NBA Notebook: Identifying realistic veteran trade targets for a Celtics draft deal

With the NBA Draft just 10 days away, decision time is coming for the Celtics front office to finalize the best plan of attack to improve the team’s contender status for both the short and long-term. While a wide array of options will undoubtedly be explored on draft night including consolidating draft picks by moving up or trading pick(s) for future selections, league sources have also confirmed that the Celtics have been kicking the tires on veterans around the league in exchange for draft picks. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com also reported on this possibility earlier this week.

Targeting a veteran is a pretty broad term when it comes to identifying players around the NBA, so let’s try to narrow it down a bit for this exercise to have a better idea of what’s available to the Celtics (realistically) on the trade market. For this purpose, we are going to assume that Boston top players (Tatum, Brown, Walker, Smart) aren’t available in most trade talks on draft night (Smart is probably the only exception). Additionally, Gordon Hayward is not eligible to be moved at the draft unless he opts into his $34.1 million player option beforehand, something he is not required to do (option deadline day will be after the draft). For this exercise, we are going to assume that Hayward waits to make that choice.

Putting those restrictions in place leaves the Celtics with a very limited salary pool to work from while pursuing potential veteran trades since no one else on the roster next season will make more than $5 million. The Celtics will only be able to take back 125 percent of salary they send out in any deal so adding a high-priced players will be challenging without moving a part of their core.

2020-21 Celtics salaries (Non-core) 

Enes Kanter ($5 million – player option)
Daniel Theis ($5 million – non-guaranteed)
Romeo Langford ($3.6 million)
Vincent Poirier ($2.6 million)
Grant Williams ($2.5 million)
Robert Williams ($2.0 million)
Semi Ojeleye ($1.8 million - non-guaranteed)
Carsen Edwards ($1.5 million)
Javonte Green ($1.5 million non-guaranteed)

Factor those salary limitations and there quickly becomes a pretty limited pool of veterans available to inquire on. That pool gets even smaller when any appealing names on playoff teams likely won’t be available for the most Celtics draft assets (these teams aren’t going to be looking to take a step back trade useful rotation pieces for multiple rookies)

So are there any veterans on bad teams out there that could be worth cashing in some draft picks for? Let’s take an in-depth look around the Eastern Conference to find some potential fits in the C’s price range and debate whether they would be worth the price.

Cavs

Larry Nance Jr, PF/C
Salary: $11.7 million (three years/30 million left)
Overview: The Cavs have way too many bigs and Nance Jr. is a good value contract on a rebuilding team so he holds pretty good value around the league especially after adding a decent 3-point shot (35 percent in 2019-20) in the last couple of seasons. He’s a great rebounder and finishing threat so he could slide in nicely as a top big off the bench if the C’s don’t trust Robert Williams yet to fill that role fully. The Celtics tried to nab him on draft night back in 2015 at No. 28 (he went one pick earlier to the Lakers) according to a league source so we know the front office likes him. The question is whether the C’s would be willing to give up good value (No. 14) and pay a backup big $10 million a year, no sure thing given their desires to keep center costs down in recent years.
Celtics' Interest: Yes, but salary/Cavs demands could make cost-prohibitive

Cedi Osman, Wing
Salary: $8.7 million (four years, $30 million)
Analysis: He’s only 24 and the Cavs are short on wings so there will be no strong desire to move him by Cleveland. He’d be a nice shooting weapon to have off the bench but he’s also an atrocious man-to-man defender who gets picked up constantly. Danny Ainge shies away from guys like that generally
Celtics' Interest? Probably not.

Pistons

Luke Kennard, Wing
Salary: $5.2 million (expiring deal with restricted rights)
Analysis: Would be a terrific fit as a sharpshooter off the bench for the Celtics but the Pistons are going to ask a lot for him (multiple picks or young players) to give up the former lottery pick who averaged 15.8 points last year amid an injury riddled year (played just 25 games). His low salary makes him a perfect fit into the C’s payroll for next year but he will command a sizable payday beyond 2020-21 that the C’s may not be able to afford. Having restricted rights should help to temper his market but paying lots of draft capital for only one guaranteed season is not Danny Ainge’s style. Still, Kennard is the type of addition that makes Boston’s rotation looks a lot more imposing. If the Pistons aren’t high on keeping him for long-term C’s should make a run at him.

Celtics' Interest?  Yes, but the ask from Detroit may be too much for what could be a one-year rental

Derrick Rose, PG
Salary: $7.6 million (expiring deal)
Analysis: Probably not going to find a better bench scorer on the open market (18.1 ppg for Pistons last season) but he may be a little bit too ball dominant for the C’s liking according to a league source with their young talent on the wings and another undersized scorer in Kemba Walker in the backcourt. Given the high expected asking price from the Pistons (First round pick?), don’t think the C’s bite here since the competition for him should be decent if Detroit makes him available.

