The Boston Celtics found themselves back where they began following their unexpectedly active NBA Trade Deadline: with one open space on their roster. This was not a result of negligence. In order to maintain roster flexibility and in case they found the ideal player on the buyout market, they have kept the 15th spot open for the entire season.
Whether or if they absolutely must move forward is still up in the air. After returning from the All-Star break, they have played two games and won both over the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, improving their record to 45-12, which is the best in the NBA. If they stayed put, it would make perfect sense, but that was our initial belief before they moved to add Jaden Springer and Xavier Tillman.
The buyout market allows the Celtics to sign players who have been waived by other teams, even though they are no longer able to negotiate trades. Although they could do it at any time, a bought-out player’s team must waive them before March 1st in order for them to be eligible for the playoffs. Considering the Celtics’ rivalry.
There’s usually a lot of talk about the buyout market since possible roster moves are something that basketball fans (and writers) adore talking about. Usually, it’s all for nothing because the players who are waived aren’t likely to have a significant impact. The crop this year appears especially bad, with few big names available. Several prominent names, such as Victor Oladipo, Joe Harris, Cory Joseph, and Killian Hayes, have yet to be claimed.
However, there may be more captivating role actors in the future. For example, center Robin Lopez is anticipated to be waived by the Sacramento Kings. The most intriguing claim is that Otto Porter Jr. is apparently being considered by the Utah Jazz for release in order to join a competing team.
But it’s not unheard of for a castoff player to have a significant impact on a team. After being dismissed by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2012, Boris Diaw was acquired by the San Antonio Spurs. He played for the Spurs for a couple more seasons, contributing to their 2014 championship run.
It is unlikely that Boston would be able to locate their own Diaw this year given the few options available. However, it didn’t appear that the Celtics had any business dealing at the trade deadline. GM Brad Stevens seemed to have a knack for making decisions that nobody else anticipated, and perhaps he will make another soon.
