Why The Boston Celtics Will Be Patient With Their Traded Player Exception

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisgrenham/2020/12/10/why-the-boston-celtics-will-be-patient-with-their-traded-player-exception/?sh=4c1590a22ed4



Why The Boston Celtics Will Be Patient With Their Traded Player Exception




Chris Grenham
Contributor
SportsMoney




BOSTON - OCTOBER 5: Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge watches during an open practice at TD ... [+] BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY IMAGES



The Boston Celtics lost Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets, but they were able to get a $28.5 million traded player exception in return. So now that they’ve acquired the biggest trade exception in league history, where do they go from here?

It’s not surprising that Celtics fans are chomping at the bit to see what Danny Ainge and the Boston front office chooses to do with their new asset. There’s no doubting how valuable the $28.5 million coupon can be if used wisely. The latter portion of that sentence is important, however. The smart approach here for Boston centers around patience — the size of this trade exception is far too big to rush toward a move.

It’s worth noting that Boston can’t combine this TPE with another exception. Exceptions also have expiration dates that normally last roughly one year from the date of acquisition. With the league calendar off its normal schedule in 2020-21, Boston will have this exception until some point next offseason. The Celtics can use this exception in more than one deal if they find players with lower salaries that they’d like to target. It’s not a one-transaction-and-done scenario.

Ainge has no plans of using this exception before the season begins, and that’s a good thing for the Celtics. He wants to see how this young roster plays out the early portions of the 2020-21 season, particularly with the injuries of Kemba Walker and Romeo Langford creating potential opportunities for rookies Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard. But more than anything, the market and possible targets will look significantly different when we close in on the trade deadline, and even more so when draft night arrives.

There are teams around the NBA, especially in the Western Conference, who are entering this season with postseason expectations. For a variety of reasons, not all of these organizations will meet those expectations, which always results in the potential for salary dumps or disgruntled players. With a newfound $28.5 million worth of space to absorb a player via trade, the Celtics are in a prime spot to monitor the market as it evolves. If a target that piques their interest becomes available, they can attempt to utilize this asset accordingly.

If the market doesn’t play out in a way that appeals to Ainge and the Celtics, there’s always draft night. It’s a long way away, but there’s a possibility this is the best opportunity for Boston to effectively utilize this exception. The Celtics own their first- and second-round picks in the 2021 draft. Once again, Boston won’t have much roster space to bring in additional rookies, and a first-rounder, even of the late variety, in this year’s class has a ton of value. The Celtics could find themselves in a position where their 2021 first-round pick becomes a valuable asset to tag alongside other assets when attempting to use this mammoth exception. That could easily turn into a very appealing package for potential trade partners.

A lot of this really depends on how this season plays out and where the front office feels is the greatest area of need with the current roster. What if Nesmith and Pritchard can come in and contribute much earlier than expected? That completely changes the rotation and roster structure, not to mention the approach toward this exception. If Boston’s young players step up and are able to play significant minutes, the front office has the luxury of being more selective in the market thanks to some added leverage and assets with suddenly higher trade values.

The bottom line here is the Celtics have no reason to use this exception right now. Allowing the market to evolve and letting this current roster play out a good portion of the season bodes well for Boston. Sure, it’d be chaotic and make for headline news if the Celtics made a major trade before the season began, but that certainly wouldn’t be the wise approach.

Patience is key in almost all facets of life, but it’s more important when you come into possession of a $28.5 million traded player exception (a situation I’m sure we can all relate to).


Bob


.

The TPE will allow the Celtics to add a quality player without having to move one of our core guys.

I agree completely that there is no need to use it now.

Also they have to build the trade value (hopefully) of some of the young guys who would then be quite valuable in such a trade in addition to picks.

BingBang! wrote:Also they have to build the trade value (hopefully) of some of the young guys who would then be quite valuable in such a trade in addition to picks.

BingBang

Sounds about right. Celts probably need to put a package together with a young player or two along with the TPE and maybe a draft pick. When that happens is anybody's guess.

I believe if someone were to do the research, they would find that most TPEs are never used and expire.

Given the size of this one and that Boston can use somewhere around 21 million of it, I would guess they will actually use it.

Also given that they value the current young core so highly, my guess it gets used in a couple of deals involving role players to fill holes off the bench. Depth is a critical factor over the long NBA season.