3 things the Celtics need to do to get farther next year
Celtics offseason priorities: 1. Trade their first-round pick for a veteran
Even if the Celtics do not trade Jaylen Brown, it might make sense to add to their core by trading for an experienced veteran player like they’ve done the last two years by adding Derrick White at the deadline two years ago and adding Malcolm Brogdon last offseason. They could use Danilo Gallinari’s expiring contract as filler in any deal. Adding Payton Pritchard to the equation would allow the Celtics to trade for an even larger salary than they could do with just Gallinari.
Also, the Celtics might lose a depth piece due to Grant Williams’ contract demands. The young player’s stock is lower than it was last season but a team may bite and try to take away talent from one of the best teams in the league.
Still, they could get back a rotation piece by trading one of their future first-round picks along with those filler salaries. They could also use Williams as part of a sign-and-trade to get a lower-valued role player. If the Celtics are able to do these three things, they may be still playing in the Finals rather than watching like the rest of us.
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