Three realistic packages the Celtics could offer for Davis Bertans

It’s no secret that the Celtics could use some additional shooting off the bench, particularly in the frontcourt. Boston’s bigs have done an admirable job holding down the fort through the first three months of the season but the lack of a consistent stretch five threat has hurt spacing at times.

For that reason, it comes as no surprise that the Celtics are among several teams interested in Wizards forward Davis Bertans ahead of the trade deadline next month, according to a report from NBC Washington.

We have brought up the 6-foot-10 Bertrans, 27, as a potential target last month at BSJ already. He has missed the last two weeks recovering from a quad injury but is set to return to action later this week. The Latvian native is in the midst of a career-best season with Washington, averaging 15.4 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting from 3-point range. His modest salary ($7 million) that expires this summer makes him the type of player the Celtics and a host of other contenders could work a deal for in the coming weeks without disrupting their core. Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard has emphasized he’s not looking to trade Bertans since the team has interest in retaining the 6-foot-10 forward beyond this season.

"We have every intention of retaining him. He's the exact type of player we want to have in our organization. I think he wants to be here. Business will take care of itself," Sheppard said on a recent podcast.

"There's so much chit-chat in this league that gets out there. Most of it is contrived by the teams that would love to have Davis. Well, guess what? One of the teams that would have to have him, has him. We intend to keep him. We're excited about his growth."

That’s understandable posturing from a general manager that would love to drive up the asking price for an asset that Washington essentially got for free in a salary dump from San Antonio this summer. The Wizards could certainly try to re-sign him in July but he’s going to be pricy in free agency and a far cheaper young prospect or a first-round pick could be more appealing than paying that price for a rebuilding franchise.

So knowing that the Celtics will have lots of competition for Bertans, what exactly would Danny Ainge need to put on the table to reach a potential high asking price for the power forward and match Bertans' $7 million salary under NBA trade rules? Here’s a look at three realistic packages that could get the deal done if Ainge is willing to pull the trigger.

Enes Kanter and the 2020 Bucks first-round pick for Bertans

This is an easy way to make the money work for the deal. Kanter has value as a useful center on a reasonable expiring deal but that doesn’t help the Wizards much for this season with a squad that’s destined for the lottery. Kanter could be flipped by Washington for separate assets in a secondary deal but the problem for the Celtics is that Kanter has become a pivotal part of their roster. His flaws have been well documented but Boston’s rebounding would fall off a cliff with Kanter and his finishing skills around the rim have been adequate as well. With only question marks behind him on the depth chart from a health standpoint (Rob Williams, Vincent Poirier), this would be a prohibitive gamble without finding a true rebounding center to take Kanter’s place.
Verdict: Probably too much for C’s to give up

Vincent Poirier, Semi Ojeleye and the Bucks 2020 first-round pick for Bertrans

Poirier and Ojeleye are both needed here to make the money work for Bertans but hold minimal value on the trade market, making a first-round pick necessary to get the deal done. Poirier remains a mystery after having played just 44 minutes before going down with a broken pinkie. He remains under team control for another year at cheap money so he’s a low-risk flyer for any team that has minutes available at center. Ojeleye is a known commodity at this point for his defense but his 3-point shooting (37 percent this year) makes him a useful role piece for teams needing a defensive-minded big. Losing Ojeleye would hurt for the C’s when it comes to potential options to defend Giannis Antetokounmpo in the postseason so they would have to think long and hard about this one. Ojeleye may not do much for teams around the league but he could be an integral part of a C’s trip to the Finals if he’s leaned on defensively against bigs like Giannis and Ben Simmons.
Verdict: A fair offer if C’s feel they can trust Grant Williams on D

Carsen Edwards, Vincent Poirier, Javonte Green and the Nets 2020 second-round pick for Bertans

The Celtics like Edwards a lot despite his slow start to the year and wouldn’t make a move like this lightly. However, if the team believes Ojeleye is more valuable to the team in the present than Edwards, the second-round pick is the other expendable piece on the roster at the moment. The C’s like Green a lot too but his money would be necessary to make the deal work. Any chance of a deal like this would be dependent on the Wizards’ opinion of Edwards but we will equate his value to an early second-round pick right now. To help even out the deal, the C’s also could ask for swingman shooter to add to their bench in Jordan McRae who is knocking down a career-high 45 percent of his 3s after bouncing around the league for most of his 20s. Giving up on Edwards this early would be a surprise for this front office but you have to give something to get something in this league and Bertans stands out as the best stretch big available on the market right now.
Verdict: Possible only if the Wizards likes Edwards’ potential. C’s still might balk at giving up Edwards for a rental

FINAL THOUGHTS

Bertans is probably as good of an offensive fit as the C's could find right now on the trade market. The C's shouldn't overextend themselves to land what would be a likely rental but he's been a difference-maker on the offensive end this season. Whether or not they land him will depend on just how much other teams are willing to cough up for the big man any offer of a first-round pick should put Boston in the conversation. That's a price Ainge should be willing to pay.