Who are the Celtics Best and Most Realistic Options with the Grant Williams TPE?
By now, most Celtics fans are likely pretty familiar with the NBA’s traded player exceptions (TPE), as we’ve been hearing about them prominently since Gordon Hayward was in green. And now, another TPE is at the forefront of discussion as the NBA trade deadline on Thursday February 8th rapidly approaches. As a quick refresher, a TPE is created when a trade is completed without matching salaries. The team sending out more money creates a TPE in the amount of the difference. For example, the Celtics famously created the largest TPE in NBA history when they signed and traded Hayward to Charlotte with no players coming back. The TPE was equal to the amount of Hayward’s year one salary, $28.5 million. At the time, the move was much maligned, as Ainge attached two 2nd round picks to Hayward just to get a TPE back, essentially a hypothetical future player (or players), that may ultimately amount to nothing. But ultimately, that roster flexibility created the flexibility that allowed the Celtics to build the current roster.
Now the Celtics are dealing with another, much smaller TPE situation; this one from sign-and-trading Grant Williams to the Mavericks in the offseason.The exception is only worth $6.2 million, but that could be a huge deal as it means the Celts can acquire a player, or multiple players, who make up to $6.2 million (combined) without sending out matching salary. So this is likely the Celtics most realistic path to adding any semblance of a meaningful rotation player at this trade deadline. Of course the Celtics will not be adding a star caliber player with this TPE, and they likely won’t even be able to add a starter-caliber player. But that’s not what this team needs. The top 6 (Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, White, Holiday, and Horford) are completely set in stone, and combine to form the best top 6 in the NBA currently. Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Luke Kornet have each solidified their roles as prominent bench players who have earned meaningful bench minutes on a nightly basis. And guys like Oshae Brissett - and to a lesser extent - Neemias Queta, Dalano Banton, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Lamar Stevens have shown some promise in very limited minutes. On top of that, the Celtics have a couple of promising youngsters in Jordan Walsh and JD Davison waiting in the wings, and thriving in the G League. In other words, the Celtics roster is pretty set. They’ve got all the core guys they need, and the team has pretty good positional balance and versatility. Beyond that, they are over the 2nd luxury tax apron, so their means to actually any player of value are extremely limited. Still, one more solid bench rotation player, especially one who could thrive in a certain matchup, or provide a specific skill set, could prove incredibly useful for the upcoming playoff run. And that’s where this Grant Williams TPE comes into play.
The ideal player to add for the Celtics would be a big wing who can defend and shoot, or a bigger guard with handling skills, but those players don’t grow on trees and most of them are highly sought after. Even fewer of them make $6.2 million or lower this season. So the options are already extremely limited to begin with and there likely is no “perfect fit”. Beyond that we have to remove players who are currently contributing to winning teams. For example, someone like Nickeil Alexander-Walker would be an incredible addition to this team (making $4.7m this year), but he’s been an important player for the Timberwolves this year, so they have zero reason to dump him to the Celtics into a TPE. So any player of that ilk was removed from consideration. Players who are on rookie deals, or are young and showing potential on rebuilding teams were also dismissed, as they have obvious utility to their current teams. So that means guys like Tari Eason, Jonathan Kuminga, Jarace Walker, and more were ruled out. If guys like that are getting moved, it will be for real assets. Finally, players who make below the $6.2m but have already signed extensions were ruled out. These guys carry what’s called a “poison pill”, meaning it would actually require more than the TPE to acquire them (sorry Isaiah Stewart fans!).
