NBA Notebook: What can the Celtics reasonably do now that trade season has begun?

Danny Ainge has stood relatively pat over the last two seasons when it comes to in-season moves. Two years ago, an injury to Gordon Hayward on opening night changed the outlook of the season with Ainge declining any major moves beyond adding Greg Monroe with the team’s disabled player exception granted tor Hayward’s absence. That decision came back to backfire a bit once Monroe proved to be unplayable and injuries to Kyrie Irving and Shane Larkin weakened Boston’s depth in the midst of a run that fell just short of the NBA Finals.

Last season, Ainge once again elected to stand pat in the midst of a tumultuous season, believing the team had turn things around from a 10-10 start with a strong stretch of play in January. That projection does not look good in hindsight as the C’s both failed to get out of the second round and lost a number of their expiring contracts (Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier) for no meaningful return this offseason.

With a wide-open Eastern Conference in play now (albeit with a clear frontrunner in Milwaukee) and the Celtics looking like a team on the verge of contention given the play of their top five pieces, the start of trade season on December 15th should bring a different level of intrigue this year for Boston and a host of other front offices. With the Warriors’ stacked roster dismantled, top-tier playoff teams can no longer justify waiting on making a splash with a clear cut chance at an NBA crown.

The Celtics have plenty of All-Star level talent on their roster but also look short on depth at a number of positions after an underwhelming start to the season by their rookie class. What can they reasonably do now that trade season has begun? Let’s look at some of the options at their disposal over the next two months.

Why is the start of trade season on December 15th anyway?

This is the date when most free agents signed this offseason are eligible to be dealt during the league year. With so much of the talent core (nearly 50 percent) free agents last offseason, many deals are tough to make before this date. Now? Nearly the whole league is eligible to be dealt and there are plenty of teams that may be looking to upgrade after getting a sense of their names through the first 25 games of the year.

Which Celtics players are now eligible to be dealt as of December 15th?

Here are the new names to add to the list:

Javonte Green
Enes Kanter
Vincent Poirier
Kemba Walker
Brad Wanamaker

Are there currently any Celtics that can’t be traded?

Daniel Theis is not eligible to be dealt until January 15th. Jaylen Brown will not be dealt this season after signing an extension in October (due to complex salary matching rules).

What current Celtics are most at risk of being dealt?

Vincent Poirier ($2.5 million): The Celtics clearly like him as evidenced by their two-year contract but he’s at the very bottom of the center depth chart for the time being. Some adjustment time was expected for the 26-year-old after coming from overseas but there really isn’t a role for him on this team right now when Theis and Kanter are playing well. His cheap salary also makes him easy to move.

Javonte Green ($898,000): His contract is not fully guaranteed until January 10th and has a team option attached for next season. He’s a good depth piece for the C’s right now but the team could clearly upgrade at this spot with a better shooter/scorer. Green is obviously giving the team more than Romeo Langford right now but he doesn’t have the long-term upside that Langford does, making him much more expendable.

Which non-core players should feel safe about not being dealt for the time being?

Daniel Theis/Enes Kanter: These have been Boston’s best two centers all year long and even though they have some flaws, they give the C’s a good array of matchup options most nights. Given that Theis is under team control for next season at a cheap number ($5 million) it’s safe to say he’s not going anywhere. Kanter has a player option so he’s essentially on an expiring deal. Barring a good replacement becoming available in the buyout market, it’s hard to see the C’s moving on from him either given the size across the East.

Brad Wanamaker: A cheap contract plus superb production for his role over the first 25 games gives the C’s no reason to move him since they won’t get anything back resembling equal value.

Semi Ojeleye: In order to get out of the East, the Celtics are probably going to have to beat the Bucks. He could help out in that department and has played some of the best basketball of his career over the past few weeks. With team control through next season at cheap money, he helps both now and in the future.

What about the rookies? Could one of them be dealt?

It’s rare to see top-35 rookies get dealt around the NBA and the Celtics have a history of regretting those types of trades for a short-term bench upgrade (see: Joe Johnson in 2001). With that said, I wouldn’t rule it out entirely if more money is needed to make a deal work. Grant Williams and Romeo Langford aren’t going anywhere (barring a big upgrade) but I could see the Celtics trying to save a protected future first-round pick in a deal by trying to sell a team on Carsen Edwards instead. Salary matching may actually require that type of offer if the C’s are intent on keeping guys like Ojeleye and Wanamaker for the present.

What teams/players are worth keeping an eye on for potential upgrades?

This is a list that will be shifting in the coming weeks as more teams become defined as sellers out West. However, with the 12th-seeded Spurs (9-15) just sitting two games out of the No. 7 seed in the West, it’s fair to guess they and others near them in the standings won’t be giving up on the season just yet. For now, a look at what could be had on the obvious sellers in both conferences.

Golden State: Not a ton of big upgrades here but plenty of cheap talent that was signed to league minimum deals this offseason to an already bloated payroll. One name to keep an eye on as a shooting bench upgrade? Alec Burks, who is averaging 15.6 ppg and knocking down 35 percent of his 3s. Willie Cauley-Stein and Glenn Robinson will also be available.

New Orleans: Derrick Favors would be a good fit for a defensive-minded big but his contract is a bit too pricy. E’Twaun Moore will be available as a shooting upgrade off the bench but would require 2-3 cheap players to match the money at $8.6 million.

Memphis: Old friend Jae Crowder is certain to be on the trade block with his $7.8 million salary set to come off the books at the end of the season. He has some familiarity with Boston obviously but his 3-point shooting has fallen off a cliff (32 percent) since he left town.

New York: Marcus Morris will be a hot commodity but his salary ($15 million) could make that a tough fit in a trade since Theis or Kanter would have to go to make it work. Elsewhere, Taj Gibson, Wayne Ellington, and Reggie Bullock will all be available to the highest bidders. Gibson is a good potential Embiid defender, although it’s debatable what he has left in the tank at age 34. Ellington is an overpaid shooter having a down year while Bullock is still hurt. Neither should push the needle much.

Atlanta: Jabari Parker ($6.5 million) is an expiring deal and could be had with the Hawks free falling towards the bottom of the East without John Collins. His woeful defense and subpar outside shooting limit his value somewhat. There is a glut of bigs here too (Alex Len, Damian Jones) but none look like upgrades over what the C’s currently have.

Cleveland: The big names like Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love are going to be too pricy for Boston’s blood. Beyond them? Not a lot of appealing names. The Celtics have liked Larry Nance Jr. in the past but his long-term deal (three years, $30 million) is a bit pricy for what he does. Jordan Clarkson is too expensive and no one else on this roster would help much.

Washington: Davis Bertans is the perfect target for a stretch big and makes a modest $7 million but that will make him a hot commodity on the trade market. The C’s would need to fork over a late first-round pick to secure his services in all likelihood along with some combination of Poirier/Green and one of Ojeleye/Edwards. Straight up for Kanter and a pick would also work but then C’s would need to replace Kanter’s bulk and rebounding elsewhere.

What other teams could eventually become sellers?

Oklahoma City is likely to move expiring pieces but they don’t have much in Boston’s price range beyond Nerlens Noel (redundant to Rob Williams). Sacramento, Phoenix, Portland, and San Antonio won’t all stay in the playoff race so there are some appealing names to be had within those rosters if they turn into sellers.