about either adding depth at C so they don’t have to play a SF at C if they don’t want to, or upgrading the C production by bringing in someone better than they have now.

Simons is irrelevant filler on this team once Tatum comes back.

Yes. Simons is growing on me but obviously Tatum does everything he can do better and does much much more. So yeah….in that context moving Simons for cap relief or a useable big makes a ton of sense.

[jmr07019]

TLDR: How confident are you in the Cs ring chances this year? How comfortable you'd be with a quiet deadline knowing East teams will improve?

Hi guys. I've been thinking: this might feel a bit less likely with his calf injury from last night but it is still a very real possibilty that the Knicks could basically trade KAT+ for Giannis in the next 10 days (likely with a 3rd team, more players involved, etc. ok). He wants to play in New York, the Bucks have been losing and he seems checked-out lately. It screams of a silent trade demand.

If the Knicks get Giannis they'd become instant favourites in the East, right? The Celtics used to have Giannis "stoppers" in Grant Williams, Al Horford... but now? Do we? How well has Queta done against him? I genuinely ignore it but I don't think he's quite that.

Are you comfortable having a quiet deadline if that were the case? If Brad is serious about winning this year, he should really consider that possibility, right? With a Tatum at 70% we have a fair chance against Detroit, but I don't think we'd have it facing a Giannis-led Knicks team. It might get overlooked because of familiarity, but he remains an absolute two-way beast when engaged.

My opinion is we won't have real championship chances this year unless we'd swing for the fences (trade for JJJ or similar). As of now we are contenders to get to the Finals if the East stays put. Then if we got to the Finals I don't think we'd have a real chance against Denver or OKC. We don't quite have the defensive personnel and scoring will only get harder in the Play-offs with teams focusing and game-planning against Jaylen. Sorry if I'm a downer, I'm trying to be realistic here and not a homer.

All that is if things just stay as currently are in the East. However, there's a fair chance an East team makes a strong push in the second half of the season (Orlando, Cleveland, Philly, even Toronto or Miami...) and / or make a win-now trade before the deadline. We could well go down an echelon in that process.

A big win-now Celtics trade could prove too risky nevertheless and jeopardize our ability to make moves and contend for the next few seasons with a hopefully fully-healthy Tatum. Or maybe, just maybe, it is exactly what we need. Who knows.

My take is Brad is not fully believing we have a real chance for the ring this season. It was supposed to be a gap year, after all and we've only "overperformed" and he will act with that awareness in mind. In other words, I don't think he'll get too crazy.

With my heart I wanna say we could actually fight for the chip and of course I will believe it and root for it once in the heat of the play-offs. Though with a cool head I say now, barring a revolution or a miracle, we don't have a realistic chance.

What do you think?

Great post Deivork. I agree with you that a Giannis led Knicks team would be tops in the east. I agree as currently constructed the Celtics aren't quite championship level. You have to put Detroit above them right now based on overall record and head to head. Reigning Champ OKC who has a much better record are better than Boston. I'm more worried about the Spurs than the Nuggets but I have those two teams closer to the Celtics than the Thunder or Pistons.

I'm not sure what's going to happen but I think Brad will be aggressive if Zubac, JJJ or Sabonis hit the market. Brad has been an aggressive GM, rarely holding onto picks.

Most people gloss over it but Porzingis and Jrue were traded in part because they weren't good enough in their roles. Porzingis in particular was not a good playoff player.

I don't think Brad has suddenly changed. Celtics aren't going for a youth movement. They'll trade youth and picks for vets when the opportunity presents itself.

[redslastlaugh]

Celts carrying 14 (not 15) and 3/14 not contributing: Tatum (IR), Tillman, Boucher
& given that we are not a franchise that actively uses the 2-ways much
we just don't have a lot of depth. we are basically an 11-man group that just played 6 games in 6 cities over 10 days and looked completely exhausted

I hope we can hurry up and just move Boucher and/or Tillman and also add a 15th player so we can have more depth/functionality as a team

[165bows]

Need some input from HPF on this one - there’s an argument to be made that there is a big advantage team building-wise to turning Simons into a longer deal now.

In other words, they have the TPE but that maxes them out on what they can add next year at I believe $22M. Simons will be an impending FA so he could theoretically be a sign and trade but that is limited to his salary and his decision making.

So take the example of Isaiah Hartenstein. I’d suggested early in the year that they could target him this coming off season if Okc can’t afford his next deal - essentially the same way they got KP. Ie basically as a FA but not quite.

So if they trade Simons for someone that’s not perfect but has a longer contract like Gafford or Claxton, they can then use that guy and aggregate up to the total they want to spend.

Whereas the upside to keeping Simons is perhaps he resigns but then are limited to resigning Simons or s+t’ing him, a much more limited set of options.

I don’t take the time at this point though to know what their spending ceiling is the next two years even though I’ve generally been more optimistic than most and those expectations have largely played out but we will see.

[Celts17Pride]

I always thought Wendell Carter Jr would be really nice on the Celtics. I just have no idea how the Celtics would get him. Probably have to include Jonathan Issac which is a BIG no thank you.

Seems like Simons would be a good fit in Orlando

[redslastlaugh]

As an aside:

Can we just have the trade deadline already? Man, it feels like we've been talking deadline for five yrs