Since the 2019 NBA offseason, rumors have been continuously swirling around the Boston Celtics . The team is reportedly active on the trade market, searching for a big man who could fill the hole Al Horford left on their team. With the Celtics currently performing very well on the defensive end of the floor, the type of big man that they need right now is someone who could help them improve their floor spacing. According to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report , one of the NBA players that the Celtics could target before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline is Davis Bertans of the Washington Wizards .
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report , the Celtics would be sending a trade package including Enes Kanter, Vincent Poirier, and a 2020 second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Bertans. Though the deal would work financially, both NBA teams would be needing to wait until mid-December to make the deal since Kanter and Poirier just signed new contracts in the 2019 NBA free agency. However, if the trade becomes a reality, it would help the Celtics and the Wizards meet their needs to improve on their roster.
Bertans may not be a defensive-minded big man like Horford, but he is capable of efficiently knocking down shots from beyond the arc. This season, the 27-year-old center/power forward is averaging 13.6 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 44.6 percent from the three-point range. As Favale noted, the potential arrival of Bertans in Boston would improve the Celtics’ offensive efficiency that currently ranks No. 12 in the league, scoring 107.3 points per 100 possessions, according to ESPN .
“Getting Bertans would be more about padding the offense. The Celtics need the buffer. Since Gordon Hayward’s injury, they’re a so-so 11th in points scored per 100 possessions and a decidedly not good 25th in three-point accuracy. Bertans is connecting on 45.6 percent of his treys and posting a 62.1 effective field-goal rate on spot-ups, a top-10 mark among everyone to finish as many such possessions. Whether the Wizards can do better for Bertans is up for debate. Whether they should be open to moving him is less so.”
As of now, the Wizards haven’t shown a strong indication that they are planning to trade Bertans before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. However, if they fail to end their struggle and find themselves out of the playoff race, the Wizards may consider trading some of their veterans who have expiring contracts — like Bertans — instead of losing them in free agency without getting anything in return. Once Bertans becomes available on the trade market, expect the Celtics to make a move.