Decisions the Celtics Should Already Regret from the Trade Deadline

The Boston Celtics played it safe at the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

That's well within their rights as defending Eastern Conference champs and owners of the Association's best winning percentage (and highest net rating).

They needed a backup big, and they found an affordable one in 6'10" sharpshooter Mike Muscala.

Is this roster ready for a championship run now? Or will they regret not being more aggressive during trade season?

Playing It Safe in Backup Center Search

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Boston, MA - February 12: Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla waits to sub in C Mike Muscala in the first quarter. The Celtics beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 119-109. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Mike Muscala was a sensible target for the Celtics. We said that well before the deadline, actually.

He'll be helpful to have for this stretch run. He can handle a handful of minutes every night, and he shouldn't look over his skis if needed for a spot start.

Will he hold up in the playoffs, though, or can postseason coaches find ways to exploit him and Luke Kornet? Because if the latter happens, things could get dicey in a hurry if the oft-injured Robert Williams III gets injured again.

Adding Muscala was a low-cost way of adding depth, but given Williams' ongoing struggles with staying upright, the Celtics might wish they pushed harder for a center and found someone they'd be comfortable starting in a playoff series.

Leaving the Wing Rotation Untouched

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MILWAUKEE, WI - FEBUARY 14: Malcolm Brogdon #13 and Sam Hauser #30 of the Boston Celtics high fives during the game on Febuary 14, 2023 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).

The Celtics have two of the top wings in the league in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They also have little else at the position.

They can run three guards together or call upon Grant Williams, a small-ball big by trade, to soak up minutes as a jumbo wing. If they want a traditional wing, though, their options are limited to Tatum, Brown and shooting specialist Sam Hauser.

Hauser thankfully rediscovered his shooting touch before the All-Star break, though it's still uncertain if he can hold his own defensively come playoff time.

For all of the talk about Boston adding a backup big, its limited wing depth probably wasn't discussed enough. The Celtics seemingly think they have enough options to cover those spots, but it was a bit surprising to see them leave those positions untouched.

Not Creating a Path for Payton Pritchard

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Boston, MA - February 12: Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla talks to PG Payton Pritchard in the third quarter. The Celtics beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 119-109. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Payton Pritchard wants to play. He doesn't always get that chance in Boston, where he's buried behind a slew of established pros.

That's what made him such a logical trade candidate. If the Celtics were only going to sporadically call upon him for spot-up shooting, maybe they could sniff out a suitor who thought he was capable of getting regular minutes and running an offense. Pritchard wouldn't have minded getting that call.

"I think I've been open that for me I just want an opportunity to go out there and compete with the best," Pritchard told The Athletic's Jay King. "I don't know if that's here or somewhere else. ... Obviously, I want to be part of a winning culture, but, for me, the biggest thing is playing and growing and showing I can play at that level."

If the Celtics don't see Pritchard in their long-term plans, they should have cut him loose and sent him to some team with that kind of vision for him.