At the moment, the Boston Celtics have little to complain about. They are 20-5 and are coming off a strong homestand. Despite this, it appears they are keeping an eye out for potential frontcourt help.
According to The Athletic’s James Edwards III, one of their most recent reported targets is Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart.
“Contending teams like Boston, Oklahoma City, and Dallas have shown great interest in Isaiah Stewart, league sources tell The Athletic,” Edwards wrote in a December 18 story.
The Pistons are 2-24 and have lost 23 straight games. They also have James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III, two young and developing big men. Despite his age, Stewart may not figure into Detroit’s long-term plans if they decide those players are more valuable than him.
The one snag is that acquiring Stewart is difficult due to his “poison pill” contract. Stewart, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, will begin a four-year, $64 million contract extension with the Pistons in 2024.
“The necessary salary needed to be sent out to acquire him would be the average of his current remaining deal and his extension,” explained HOOPS EMPIRE’s X account. That would be 5 years/$65.3 million ($13.05 million AAV). So the Celtics will have to pay $13 million to sign him.”
This season, the Celtics’ frontcourt has been strong, and not just because of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta have been excellent fill-ins in the event of an injury. As the Celtics’ starting center on December 15, Lamar Stevens helped the team defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Insider: Celtics Will ‘Actively Pursue Bench Help’
The Celtics’ primary bench players, Al Horford, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard, have consistently produced.
However, according to NBA insider Shams Charania, they will be looking for additional help in that area.
“The Celtics will be active in the trade market in order to acquire bench help.” “They want to see what’s out there in the marketplace,” Charania said on December 18’s “Run It Back.” “They are going to be aggressive in just seeing what could be out there for bench help.”
According to NBA.com, the Celtics’ bench ranks dead last in scoring, averaging 25.9 points per game. At the same time, their bench has the league’s third-best net rating, with the Celtics averaging plus-3.4 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. Even if the Horford, Hauser, and Pritchard trio doesn’t provide much offense, the Celtics aren’t any worse when they’re on the court.
With Horford being 37 years old and Pritchard and Hauser being unproven, the Celtics may believe the second unit could benefit from more padding.
The Celtics have previously expressed interest in Isaiah Stewart.
The Celtics have been linked to Isaiah Stewart on multiple occasions. The Celtics were among the teams that inquired about Stewart around the NBA draft, according to Edwards on June 15.
“I heard they — and others — called Detroit to inquire about Isaiah Stewart.” The Pistons aren’t likely to move Beef Stew. “Not at all,” Edwards said on his X account.
Even though it is difficult to see how a deal could be completed, the Celtics have been interested in Stewart for some time. The Celtics have been doing well with their current roster, but Stewart could be a target down the road.
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