A $6.2 million trade exception was granted to the Boston Celtics when they first completed the sign-and-trade for Grant Williams, although there were some restrictions. Around that time, the Celtics had already passed the first tax apron of the NBA but were desperately attempting to stay clear of the second tax apron.
They may still fully utilize the exception, but if they added a player at a high enough cost, they would go over the league’s second tax line. For a big man who would have been fourth on the Celtics’ depth chart for the frontcourt at the time, it wasn’t worth the severe restrictions that would be placed on them.
But after that, a Jrue Holiday exchange took place
How the Boston Celtics’ intentions were altered by the Jrue Holiday trade
Owner Wyc Grousbeck explicitly stated during Holiday’s press conference that the Celtics would be over the second tax apron for the foreseeable future, leaving no room for interpretation. The Celtics’ frontcourt rotation going into the season will also consist of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Neemias Queta due to the departure of Robert Williams III. Although the Celtics’ rotation as a whole doesn’t nearly scream “Yikes,” it is far from a sure thing.
According to CelticsBlog’s Jack Simone, Joe Mazzulla stated that the Boston Celtics will “heavily rely” on Kornet this season. The Green Kornet deserves a fair chance to be the Celtics’ third big man based solely on familiarity, but for now, knowing he’s the next man up in case Horford or Porzingis get hurt will make supporters naturally grind their teeth.
The Celtics now have free reign with the Grant Williams TPE to use it on another frontcourt piece should Kornet not be up to the task as the Celtics’ third big now that luxury tax restrictions are no longer an issue, and after their frontcourt depth took a last-minute hit with the season around the corner. Whom could they attack?
Drummond has previously drawn interest from the Celtics. As soon as the Cavaliers released him in 2021, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski named them as a potential suitor. Naturally, that occurred during the Danny Ainge era and came after the team had traded for Daniel Theis. Maybe Stevens has a different perspective, but even though Drummond’s days as an all-star are long gone, there is still a lot to like about him as a third big.
Even though Drummond has been reduced to a backup, he has consistently produced eye-popping rebounding stats. Drummond averaged 6.6 rebounds in 12 minutes per game with the Bulls in 2022–2023 according to Basketball-Reference. Drummond has a nose for the boards despite all of his flaws. The Celtics should search for
The only problem is Drummond’s reputation as a player who plays for nothing but empty calories. You can look over his entire career and find that none of his teams have ever advanced past the first round. His time serving as Joel Embiid’s backup with the Sixers came to an end midseason when he was moved to the Nets, who I later swept in the first round. He has demonstrated his ability to assist a strong squad. He shouldn’t be able to do much harm if he came to the Celtics to spell Porzingis and Horford.
Depending on if the Bulls opt to start from scratch or whether it would be preferable to let Drummond go, he might be available.
For those who don’t know, teams with trade exceptions are permitted to sign players whose total market value is up to $100,000 higher than their TPE. The Celtics may get Porter from their rival in the division since the Williams TPE is only worth $6.2 million. Nobody is certain, though, that the Raptors will want to support the Celtics.
If they do, Porter would be the ideal TPE addition for the Celtics. Porter can be a stretch big on a successful team at 6’8″ with a 7’1″ wingspan, much like he was when he won a championship with the Warriors in 2022. Porter excelled for the Warriors as a hybrid power forward/center, and they benefited from his stature and shooting (39% lifetime three-point shooter, according to Basketball-Reference).
Another mystery is that nobody knows what the Raptors are doing for the life of them. Scottie Barnes is a bright possibility for them, but the rest of their team is already competitive. Similar to what they did with Kyle Lowry, they let Fred VanVleet depart but spent handsomely to keep Jakob Poeltl. This summer, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby might desert the team. Although the specifics of the plan are unknown, if Porter were to become available, his potential as a fit would be as intriguing as the danger involved in acquiring him.
Mike Muscala, $3.5 million, Washington Wizards
The Boston Celtics cannot re-sign Muscala for a year unless he is traded to another team, as anyone unfamiliar with the NBA’s CBA is aware. Happily for
