The Boston Celtics still may not be done tinkering with their roster, and one of the names that keeps surfacing is Domantas Sabonis.
After the Celtics moved on from Jaylen Brown, the door appears open for more movement if the right deal comes along. Sabonis has been one of the most discussed possibilities, even though his profile comes with a clear tradeoff: he brings real offense, but not much help on defense.
One proposed route would require Boston to send out a solid piece, with Paul George mentioned as a possible part of the package. As Jason Burgos put it:
“Heading into the summer, the Boston Celtics were reportedly aiming to improve their frontcourt. However, the only move they made was for fan-favorite New York Knicks backup center Mitchell Robinson. A trade that sent Neemias Queta, Paul George, and a draft pick to Sacramento would certainly give them a more balanced starting lineup with Robinson in it or not.
“The biggest issue is: would Sacramento actually take George back in the deal? It all matters for Perry’s long-term to rebuild the roster and get cap space. Or whether George is willing to opt out of his contract for 2027-28 for a multi-year deal at a lower annual rate,” Jason Burgos wrote.
The fit isn’t hard to see. Sabonis would line up with what Joe Mazzulla wants to do, especially with the way he moves the ball and creates for others. He averaged 8.2 assists per game in the 2023-24 season, and that kind of passing would give Boston another strong connector on offense.
The shot is the swing skill. Sabonis isn’t a high-volume three-point threat - he attempted just 1.4 threes per game last year and hit 18.5% - but he did knock down 41.7% from deep on 2.2 attempts the year before. He’s not going to turn into a deadeye shooter, but the passing alone is enough to keep him firmly in the conversation for a Celtics team still looking at ways to reshape its frontcourt.
In Other News...
Celtics Have A Real Defensive Trade Debate Tied To The Clippers
The Celtics have spent enough time this season searching for ways to tighten up the back end that a name like Kris Dunn naturally lands in the conversation. Boston already knows what it is getting on defense if it looks toward the Clippers guard, and the appeal goes beyond stops and deflections. Dunn has also shown enough offensive growth to make him more than a one-dimensional specialist, which matters for a Celtics team trying to preserve spacing while adding toughness.
The fit is part of what makes the idea worth serious debate. Dunns contract could work into Bostons trade exception, and the price tag in the proposal is built around three future second-round picks, a relatively modest outlay for a player who could help in the short term. For the Clippers, the return is draft flexibility and a chance to move the money attached to Dunn, while Boston would have to decide how much it values another defensive guard against the cost of using assets on a deal that is still more concept than certainty. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Sent A Strong Message About Derrick Whites Future
Even with Derrick White going through a down shooting season, the Celtics continue to treat him as more than just another name on the roster. A Western Conference executive said Boston has made it clear it is not interested in trading him, which speaks to how much the guard still means to the organization beyond whatever his jumper is doing in the moment. Whites influence in the locker room and his standing with the front office have helped keep him firmly in the teams plans.
Brad Stevens has never been one to let sentiment override long-term thinking, though, and that keeps this from being a fully closed case. Boston has been willing to make hard roster calls when it believes the bigger picture demands it, so Whites status feels secure for now without being untouchable. For a team with real title expectations, that is exactly the kind of quiet tension that tends to linger around the margins. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Fans Got Pulled Into A Trey Murphy Question Again
Boston fans got dragged back into the Trey Murphy conversation again after a bogus trade rumor lit up social media, this one claiming the Celtics and Pelicans were deep into talks that would have sent Murphy, Dejounte Murray, Paul George and draft picks into the mix. It was the kind of speculative package that spreads fast because it sounds like the sort of star-chasing NBA rumor people are always ready to believe, even if there is no real movement behind it.
There is at least a real thread underneath the noise, though, because Boston has been linked to monitoring Murphys market. That alone is enough to keep the idea alive every time a new rumor starts bouncing around, but nothing is close and nothing has been confirmed, which leaves the Celtics in the familiar spot of being connected to a player without any actual deal taking shape. [Read more 🡒]