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Celtics Trade Rumors: Dennis Schroder Talks Held with Bucks; Donte DiVincenzo Linked
February 8, 2022
The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics have reportedly held trade talks focused on guards Dennis Schroder and Donte DiVincenzo ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Celtics are looking to reduce their payroll below the luxury-tax threshold but also want to "keep the momentum of their recent hot streak."
Windhorst added that the Bucks have tested DiVincenzo's value with multiple teams recently since they have been unable to sign him to a contract extension and he is set to become a restricted free agent during the offseason.
Jared Weiss of The Athletic also reported on the talks, saying the Bucks "countered asking for Grant Williams," but that the Celtics "balked at the offer." However, the two sides "continue to explore frameworks that include Williams."
Following an inconsistent 2020-21 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Schroder had to settle for a one-year deal worth just $5.89 million with the Celtics in free agency.
His performance has pretty much been in line with what he did last season, as he is averaging 14.4 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 three-pointers made per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Schroder has started 25 of 48 games for Boston, and the 6'3" point guard would potentially find himself in a similar situation with the Bucks, sharing the backcourt with Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen.
While Schroder is a 28-year-old set to return to unrestricted free agency during the offseason, DiVincenzo could be more of a long-term addition than a rental.
The 25-year-old is in the midst of his fourth NBA season, but he has only appeared in 16 games as an ankle injury suffered last season delayed his start to the 2021-22 campaign.
Milwaukee hasn't fully unleashed DiVincenzo, limiting him to 20.1 minutes per game, which has yielded averages of 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 three-pointers made while shooting just 32.4 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from long distance.
The 6'4" shooting guard has come off the bench in every game this season, whereas he started all 66 games he appeared in last season and averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 three-pointers made per contest, all of which were career highs. The Villanova product becomes a restricted free agent after this season.
At this point, both Schroder and DiVincenzo could potentially benefit from changes in scenery, as the Bucks would get more offensive punch off the bench in Schroder and the Celtics would get a better perimeter defender and potentially a more permanent roster member moving forward in DiVincenzo.
The 6'6" Williams is setting career highs in points (7.3), rebounds (3.3) and three-pointers (1.5) while shooting 48.2 percent from the field, including 42.8 from distance. Boston selected the Tennessee product in first round of the 2019 draft.
After winning the NBA championship last season, the Bucks are top contenders again this season, as they are second in the Eastern Conference at 34-21.
The Celtics have had to overcome a slow start, but they are up to eighth in the East at 30-25 and are in the midst of a five-game winning streak.
While the success of both teams moving forward will largely rely on stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a small tweak like Schroder-for-DiVincenzo could give both teams a boost ahead of the stretch run.