Celtics Trade Predictions Ahead of Thursday's Deadline

The Boston Celtics are positioned to swing big before Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

But with seven wins in their last eight games, do they think they need to do anything dramatic?

The answer is complicated. On the one hand, they shouldn't base any major decisions off of a two-week sample size. On the other, talent has never been the issue in Boston, so maybe this group is finally figuring it out.

Either way, the Shamrocks are a team to watch during trade season.

You Won't Hear a Peep About the Jays

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Nowadays, there's so much chatter around the league that trade rumors—let alone trade speculation—can come from almost anywhere, and the volume of voices is so loud there's no reason to react to most buzz.

That's why it felt important when the mere mention of Jaylen Brown potentially being involved in the Ben Simmons sweepstakes drew a swift and concise response from Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.

"I just walked up to Jaylen and said, 'Your name is all over the place as you know. Obviously, from our standpoint, you're a Celtic and obviously a guy that we think exceptionally high of. Nothing doing,'" Stevens said on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher and Rich (h/t Celtics Blog). "I just wanted to make sure that he has that peace of mind."

Trading Brown then made no sense, just like it doesn't now. Same goes for Jayson Tatum, probably more so given that he's younger and a pinch more productive. Boston has 100 different trade scenarios to explore before even considering splitting apart this wing tandem. Maybe it will eventually have to think about it, but even that hypothetical is well off into the future.

Marcus Smart Could Be on the Move

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The Celtics should think big at the deadline.

They could stand to upgrade their primary playmaker, snagging a third star would be a dream come true and fetching an extra shot-creator could do wonders for this offense. Checking any of the three boxes (let alone more than one in the same swap) won't be cheap, though.

If Boston does something of substance this trade season, then the team's longest-tenured player, Marcus Smart, is probably on the move.

Mathematics plays a big part in that, since Smart's $13.8 million salary (per Spotrac) would likely be required to match any meaningful amount of money. However, his offensive limitations drive that distinction, too. He is more a serviceable table-setter than a good one, and he shrinks his own passing windows by failing to force defenses to respect his outside shot (30.7 percent from three this season, 31.9 for his career).

One (Or Both) of Aaron Nesmith or Romeo Langford Will Be Traded

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If the Celtics go big-game hunting before the deadline, they'll need to attach a sweetener to get any seller to bite on their offer.

Since they don't have any incoming first-round picks to dangle, they might prefer trading a prospect already on the roster instead of depleting their own pick collection.

That's why a trade involving one or both of Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford seems more likely than not. Taken as the 14th picks in back-to-back drafts (first Langford in 2019, then Nesmith in 2020), they're young enough to attract interest from a forward-thinking suitor, particularly those with the developmental minutes that Boston has never really been able to extend.

Parting with a plateauing prospect always carries some sense of failure, but if Nesmith and Langford can't help the Celtics right now, they should be shopped around for players who can.