Grading the Boston Celtics’ Trade Deadline Deals
Creator: Kathryn Riley | Credit: Getty Images
The Boston Celtics did the unthinkable yesterday - made a trade at the deadline. Not only that, they made two. While neither was a blockbuster for Aaron Gordon or Lonzo Ball, the team still managed to shake things up a bit. The real question is, how good were the trades Danny Ainge did decide to make?
Trade #1
Celtics Recieve: Evan Fournier
Magic Recieve: Jeff Teague, Two Second-Round Picks
This deal was initially announced early-on in the day, but the full details weren’t released until after the deadline had come and gone. While everyone remained focused on the idea of Gordon in Boston, Ainge had his eyes set on his teammate.
The Celtics have had the Gordon Hayward TPE at their disposal all season, and Fournier’s salary fits into a chunk of it. He makes $17 million on the season and will be a free agent at the end of the year. Whether or not he will resign with the team is to be determined, but he definitely raises their ceiling for this year.
He is currently averaging 19.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on the season. His shooting will be extremely helpful, too, as he’s shooting 46.1% from the field and 38.8% from deep this season. Fournier’s 7.2 three-point attempts per game now ranks first on the Celtics.
One of Boston’s main issues this season has been a lack of depth at the wing position. After Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the next man has been Semi Ojeleye, Javonte Green, or Aaron Nesmith. Fournier will bring an improved level of consistency to an otherwise barren Boston bench.
The inclusion of Teague in this deal should bring joy to some Celtics fans. He has struggled mightily this season, despite finding success in recent games. Without Teague, Payton Pritchard and Carsen Edwards should see the floor more as well, streamlining their development. Orlando has told Teague that he does not need to report to the team and that he will be waived.
The only real downside to this deal is that it uses a portion of the Hayward TPE on what could be a short-term solution. If Ainge fails to resign Fournier this offseason, a massive chunk of the TPE is gone without much in return. For the package Ainge had to give up, getting Fournier is a steal.
Grade: A
Holding this back from being an A+ is the uncertainty of Fournier’s status with the team long-term. If Ainge can resign him this offseason, this move will be an A+.
Trade #2
Celtics Recieve: Mo Wagner, Luke Kornet
Bulls Recieve: Daniel Theis, Javonte Green, Troy Brown Jr., $1.3 million (via BOS), $250k (via WAS)
Wizards Recieve: Daniel Gafford, Chandler Hutchison
This deal came as a shock to many, as it was announced after the deadline had technically ended. The dust had just settled from the long day of trades when Adrian Wojranowski tweeted out the deal. Mark Murphy and Keith Smith first reported it, but Woj confirmed it moments later.
Theis missed a game-winning shot the night before the deal went through and had been having a solid season in Boston. He’s averaging 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds while also shooting 34.7% from behind the arc. Theis has been a staple in the starting lineup for Boston for the past year and a half. The deal also sees Green’s time in Boston come to an end. He’s been in and out of the rotation for the Celtics this season.
Mo Wagner and Luke Kornet join the Celtics as a part of this deal. While there has been speculation that the team may release Kornet, Wagner will join a center rotation of Tristan Thompson and Robert Williams.
Wagner was a standout player in college but has struggled with efficiency during his time in the league. This season he’s averaging 7.1 points on roughly 51-31-79 shooting splits. He’s known for his offense, so maybe playing in the Celtics’ system can help him start shooting the ball more efficiently.
While losing Theis hurts the Celtics’ defensive presence, the move was made more so for financial reasons. By trading Theis, Boston remains under the luxury tax this season. It’s tough to lose a guy as solid as Theis, but business is business. In terms of pure talent, though, the Celtics lost this deal.
The most significant upside is that Robert Williams should o become Boston’s full-time starting center. Celtics fans have been clamoring for him to be a starter for weeks now, and they should finally get their wish.
Grade: C-
Losing Theis is a brutal hit for a team that struggles on the defensive end of the floor. No one ever wants to trade a guy for financial reasons, but sometimes it has to happen. As mentioned, the upside is more minutes for Robert Williams. He’ll be getting some big minutes against starter-quality centers, which should help his development tremendously.
Overall, a grade of a B+ seems to fit the Celtics’ trade deadline. While losing Theis hurts, adding Fournier for cheap is great. Losing Teague frees up minutes for Pritchard and Edwards, while the loss of Theis allows Time Lord to flourish. Not the best, but certainly far from the worst-case scenario for Danny Ainge and the Celtics.
“Basketball Statistics and History.” Basketball, www.basketball-reference.com/.
Manning, Bobby, and CLNSMedia. “Garden Report: Evan Fournier Trade Will Give Celtics a Chance.” CelticsBlog, CelticsBlog, 28 Mar. 2021, www.celticsblog.com/2021/3/27/22354569/garden-report-evan-fournier-trade-will-give-celtics-a-chance-magic-trade-deadline-danny-ainge.
Services, From NBA.com News. “Report: Celtics Trade Daniel Theis to Bulls.” NBA.com, NBA.com, 25 Mar. 2021, www.nba.com/news/report-celtics-trade-daniel-theis-to-bulls.
