The NBA trade deadline is almost upon us and the Woj/Shams bombs are already starting to pile up. CJ McCollum is a Pelican, Domantas Sabonis is a King, and Tyrese Haliburton is a Pacer. But Boston Celtics fans are still waiting on their team to make a move.
While a blockbuster deal might not be in the cards, there are still plenty of ways for the Celtics to improve. And considering their recent improvements, they could look to be buyers rather than sellers.
Gary Washburn made note of this on the latest edition of the A List Podcast on CLNS Media. Not only have the Celtics been turning things around, but the rest of the East is making their lives a lot easier.
“The East is wide open. Brooklyn’s lost eight in a row. Chicago’s been struggling of late… It’s there for the taking for the Celtics. We’ll see what happens at the trade deadline. It’s there for the taking, they cannot say that they don’t have a chance here.”
This chatter quickly turned into trade talks – who could the Celtics add at the deadline? A Sherrod Blakely brought up one name that seemed to resonate with Washburn – Terrence Ross.
“The guy that I think they can pick up, and I don’t think it’ll cost them anyone within their core, is Terrence Ross in Orlando… He is a guy that I think could clearly benefit from a change of scenery, and he has certain skills that this Celtics team could definitely benefit from.”
Ross has spent his career with the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic. When Orlando held their fire sale last year, he was the only real veteran left on the roster, with players such as Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier being shipped off.
Washburn agreed with this sentiment, stating that adding Ross to Boston’s core might be the “best-case scenario” for the C’s.
“I think Terrence Ross would be the best-case scenario, for someone that they could get… They’re going to want a Romeo maybe, Nesmith, they’re going to want more young bodies or maybe a first-round pick for Terrence Ross.”
Giving up an unproven young talent for Ross could be the best pathway forward, as his salary fits into Boston’s TPE they received via Evan Fournier this past offseason.
This season, Ross is averaging 11.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from deep. While his stats might not jump off the page, Washburn thinks that putting him in a better situation would turn Ross into the type of player the Celtics need.
“He kills the Celtics, his nickname is the Human Torch, he can light it up. The thing about Terrence Ross is, you put him in a winning situation… I think you give him a chance to really, really shine, I think he’ll flourish.”
