Celtics Reportedly Shopping Package of Payton Pritchard and Danilo Gallinari

Examining potential center upgrades the Celtics might be able to acquire for that price.

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

With less than 24 hours until the trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 9, the rumor mill is working overtime.

The latest Celtics-related gossip is that Boston is exploring what a package of Payton Pritchard and Danilo Gallinari can bring back as the team with the NBA's top record (38-16) aims to upgrade its depth at center. That report comes courtesy of Jake Fischer from Yahoo Sports.

Boston has been exploring the combined outgoing value of Danilo Gallinari and Payton Pritchard, sources said, as the Celtics search for center reinforcements. Two names of big men that match that outgoing salary: Jakob Poeltl and Mo Bamba.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) February 8, 2023

Let's start with Mo Bamba. The former sixth-overall pick is yet to convert his potential as a rim-protecting and floor-spacing center into meaningful production.

Now in his fifth season, Bamba's averaging 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and a block per game while taking 2.7 threes and knocking them down at a 39.8 percent clip.

That's solid output from a reserve center, the role Bamba plays with the Magic and would remain in with the Celtics.

Bamba's making $10.3 million this season and has the same amount non-guaranteed for 2023-24, the final year of his contract, per Spotrac.

But while Boston could swing a deal sending Pritchard and Gallinari to Orlando in exchange for the former Texas Longhorn, if the Celtics part with their insurance policy at point guard and most likely the most expensive contract they'd be moving at the deadline, they should aim for someone playoff proven or who has at least done more to instill confidence when projecting how they'll hold up in that setting.

That brings us to the other name Fischer mentions, Poeltl. Boston's interest in the Spurs' center was at its highest before Robert Williams made his season debut, but if he's available at this price, it's worth the cost, in this author's opinion.

Poeltl's a defensive anchor, blocking 1.2 shots per game, and he's a beast on the boards, grabbing 9.1 rebounds per contest, including 3.3 at the offensive end. He's also scoring in double figures for the second-straight season, averaging 12.1 points.

The 27-year-old's scheduled for unrestricted free agency. As much as San Antonio would like to keep him in the Alamo City, last month, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that rival executives project he could command around $20 million annually.

The Spurs also can't re-sign him in-season, which doesn't mean they can't find a way to message him a contract proposal that perhaps he'd let them know is agreeable. But the risk of losing him for nothing impacts whether he's in San Antonio after the trade deadline and what the Spurs get back for him if he's dealt.

If Poeltl winds up with the Celtics, he'll provide an insurance policy behind Robert Williams and Al Horford. He'd also offer protection against the possibility Grant Williams departs over the summer for a starting role elsewhere.

But even if San Antonio is willing to make this deal, Boston should first see if a package of Pritchard and Gallinari can net them Kelly Olynyk or Naz Reid.

As previously explored, Olynyk's fit on the court and the Celtics' cap sheet make him as realistic a target as anyone Boston might add to upgrade its rotation before the trade deadline passes.

And as detailed while examining a potential trade for Reid, the 23-year-old center can help with this year's title run and factor more heavily into the Celtics' long-term plans. He's an unrestricted free agent, but if Boston brokers a deal for him, it would likely signal its intention of re-signing him.

Reid could even step into Horford's spot in the starting lineup as early as next season, something Olynyk, under contract for the 2023-24 campaign, would not do.

Further Reading

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