The 2021 NBA trade deadline is fast approaching, and all eyes are on Danny Ainge with the Boston Celtics' massive $28.5 million traded player exception.
We've discussed the possible trade targets, but what if Ainge stand pat and saves the TPE for the offseason when there may be more intriguing options on the table? According to the Celtics GM himself, the chances of that happening are high.
C's-Nets takeaways: A healthy Jaylen, a spry Smart
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With the Celtics clearly needing another piece or two to compete for a title, should Ainge be more aggressive? Chris Forsberg is joined by C's cap guru Ryan Bernardoni on a brand new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast to discuss.
Celtics Talk Podcast: Will Ainge wait until summer to use the Hayward traded player exception? | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"The most important thing for the franchise is Jayson Tatum's next extension he signs with the Boston Celtics," Bernardoni said. "And while that's a ways away, it's not forever away, and we don't really know what he wants. It's not like he gave back any money, so it's not like he was making some great commitment to be like 'I want to make sure that the Celtics are my team forever.' He got the most money he could for the least years that he reasonably could. We just don't really know what his priorities are. ...
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"From that premise, the way it looks to me is they have a window right now where it's like, go for it now. Go for it while Kemba [Walker] is still some amount of healthy and signed and all that. Then you probably need to rest maybe two seasons from now when [Marcus] Smart is a free agent, Kemba's last season under his contract. You might need to do a reset at that point so that when Kemba clears off, you can set up the next team for whatever the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown future is. ... The way that that plays out is you do want to spend things like a trade exception right now."
Also in the new episode: Breaking down how the Celtics can use Gordon Hayward’s traded player exception. Is Harrison Barnes a realistic option for the C's? And does Lonzo Ball fit what Boston needs?
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch it on YouTube below.