The Boston Celtics are having a fantastic season.
Somehow, despite losing Gordon Hayward to a gruesome ankle injury just a few minutes into opening night, the Celtics are still in first place in the East at 37-15, have the third-best record in the entire league and boast the No. 1 defense. If they want to make a deep run in the playoffs, however, they might need to find some help on the offensive side of the ball.
Currently ranked 17th in offensive rating, they've been just OK on that side of the floor. And most of the success they do have can be attributed to their shot-making wizard, Kyrie Irving. With Irving on the floor, their offensive rating is a very impressive 108.4. When he sits, it plummets to an ugly 97.8.
They played well without Irving against the Knicks on Wednesday night, winning 103-73, but you don't always get to play the Knicks, and you certainly can't always count on 18 combined points from Daniel Theis and Abdel Nader. Simply put, the Celtics need help on the offensive end.
Social media videos of Hayward making swift progress on his rehab will have Celtics fans dreaming of a Hollywood-script return, but in the meantime, it makes more sense to think of some realistic options for who the Celtics could acquire to help out their offense. With a multitude of picks, a DPE (Disabled Player Exception) and an open roster spot, the Celtics will have a leg up on the competition in trying to acquire players either at the trade deadline or during buyout season.
A quick note on that DPE and how it works, via Bobby Marks of ESPN:
The Celtics would be eligible to apply for the Disabled Player Exception based on the Gordon Hayward injury. The exception would be worth $8.4M and Boston would have up until March 10 to use. The Celtics with an open roster spot can sign, claim or trade for a player that has one-year left on his contract.
Here are a few players that could possibly help solve their offensive problems:
Putting up 19.5 points, five rebounds and five assists per game and shooting 39 percent from 3, the veteran guard is having probably the best season of his career. And with the Grizzlies deciding to shut him down until the trade deadline, it's pretty clear he's on the move. Memphis reportedly want a first-round pick for him, though it's unclear if any team will actually give that up, seeing as the Grizzlies don't have much leverage here. They're bad, they already shut Evans down and he's a free agent after the season. Who budges first will be interesting to see, but most teams -- Celtics included -- could use the offensive production Evans brings, especially if he keeps shooting so well from downtown.
After sending Blake Griffin to the Pistons in a blockbuster trade, the Clippers certainly seem ready to blow it all up. If so, that would likely mean trading Lou Williams, who is putting together a phenomenal season in Los Angeles. Averaging 23.5 points, 5.2 assists and shooting 39 percent from 3 -- all of which are career-highs -- Williams had a strong case to be an All-Star. His ability to score the ball -- he dropped 50 on the Warriors a few weeks back -- would do wonders for the Celtics' second unit. There are likely to be many other suitors for Williams, however, and the Celtics may not be willing to get in a bidding war with so many other options available.
The Celtics wouldn't actually have to trade anything for Monroe, as he's on his way out of Phoenix via a buyout. According to multiple reports, the Celtics have interest in the big man, who could not only help their scoring on the second unit, but also their rebounding. Most of the time, when thinking about adding scoring, backcourt options are the first that come to mind. Monroe, however, is one of the few players in the league that is still a legitimate scoring option from the post. Though he's played sparingly for the Suns, he's averaging 11.3 points and eight rebounds, while shooting over 60 percent from the field.
There hasn't been much talk about the veteran swingman thus far, but Marc Stein reported that the Hawks are indeed trying to move him. This makes sense, as he's of little use on one of the worst teams in the league. Belinelli's abilities -- knock down 3s, capable of scoring in bunches -- would be better served coming off the bench for a contender. Shooting over 37 percent from 3 this season, Belinelli is having his best shooting season since 2015, and has championship experience, previously winning a title with the Spurs.
