The NBA team with the greatest record, the Boston Celtics, don’t have many needs as the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline draws near, but they do have some.
Before February 8, Team President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens could address the following: additional big-men depth given the health of Kristaps Porzingis and the age of Al Horford; guard/wing depth come playoff time behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown; and another playmaking guard behind Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. This is how the ideal Celtics trade deadline should look.
Center Nick Richards of the Hornets of Charlotte
Nick Richards has been involved in a number of competitive team trade situations. In terms of points (9.1 ppg), rebounds (7.7 rpg), blocks (1.2 bpg), field goal percentage (67.6 FG%), free throw percentage (76.3% FT), and even scoring, he recently set a career high with 21 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons, who are the weakest team in the league.
With two years remaining on his $5 million contract and his stature (6’10), age (26), and above-the-rim athleticism on both sides of the ball, the Celtics should consider reaching out to the struggling Charlotte Hornets to try to arrange a trade.
In a conference populated by exceptionally gifted big men like Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers, and others, Richards would be a terrific, intimidating presence in the paint who can eat up space and rotate quickly on a defense that values switching in a way that backup center Luke Kornet cannot. In addition, he offers Horford younger insurance, another skilled shot blocker behind Porzingis, and excellent rim running depth.