No move is the right move for the Celtics

(Photo courtesy of bostonglobe.com)

With the NBA trade deadline luring around the corner, trade rumors are starting to heat up. Teams who have underachieved thus far will look to unload expensive talent in exchange for cap space and draft picks, while teams who are still in contention will look to add key players who could contribute to a championship run. By 3 p.m. next Thursday, we will know who which teams are going all in and which teams are looking to rebuild. Some people say the real season doesn't actually begin until after the drama of the trade deadline unfolds.

The team with arguably the most tradable assets is the Boston Celtics. Boston has been in the hunt to land a big name player since they traded away Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The team may now have the pieces in place to make a deal, with 9 first round draft picks in the next four years at their disposal. 

The problem is, there doesn't seem to be a big impact player on the market. There has been speculation that Blake Griffin could become available because of how well the Clippers have played in his absence, and because he broke his fist while attacking a member of the teams staff. That is all speculation though, as the Clippers have not expressed any interest in a deal and are still competing well enough in the Western Conference to not shake things up. 

CSNNE's Chris Mannix reported Friday night that the Celtics had inquired about the Hawks Jeff Teague and Al Horford. I scratched my head in confusion when I first read this, because although Teague was an All-Star last year, Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas is on a tear right now. Point guard is the position where the Celtics need the least amount of help. A trade for Horford would make a little more sense, given that the Celtics need more of a true center and he is also a former All-Star. However, Horford is in the last year of his contract and is expected to request around $20 million wherever he signs in the offseason. That is a high asking price and a high risk for a guy who might be past his prime.

Although many Celtics fans are dying to see GM Danny Ainge pull the trigger and land a superstar, realistically it won't happen. The Celtics best move might be riding out the storm with the players they have. After all, the most valuable asset to this team is their Head Coach Brad Stevens. He has found a way to win with what the Celtics have now, so the front office shouldn't go switching it up on him like they did time after time last season. The Celtics sit at 3rd place in the Eastern Conference going into the All-Star break, and have won 11 of their last 13 games. The best move would be to ride the season out, then make the big move in the offseason.