Searching for a Celtics Draft Trade Partner: Western Conference Edition

Note: This is Part 2 of a series started on Monday. You can check out Part 1 (East teams) by clicking here.

Flexibility is a key element to offseason planning for any NBA team. Smart front offices know other team's roster makeup and needs inside and out, which plants the seeds for eventual trade moves down the line.

The Celtics may end up having a quiet offseason when it comes to major moves, but they will be active on the fringes of their roster after a disappointing finish to the 2019-20 season. One issue they will have to work through is currently having too many bodies on the roster, with not enough spots to go around if they want to make other offseason upgrades.

Assuming Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter opt-in, that will be 12 guaranteed contracts on the roster. Semi Ojeleye ($1.8 million) is a candidate to stick around (team option) and the same goes for restricted free agents Brad Wanamaker and Tremont Waters. Throw in four draft picks for Boston (three in the first round for the 2020 NBA Draft) and the Celtics have a numbers problem on their hands even if Ojeleye and Wanamaker are not brought back.

In order to solve this equation, the C’s are going to need to find some trade partners this offseason, ideally ones willing to take back multiple picks or a player without sending one back for next season. One road they will pursue will be finding teams that could be a dumping ground for players with guaranteed contracts (Vincent Poirier, Enes Kanter, Carsen Edwards) at a spot where a potential trade partner is looking to upgrade. The Celtics could also try to cut some of these cheaper contracts outright and just take the monetary loss to open up the roster spot, but with the possibility of luxury tax penalties kicking in, the odds are the front office will heavily pursue other routes to shed salary before adding on to any ownership losses.

The other path that will be worth pursuing for the Celtics ahead of or during the NBA Draft is finding teams that have some roster space and could be in the market for additional draft picks. That combination of needs would help the Celtics dump some excess salary and free up some roster spots while consolidating talent on the roster. It’s hard to pull all of those objectives off in the same deal, but there are a few teams that could check those boxes next month. We already broke down the Eastern Conference teams to keep an eye on earlier this week, so now we turn out attention to the Western Conference to find a potential match.

Portland Trail Blazers
Own two picks in 2020 Draft (No. 16, 46)
9 players under contract for 2021
Key FAs: Hassan Whiteside, Carmelo Anthony
Expected to have significant cap room in offseason? No

Overview: With Jusuf Nurkic back healthy, they don’t necessarily need a high-level replacement for Hassan Whiteside if he walks in free agency at the backup center spot. However, there is a clear need for young and cost-controlled talent on the back end of this roster with the Blazers having so much money tied up in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum and not a lot of young talent elsewhere. They are over the cap as well but will have a couple of decent-sized trade exceptions at their disposal (worth up to $8 million), which could make them as a landing spot for Enes Kanter ($5 million) if the C’s are looking to clear out the big man and the Blazers want to add backup center via trade. For instance, the No. 30 pick and Kanter for a future protected first-round pick (or an early second-round pick) could be a way for the C’s to solve their own logjam while creating more salary flexibility. For a team that needs defensive help, consider Semi Ojeleye as a potential trade possibility here too, even though the Blazers could simply try to sign him in free agency if the C’s don’t pick up his option.

Houston Rockets
Zero picks in the 2020 NBA Draft
9 players under contract for 2021
Key FAs: Jeff Green
Expected to have significant cap room in offseason? No

Overview: Daryl Morey has essentially left the draft cupboard bare here so the Rockets would certainly be interested in taking one or more of Boston’s four picks off their hands, since they have the roster space and would be well served to add cost-controlled youth to the roster. The problem here for the Celtics is Houston’s assets or lack thereof. We already went through some notable names last week and it’s hard to find a good fit. Throwing a first-round pick with Kanter for a mid-level player like PJ Tucker would be a boost for Boston's bench but if the Rockets remain in win-now mode, it’s hard to see them biting on a deal like that. Houston may also just be willing to add cheap names via free agency as opposed to young players that may or may not help in the present. Given how depleted their draft pick stash is, getting any future picks out of them may be a challenge so there don't look to be any deals here that make sense for both sides.

New Orleans Pelicans
Four picks in the 2020 NBA Draft (No. 13, 39, 42, 60)
8 players under contract for 2020
Key FAs: Brandon Ingram, Derrick Favors
Expected to have significant cap room in offseason? No

Overview: This is a team in no man’s land with a mix of young talent (Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram) and some veterans looking to win right now (JJ Redick, Jrue Holiday). Assuming they want to bring back Ingram, that should eat up all of the Pelicans' cap room but they could be in the market for more first-round talent to strengthen their young core alongside Williamson and focus on the future. It will be hard to dump Kanter or Poirier here since they already have a young rim running center (Jaxson Hayes) so the fit isn't really there. However, given the number of excess picks they have coming their way in the wake of the Anthony Davis deal down the road, they might be willing to cash in a future pick via trade to add some of that young help now. JJ Redick and Josh Hart are two names here I’d be asking about if I were Danny Ainge as ways to bolster Boston’s bench in exchange for a first-round pick and some expiring salaries/young talent.

Denver Nuggets
One pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (No. 22)
8 players under contract for 2020
Key FAs: Paul Millsap, Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee
Expected to have significant cap room in offseason? No

Overview: After an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, Denver will keep their foot on the gas this offseason with their core pieces entering their prime. The problem for them is their payroll is going to get pretty expensive if they want to keep their free agents around since they already have nearly $90 million tied up in four players. Adding another first-round pick to groom at the bottom of their depth chart should be a welcome development so this is a place for the C’s to check in about for a future selection if they want to dump No. 26 or No. 30 for this year’s draft for a future pick.

Other West trade candidates with less flexibility

San Antonio: A candidate to shake things up after missing the playoffs but they have 12 players under contract for next season and both of their picks. Don’t think adding a late first-rounder will hold much appeal given how much youth is already on the roster.

Phoenix: Have some cap room and just one draft pick but they have their sights set on bigger things than late first-round draft picks likely with their five open roster spots after their hot finish (8-0) to the bubble.

Sacramento: Five open roster spots here are largely nullified by the Kings having four draft picks in 2020. They may be looking to shake things up with a new front office but adding more late first-round picks or an offensive-minded center in Kanter won't be on their list of needs.

Golden State: Just nine players under contract and a sizable trade exception ($17.2 million) at their disposal. However, an incredibly high salary commitment ($148 million) makes them a team that’s unlikely to be a dumping ground for unwanted salary or draft picks.

LA Lakers: A surprising amount of open roster slots (6) and just one draft pick for the NBA champions make them look a potential trade partner. However, they have exhausted their future draft assets via the Anthony Davis trade and will be saving their own roster spots in order to retain key veteran role players. Getting younger here won’t be a priority just yet.