So that leaves us with our list of options. The following players are guys that I think could be realistically acquired with the TPE and some pick equity and would fit into the current Celtics team and possibly contribute minutes off the bench this season during a playoff run. Be prepared, the list may seem a bit underwhelming, but remember, these are role players on cheap contracts who we are basically hoping to be our 9th or 10th man. Here are the options, ordered by highest contract to lowest:
Jevon Carter - Chicago Bulls, Guard: Carter makes just under $6.2m this year, $6.5m next year, and has a player option in 2025-26 for $6.8m. Carter is a plus defender, provides good energy, and can hit some 3s. But he’s only 6’1”, his offense is unreliable at best, and he hasn’t been able to carve out a meaningful role in Chicago. I’m not convinced he’d be an upgrade on Payton Pritchard.
Verdict: Meh. Doesn’t move the needle for me.
Kenrich Williams - Oklahoma City Thunder, Forward: Kenrich has been a mainstay on the Thunder for several years and has always been a solid role player. He’s a rangy 6’6” wing with some defensive chops who can hit open 3s.
Verdict: I’d love to add Williams as another bench wing option with Hauser and Brisset, but he seems to love OKC and he’s been a solid bench player for them this season. Ultimately I don’t think they’d move him.
Dean Wade - Cleveland Cavaliers, Forward: Wade is a big forward (6’9”) who can shoot and defend very well for his position. He’s signed for two more years at a very reasonable number. He’s similar to Hauser in some ways, but taller. He can defend bigger guys, but probably isn’t quite the sharpshooter.
Verdict: Wade would be a really nice guy to bring off the bench that could give us some versatility and allow us to play the matchups, but he’s a meaningful part for the Cavs and with their recent surge they’ll probably want to keep him around.
Nick Richards - Charlotte Hornets, Center: Richards is a solid young center with decent athleticism who can rebound, defend, and finish around the basket. He makes $5m this year and the next two and has likely already outperformed that deal. He’d be an upgrade on Queta and could challenge Luke as the third big.
Verdict: The Hornets are obviously selling, but Richards has played well lately and they don’t have any other healthy big men. I think they’ll listen on Richards, but he’s still young and on a bargain deal, so unless they’re blown away they’ll likely just hang onto him.
Saddiq Bey - Atlanta Hawks, Forward: Bey is perhaps the player who has been involved in the most rumored deals with this TPE. He’s a young wing on an expiring $4.5m deal with shooting and defensive ability at 6’7”. He was a great college player at Villanova and had a very strong rookie year for the Pistons. Bey has been logging heavy minutes for the Hawks lately, and playing pretty well, but it doesn’t seem like he’s a part of their future plans. The Hawks have been a massive disappointment this season, so the dot connecting here is pretty obvious.
Verdict: Maybe I’m in the minority here, but this move just doesn’t really do it for me. I mean sure, he’s worth a look if the only cost is a future second round pick or something, but I’m not sold on the player. I’m not convinced he can play good defense in high leverage minutes and he’s only shooting 31% from outside this year. If this is the best we can do, then fine, as a low risk flyer it’s worth a shot, and being surrounded by easily the best teammates he’s ever had may bring out the best in Bey. But I wouldn’t feel great giving him minutes over Hauser - or even Brissett for that matter.
Jalen McDaniels - Toronto Raptors, Forward: The lesser of the two McDaniels brothers provides a similar skill set, but just not as good. He’s a solid athletic defender, but doesn’t provide much at all on offense. His best game of the season likely came against the Celtics, so don’t be fooled.
Verdict: I don’t see this as an upgrade on Oshae Brissett, personally. He doesn’t stand out from any of our current bench wings so why mess with the chemistry?
Corey Kispert - Washington Wizards, Guard/Forward: Kispert is a young off-guard/wing with a sharp-shooter skill set. The former lottery pick has been fairly disappointing compared to his hype, but still profiles as a good role player. He’s an okay defender, and is at least big enough not to be picked on relentlessly and he is a knockdown shooter from the outside with a small amount of creation ability. He makes $3.7m this year and has a team option for $5.7m next season.