Celtics' Interest? Unlikely due to defense, ball dominance

Tony Snell, Wing
Salary: $12.1 million
Analysis: Well overpaid so the Celtics would not be giving up any value here, just dumping some unwanted contracts (Kanter, etc.) to make take a useful player back. Snell’s outside shooting has been surprisingly consistent (39+ percent from 3 for four straight years) but he has faded in the postseason due to his passive play on both ends. Don’t think C’s would want to tie up this money in a backup when there are better and cheaper all-around options on the free agent market.

Celtics' Interest? No, can find similar players at far cheaper salary

Knicks

Reggie Bullock, Wing
Salary: $4.2 million
Analysis: Another shooter, except he is making a reasonable salary ($4.2 million) this time around. C’s probably wouldn’t give up much more than a second round pick or Carsen Edwards for him given his injury woes last season (29 games played). That may not be enough for the Knicks to move on though since they are likely to have a host of open roster spots to fill so there will be no desire to move on for Bullock without getting meaningful value.

Celtics' Interest? Yes, but he's not worth giving up much for beyond maybe a second round pick. Knicks probably keep him if that's offer.

Bulls

Thaddeus Young, SF/PF
Salary: $12.9 million (2 years left)
Analysis: Useful, albeit overpaid bench player who is coming off a down year in Chicago. The new front office probably wouldn’t mind getting off this deal for next-to-no-value but not sure bringing a so-so like Young in at age 31 for a big contract makes a lot of sense if Grant Williams is ready for a bigger role for about 20 percent of the price tag. Just not sure the C’s can afford this price tag as a seventh man. That could change however if Hayward is moved for lesser salary. A second-round pick and salary filler is probably enough to land him.

Celtics' Interest? Only if C's free up big chunk of payroll elsewhere

Tomas Satoransky, Wing
Salary: $10 million (2 years left)
Analysis: Another overpaid guard who doesn’t shoot well enough from 3 to be worth $10 million a year. His size (6-foot-7) makes him a bit more versatile defensively but he’s not going to be able to get on the floor enough to earn his paycheck. C’s certainly shouldn’t give up cheap draft capital for that.

Celtics' Interest?  Only if C's free up big chunk of payroll elsewhere

Magic

Evan Fournier, SG
Salary: $17 million (player option — expiring contract)
Analysis: Unless he opts in before the draft, he won’t be available to trade yet. Not sure he would be happy in a bench role after starting every game for the last five years either. Would also consider him a realistic option if the C’s are moving on/losing Hayward. Even then, he’s probably not worth giving up more than a late first round pick and a younger player for, given his ability to walk at the end of the season. Despite all that, one of the best pure scorers that could conceivably be available.

Celtics' Interest?  Unlikely since it's a one-year rental.

Aaron Gordon, F/C
$18.1 million (two years remaining)
Analysis: Given his contract and defensive versatility, he’s one of the best veterans who could conceivably be available on the trade market this offseason. The problem for the Celtics is that Orlando is caught in no man’s land between being a borderline playoff team and having a bunch of guys that make a little bit too much money and don’t fit together. Pooling three first round picks for Orlando along with filler salary isn’t going to land Gordon since this a roster with plenty of young players already. C’s will have to put a meaningful player in the deal (Smart or Hayward) along with draft capital to get a deal done and it’s not clear whether Gordon is good enough to pay that price. His shooting numbers (30 percent from 3 last season) just don’t justify giving up a lot of assets for him at this point.

Celtics' Interest? Yes, but going to cost more than just picks.

Pacers

Jeremy Lamb, SG
Salary: $10.5 million (2 years remaining)
Analysis: Coming off an ACL tear in February so it’s unclear when he will able to return to the court during the 2020-21 season. The fact that he has another year left on his deal is a plus but if the ultimate goal for adding a veteran for picks is to improve now, going after a guy coming off of such a major injury would seem risky.

Celtics' Interest? Unlikely due to the injury and salary

Doug McDermott, SG/SF
Salary: $7.3 million (expiring)
Analysis: Coming off the best regular season of his career as a sharpshooter (43 percent from 3) but will have a target on his back defensively any time he’s out on the court, especially during the postseason. He only played 54 total minutes in the series against the Heat (who swept Indy) for that reason so he’s strictly a specialist that will be played off the floor by certain opponents. With that said, he’s still a valuable bench player in the regular season and could be worth a late first round pick to nab some shooting help. Given the glut of big men that the Pacers have though, might be tough for them to take back Enes Kanter for the salary matching, so hard to find a path to a deal for him, unless it’s part of a bigger package involving Hayward.

Celtics' Interest? Probably not unless it's part of a bigger deal between two teams.

Next up: A look at realistic Western Conference veteran targets on draft night