Celtics Trade For Thunder Center Mike Muscula at Deadline

The Celtics traded for Thunder big man Mike Muscala before the NBA Trade Deadline for Justin Jackson and a pair of second-round picks in their only move. They opted for a value deal after scouring the league for depth options at center, allowing themselves to maintain their rotation while adding to it.

The move also marked the culmination of Gordon Hayward’s departure, which netted them a trade exception that turned into Josh Richardson, who moved for Derrick White at the last trade deadline, then Boston dealt Dennis Schröder for Daniel Theis, who eventually became Malcolm Brogdon. Boston used the Schröder trade exception on Thursday to acquire Muscala’s $3.5-million salary. The 10-year veteran joins his fifth team, and reunites with Al Horford, who he played with in Atlanta from 2013-2016 and in Oklahoma in 2020-21.

Muscala, listed at 6-10, 240-pounds, will play the pick-and-pop for Boston as a 37.9% career three-point shooter who attempts nearly all of his shots from deep. He doesn’t rebound or protect the rim well, but did play sound defense for a 12th-ranked Thunder unit that shined in his minutes. Muscala led Oklahoma City with a 106 defensive rating and the team outscored opponents by 11.4 points per 100 possessions in his minutes, according to Cleaning the Glass, which ranked in the 96th percentile of the league. The Thunder thrived with him on the floor for each of the last three seasons.

Sources told CLNS Media the Celtics sent Oklahoma City the worse of its second-round picks this year. That means the worse of Dallas or Miami’s second round picks, if the Rockets remain one of the worst two teams in the league. Houston still owes Boston its second-round pick if they fall to the No. 33 or No. 34 pick in round two (protected 31-32 goes to Indiana from the Victor Oladipo trade), in which case the Celtics will send the Thunder a second-rounder from Portland from the Tristan Thompson salary dump. Boston received that pick arrangement from the Desmond Bane draft night trade with Memphis.

Oklahoma City will also receive the Celtics’ 2029 second-rounder, clearing out the team’s second round picks through 2029. Boston retains its first round picks from 2024-2027 and in 2029, owing the Spurs a top-one protected pick swap in 2028.

MassLive reported the Celtics offered San Antonio that pair of second-rounders, Payton Pritchard and Danilo Gallinari for Jakob Poetl before the Spurs traded him to Toronto for a package including Khem Birch, a 1-6 protected 2024 first-rounder and a pair of second-rounders. Poetl would’ve positioned the Celtics to better sustain a potential injury to Robert Williams III or Horford. Muscala projects to supplement them, with the ability to play next to Horford and Grant Williams. He’s signed to a $3.5-million team option in 2023-24, whereas Poetl entered unrestricted free agency this summer searching for a pay day, reportedly upwards of $20-million average annual value. Multiple reports indicated the Celtics also checked in on Mo Bamba and Nerlens Noel. Settling on a floor spacer who can defend best fit Boston’s desire and willingness to play two big men.

“Rob’s rim protection, Al’s rim protection, I think both of them are able to play different coverages,” Joe Mazzulla told CLNS Media on Wednesday. “Which allows us to match up differently and be aggressive on the ball. We obviously rebound the ball well and offensively, I think Rob’s gotten really intentional with his screening, which has forced teams to not be able to switch as much. I think that’s the one thing we did really well against Detroit. It allows Al to space a little more.”

Kornet and Griffin shined against Philadelphia’s imposing front court in a shocking Wednesday win while Horford and Williams III sat injured. Both players, alongside Grant, pleaded for the team to stand pat and Brad Stevens stuck to his mantra of adding to the roster without taking away from it. That left questions, headlined by Pritchard’s future after calls for a larger role, the chance Gallinari could return this year and whether Grant will sign long-term with the team this offseason as he approaches restricted free agency. Boston maintained an open roster spot, which a $3.2-million disabled player exception awarded for Gallinari’s injury can use to help them pursue players bought out from their contracts. That could include Will Barton, Kevin Love and others.

Boston’s luxury tax bill rose to $64.5-million with Muscala’s addition and would rise to $78.3-million by utilizing the full Gallinari exception, which expires on Mar. 10. The move may not change the Celtics’ fortunes drastically, but the Thunder surprised some by moving on from Muscala’s small contract as they push for the postseason. He hit 4-of-7 tries from three against the Lakers to score 16 points in 17 minutes in his final game with the Thunder.

The Thunder scored 8.3 points per possession more when Muscala played this year (94th percentile), shot 2.5 eFG% better (85th) and decreased their opponent’s efficiency by 3.2 eFG% (92nd). He mostly played as a single big next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort and Josh Giddey. Two seasons ago, he played 28 minutes with Horford and they posted a 125 offensive rating and 93 defensive rating in that tiny sample size. He also played 100 minutes with Horford in 2016 on the Hawks.

The Celtics will probably drop him like they do with Kornet. Their overlap will create some intriguing lineup decisions for Mazzulla and challenge him to scheme different big bodies on the floor defensively.

It can’t hurt Boston though, and more could follow. The east largely stood pat and the Celtics retained admirable depth. The only question we’ll ask in June is whether they garnered enough quality rotation players to sustain any postseason injuries. Time will tell.

“When Luke (Kornet)’s on the floor, we’re 1.09 (points per possession) defensively, and offensively, I think we’re 1.15 (PPP), and so it’s obviously not the same numbers, but they do a great job and so I don’t think you lose much with whoever’s out there,” Mazzulla said Wednesday. “I think Luke’s in the same category as Rob, where he’s really learned how to screen against different coverages. I think Grant’s screening versus the switching has been effective for us. When Blake’s on the floor, we’re 1.21 (PPP) on offense. All those guys bring different stuff, which kind of complements our guards.”