Breaking: The Celtics are interested in a $64 million facility……….
There isn’t much the Boston Celtics can be upset about right now. They have a 20-5 record and just had a strong homestand. In spite of this, it seems they are keeping an eye out for potential frontcourt support.
James Edwards III of The Athletic reports that Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is one of their most recent targets.
“League sources tell The Athletic that contending teams like Boston, Oklahoma City, and Dallas have shown great interest in Isaiah Stewart,” Edwards reported in a piece published on December 18
The Pistons have dropped 23 straight games and are now 2-24. They also have James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III, two additional young, promising big men. Stewart is around their age, but if Detroit determines those men are more valuable than he is, he might not play a part in their long-term plans.
The only problem is that Stewart has a “poison pill” contract, which makes it difficult to acquire him. In 2024, Stewart, who is currently in the final year of his rookie contract, will begin a four-year, $64 million contract extension with the Pistons.
The process of a trade was described by HOOPS EMPIRE’s X account as follows: “The salary that would need to be sent out in order to acquire him would be the average of his current remaining deal and his extension
This season, the Celtics’ frontcourt has produced well, and it’s not simply because of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet have performed admirably as backups in case of injuries. On December 15, Lamar Stevens, the starting center for the Celtics, assisted in their victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“The Celtics will be active on the trade market to pursue bench help. They want to see what’s out there in the marketplace,” Charania said on “Run It Back” on December 18. “They are going to be aggressive in just seeing what could be out there for bench help
The Celtics’ bench ranks dead last in scoring, averaging 25.9 points per game, per NBA.com. However, at the same time, their bench has the league’s third-best net rating, as the Celtics are plus-3.4 points per 100 possessions when they take the floor, per NBA.com. Even if the trio of Horford, Hauser, and Pritchard don’t provide much scoring, the Celtics aren’t worse when they’re on the floor.
With Horford being 37 years old, along with Pritchard and Hauser being unproven, the Celtics may think the second unit could use more cushion
