Celtics are leading Brad Stevens into a fascinating trade season conundrum

The Celtics pulled off their fourth win in their last five games on Tuesday night with an impressive comeback win over the Knicks. It was the second straight victory for Boston over a team viewed as an Eastern Conference contender and it came based on its offense. The Knicks were red-hot from 3-point range for much of the night, but the hosts still held off a late rally by outworking the Knicks on the glass and taking care of the ball. Smart lineup choices by Joe Mazzulla paid off, giving Boston their fourth quality win of the last 10 days.

“We deserved to win tonight,” Jaylen Brown said. “We were the harder-playing team.”

Incredibly, Boston’s offense through 21 games this year (120 points per 100 possessions) is more efficient than last year’s title contender (119.4 points per 100 possessions) that featured Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Boston’s defense has seen a bigger drop-off (19th in NBA) but the team’s net rating (+4.4) puts them squarely in the pack among other East playoff teams. The Knicks (+6.7) lead that group in the East with Boston tallying wins over every Eastern Conference team above them in the standings that they’ve played.

Whether it’s the metrics or the eye test, the Celtics, at the very least, look like a respectable playoff team in the East without Jayson Tatum a quarter of the way through the season. With trade season quickly approaching (December 15), that reality creates a fascinating conundrum for Brad Stevens and the Boston front office in the weeks to come.

The Celtics made clear early that they weren’t punting on this season despite their offseason moves. That choice already appears to be vindicated, as several key players are developing while playing meaningful basketball. Still, there are key holes on this roster for the present and future that will need to be addressed by the start of the 2026-27 season for Boston to return to contending. Yet, the prospect of a Tatum return later this season and the state of the Eastern Conference (no imposing contenders) may lead to intriguing opportunities sooner rather than later.

The development of Boston’s young wings have elevated the need for a viable backup big man. Neemias Queta is surpassing expectations as a start but no true big reserves look worthy of regular minutes right now. That’s opened the door for intriguing small ball lineups with Josh Minott or Jordan Walsh at center but finding another big could turn that look into a luxury rather than a necessity.

There’s also the prospect of the luxury repeater tax that will have to be a part of any calculation for in-season moves. Anfernee Simons and Sam Hauser are the big salary pieces that could ultimately be moved if cost savings for this season is a strategic priority. Whether this group shows enough promise without Tatum in the next two-plus months will be a fascinating question for Boston’s new ownership group. Will they avoid stripping away rotation players for cost savings now? Does it still make sense to pocket those savings now in order to spend more next season and beyond? Could adding a long-term piece sooner make sense if this group is playing well and the door remains open on a Tatum return?

Moving either Simons or Hauser (with other stuff) for a center may lead to the best of both worlds (cost savings and a roster upgrade) but finding a deal that checks both of those boxes will be easier said than done.

The Celtics have done enough in the first two months of the season to deserve that consideration, though, particularly when particularly when Tatum returning this year is more than a remote possibility. Jaylen Brown is playing the best basketball of his career, Boston’s young players (Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott) are exceeding expectations and the starters are holding their own against everyone in the East.

There’s no need for Brad Stevens to rush anything heading into trade season but new considerations are in order for a 12-9 squad that’s actually playing better than its record indicates.

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