Celtics' Championship Hopes Depend on Adding Depth at Trade Deadline Amid NBA Rumors

On paper, the Boston Celtics are one of basketball's best and a clear contender for the NBA title.

In execution, struggles in the third quarter and beyond have cost them, both in postseason and thus far in the 2023-24 campaign, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic documented.

Those struggles, which Weiss attributed to sluggish starts coming out of the locker room and a lack of depth off of the bench, make the Celtics a team to watch at the trade deadline as they attempt to bolster their roster for what they hope is a deep playoff push.

Shams Charania, also of The Athletic, reported as much.

"I expect the Celtics to be active in the trade market as we get closer to February, to try to see if they can beef up their bench rotation," he said on Fan Duel's Run It Back.

The Celtics should absolutely be players at the deadline.

Al Horford, at age 37, is still contributing with 26.5 minutes a night and is shooting 48.1 percent form the floor. He still attacks the boards, averaging 6.6 rebounds a game, and remains a physical player.

In spurts.

The explosion is not what it once was and, while the desire is there, his body does not always cooperate. Of course, rumors of his demise have been proven false before, but Father Time remains unbeaten and relying on Horford to be the primary contributor off the bench without much in the way of help is a losing proposition.

Beyond the veteran, though, the team lacks depth.

Luke Kornet is shooting 78.4 percent from the paint but it is difficult to get excited about that number when he is scoring 4.4 points a game, with 3.4 rebounds and less than an assist per game.

Dalano Blanton, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser are fine, but none of the three are going to be major contributors should injuries demand an increase in playing time.

The Celtics bench, beyond the starting five, is averaging 4.48 points per player, per game. That is not a favorable statistic for a team that hopes to compete for an NBA title.

The front office must keep an eye on the situations in Utah, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Washington, and Detroit as those squads potentially embark on fire sales that will potentially see quality role players up for grabs via trade.

This is not a squad that needs to add another star or overpay for a recognizable name. Looking toward a team like Utah, and players such as Kelly Olynyk and Talen Horton-Tucker on expiring contracts, is an option.

Olynyk, in particular, is a 47-percent three-point shooter who is also averaging 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale in Brooklyn bear watching, too.

None of those four are going to throw up 30 points and guide the Celtics to a win but Olynyk and Horton-Tucker average over 20 minutes night, while Finney-Smith and O'Neale are closer to 30.

All four are unrestricted free agents after the season meaning, if the Celtics can get any of them affordably, there is no long-term commitment on either side. There will be other players who teams with no realistic shot at competing for a playoff spot, let alone a world title, will be looking to offload as they begin potentially long rebuilds.

The Celtics have to take advantage of the opportunity to bring those players on-board or risk watching another season end in disappointment because the current setup will not work as the season progresses.