Verdict: This one is pretty intriguing to me, as you can never have enough shooting. Being able to put Hauser and Kispert on opposite sides while Tatum creates would be very fun and could boost bench units even more. To me this one just comes down to Washington’s willingness to play ball. It’s hard to tell if Kispert is part of their future plans or not, but if he can be had for a couple of 2nds then I’d pull the trigger.
Andre Drummond - Chicago Bulls, Center: Drummond is just a massive presence down low. He’s arguably one of the best rebounders in NBA history and he has pretty good touch and scoring ability around the rim. But Drummond comes with obvious flaws. He’s basically useless outside the paint, and good teams can easily scheme him off the floor and pick at his weaknesses. But a 30 year old vet on a $3.3m expiring contract who’s grabbing 8.4 rebounds a game in just 15 minutes comes with obvious utility.
Verdict: I’ve never been a Drummond guy, but if he’s at a point in his career where he’s ready to accept his role and just contribute to winning, he could certainly be useful in certain matchups as a 3rd/4th big man.
Simone Fontecchio - Utah Jazz, Forward: Fontecchio has been a nice find for the Jazz, as he came over from playing internationally last year. This year the 6’7” wing has become an integral part of the Jazz’ recent success, playing over 20 minutes a game, knocking down shots, grabbing rebounds, playmaking, and playing smart, crafty defense. He’s an extremely useful role player that could fit into almost any team and he’s currently on a $3m expiring contract.
Verdict: Like many of these other players, it just comes down to what the Jazz want to do. They currently sit in the play-in in the West, and Fontecchio has been a big part of their team. But the Jazz are clearly still in building mode and far from contention. Perhaps they’d move Fontecchio for an asset or two if they don’t plan on paying him this offseason.
Kris Dunn - Utah Jazz, Guard: Dunn has been connected to the Celtics for many years, since growing up in Connecticut and starring for Providence College. Many fans hoped the C’s would draft him in 2016, but I think the Jaylen Brown selection worked out okay (Dunn went 5th to Minnesota). Dunn has flamed out in a few different spots, but has caught on this year in Utah in a big way. He’s been their starting point guard, and proven to be an absolute terror on defense with his size and athleticism. Dunn is a good ball handler and has been knocking down open 3s better than he has at any point in his career this season, but the selling point here is his elite defense on the perimeter.
Verdict: Much like with Fontecchio, this one comes down to the Jazz and their future plans. Dunn has been an amazing find for the Jazz, but he’s already 29 and he’s on a $2.6m expiring deal. He’s given their starting lineup a huge boost, but his longterm replacement was drafted this year in Keyonte George, so they may be willing to move off of Dunn for an asset. As a side note on Dunn and Fontecchio; it will be extremely interesting to see how a Danny Ainge/Brad Stevens negotiation could play out.
Torrey Craig - Chicago Bulls, Forward: Craig fits the mold of an ideal backup wing 3&d guy, and has done that cheaply for many years on various contenders. But at 33 years old, it appears Craig may be washed and he’s also dealing with a heel injury.
Verdict: I think this is a stay away unless he’s essentially free.
Bones Hyland - Los Angeles Clippers, Guard: Bones has fallen out of the Clips rotation and is basically wasting away on the bench. This is quite the fall from grace for a player who looked very promising as a rookie. The issue is that Bones is basically just a heat-check scorer who provides little else on offense and is a liability on defense. Still, he has shown the ability to get hot and take over stretches of games; a useful commodity to have on the bench.
Verdict: The 23 year old could be worth a flyer as a gunner off the bench, but two contenders have already given up on him and he’s probably best suited to go somewhere he can log major minutes at this point.
Cam Thomas - Brooklyn Nets, Guard: Speaking of gunners! Thomas had a run comparable to Linsanity earlier this season (and another one last season) and he is the definition of a microwave scorer. He plays like an elite lead guard when he has it going, but when he doesn’t he’s an undersized ball-stopper/chucker who doesn’t help in many other ways. But could he be a sparkplug off the bench who could come in and swing a playoff game with a 15 point quarter? I don’t think that would surprise anyone.
