What Brad Stevens said of Celtics’ trade deadline plans

The 2025-26 Boston Celtics have exceeded expectations thus far this season, putting fourth within the Japanese Convention as of Wednesday night with a 15-11 report.

A reworked Boston roster taking part in with out Jayson Tatum stays aggressive in a wide-open East, providing hope that what as soon as was envisioned as a “bridge 12 months” might disclose to one other playoff run — especially if Tatum returns to the hardwood this spring. 

In fact, even a Celtics staff bolstered by the return of Tatum and different lineup stars like Jaylen Brown and Derrick White nonetheless has loads of flaws, particularly with regards to the dearth of depth throughout the staff’s frontcourt. 

As such, might Brad Stevens and the Celtics’ prime brass pull off a deal or two earlier than the Feb. 5 commerce deadline to usher in reinforcements?

Whereas Boston continues to guage its personnel, Stevens said Wednesday at the Auerbach Center that each one choices stay on the desk.

“If it is sensible for us to search for issues that may assist us, we definitely will,” Stevens mentioned. “However it all must be inside good offers, and all of it must be throughout the final objective, which is the North Star of retooling so we’re able to compete for what we need to compete for.”

Regardless of Boston’s above-.500 report, Stevens acknowledged that taking inventory of the Japanese Convention as an entire is a frightening process proper now. Simply 1.5 video games separate third from ninth place throughout the convention standings.

However, given how a lot expertise was sapped from Boston’s roster over a painful offseason, Stevens is inspired by what he’s seen from this reworked roster below Joe Mazzulla’s watch this fall. 

“Seen good progress, which is necessary,” Stevens mentioned. “I feel we’re within the midst of it, as each different staff is, and there’s a tremendous line between feeling actually good about your self and never feeling so good about your self.

“And I feel we simply need to form of keep and work. I’ve form of checked out us on a optimistic aspect — a piece in progress the place I’m actually inspired by each the work and the progress. I feel that we’re making strides, and so we simply need to proceed to do it.”

Stevens praised Brown for stepping up as Boston’s No. 1 possibility with Tatum sidelined, with the wing presently sixth within the league in scoring at 29.3 factors per sport. 

Boston’s prime exec additionally praised function gamers like Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta for growing into impactful starters with extra reps up for grabs. 

“I feel that each one of our younger wings have proven that they’re able to one thing, proper?” Stevens mentioned of Boston’s depth. “And I feel that’s largely resulting from the truth that now we have all of those older guys which might be actually — even among the guys that aren’t taking part in as a lot proper now, like Xavier [Tillman] and Chris [Boucher] and Luka [Garza] – which might be giving them that atmosphere. 

“And I feel it begins with Jaylen. I feel it begins with Derrick, Payton [Pritchard], clearly, these guys which were there, as a result of it’s not simple whenever you essentially undergo the modifications we went via, and the expertise that’s misplaced, to have that form of persistence.”

 

Conor Ryan is a employees author overlaying the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Pink Sox for Boston.com, a job he has held since 2023.