The Boston Celtics pulled off an under-the-radar deal on Wednesday, acquiring big man Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies.
It came less than 24 hours ahead of the NBA trade deadline and seemed to suggest front office head Brad Stevens would stop there.
That’s highly unlikely to be the case. A report from Brian Robb of Mass Live suggests that the Celtics are going to do more wheeling and dealing within the next several hours. In particular, Boston is looking for more wing depth. It did send out deep bench option, forward Lamar Stevens, in the Tillman deal.
By moving off Stevens, the Celtics were able to match salaries with Memphis. This means that they still have that $6.2 million Grant Williams traded-player exception from the summer to potentially use.
Related: Updated NBA trade rumors
Potential Boston Celtics trade targets ahead of NBA trade deadline
We’ll be looking solely at wings for the Celtics as they attempt to find options behind Jaylen Brown. At 38-12 and atop the Eastern Conference standings, things aren’t pressing. But we also know that Stevens has been proactive on this front since transitioning from the bench.
Alec Burks: The Detroit Pistons dealt away Monte Morris to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, meaning that they are open to moving veterans. Burks has also been bandied about as a trade chip. The 6-foot-6 veteran would make sense for Boston. He can play both the two and three. The veteran is also shooting a resounding 39% from three-point range. With a salary of just $10.4 million this season, it makes sense from a financial perspective, too.
Cedi Osman: The Boston Celtics would be able to absorb Osman’s $6.7 million salary with their traded-player exception. He’s also the ilk of player that would work well in head coach Joe Mazzulla’s system in that the veteran is more a traditional wing. He’s hitting on 48% of his shots, including 37% from distance, for the San Antonio Spurs in 2023-24.
Corey Kispert: It’s not yet known whether the Wizards are willing to listen on this former first-round pick. But they do have an excess of wings. If Kyle Kuzma is not moved, it would make sense to collect assets for him. Boston could simply move off future draft capital and/or young players without having to send out salaries. The 24-year-old is averaging 11.6 points while shooting 36% from distance on the season.