Verdict: Thomas has been so good in his opportunities and he’s still young and on a small deal so I’m not sure he’d buy into a deep bench role. But at the same time he may not have better options and proving himself useful to a contender could help him get his next deal. He’d certainly be an intriguing option off our bench when things bog down if the Nets are ready to move on from him.
Lonnie Walker IV - Brooklyn Nets, Guard: Lonnie is a big guard with serious athleticism. He can fill it up scoring and shooting wise, has the ability to get to the rim, and some limited skills to create and run offense, but he’s not a true point guard. He’s got the size and skills to play good on ball defense, but it’s never been a strength - hopefully that could change on the right team. His $2m deal is expiring and there is really no reason for the Nets to hold onto him at this point, so he shouldn’t be hard to acquire.
Verdict: This actually might be my favorite target on the whole list. I’ve been a fan of Walker’s since college and I’ve always thought he could be a great role player in the right situation. I think he could be a nice alternative to Pritchard against bigger teams and he’s good enough to provide a scoring spark for bench units. This is a worthy flier in my opinion.
Dennis Smith Jr. - Brooklyn Nets, Guard: Another Nets guard that intrigues me is DSJ. The former lottery pick in 2017 has been a bit of a bust so far, but had a rejuvenation in Charlotte as a defensive stopper last season. He hasn’t bloomed into the lead guard he was billed as and he’s struggled mightily with his shot this season, but he can run an offense and playmake, and he’s proven he can be an elite point of attack defender.
Verdict: Dennis is on the same expiring contract as Lonnie, and he’s another guy I’d be happy to take a flier on. We know he can be a defensive disruptor off the bench and any offense he provides would be a bonus.
Aaron Holiday - Houston Rockets, Guard: Holiday is an undersized guard who can’t really run an offense. He’s a decent shooter and defender, but he’s really nothing more than a fringe NBA rotation player.
Verdict: Honestly I only put him on this list because it would be cool to get Jrue’s brother on the team and might help us extend him for a discount.
Trendon Watford - Brooklyn Nets, Forward: Watford is your prototypical 3&D wing, with solid size at 6’8”. It’s a little concerning that he can’t find minutes on the floundering Nets, but their whole team is basically 3&D guys, so maybe he just needs a change of scenery. He’s only 23, only making $2m, and his contract is expiring.
Verdict: It would be nice to add a big 3&D wing to the bench, but the fact that Porltand didn’t want him and the Nets aren’t using him doesn’t make me super confident in his abilities.
Kevin Knox - Detroit Pistons, Forward: Knox is another failed lottery pick who was billed as a big wing who could score at all three levels. I’ve never been a big Knox guy, but his profile and (theoretical) skill set would be a great fit. He’s also still only 24 and makes just $1.8m this year.
Verdict: There are worse options out there, but I’m not sure he’d crack the rotation at all. He’s mainly on the list because our sponsor (Nick Piraino Real Estate) is a massive Knox fan.
The Bottom line is that none of these guys are huge additions who will immediately command minutes, nor are they likely to shift the balance of power in the league. Yet there are several useful guys on this list who could help fortify the Celtics depth and provide utility in the right matchups. Those guys are very important, and there are numerous examples of role players making a major impact on title teams. Ultimately, I’d take on most of these guys for a 2nd round pick or two, but I wouldn’t be willing to give up much more than that. I don’t think there is a single player on this list who is worth even one 1st rounder, and many would even make me queasy to give up more than one 2nd. I’m pretty happy with the current roster and I don’t think any of these guys would be a lock to crack the top 10 - most would likely be competing with Brissett for minutes. But again, the name of the game is depth, versatility, and flexibility. The Celtics are all-in on winning a title, so any move that can increase their chances, even marginally, is a move worth making.
Photo Credit: May 23, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams (12) looks on in the fourth / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
