Will Boston Celtics Make a SHOCK Move Before the TRADE DEADLINE?

Summary

Locked On Celtics Podcast - Episode Summary

Episode Title: Will Boston Celtics Make a SHOCK Move Before the Trade Deadline?
Host: John Corrales (with guest Tom Westerholm)
Air Date: February 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

John Corrales and Tom Westerholm dive into the looming NBA trade deadline, discussing whether the Boston Celtics are poised to make any moves—shocking or otherwise. Rather than sensational predictions, the episode offers a grounded, analytical look at the Celtics' roster, realistic trade targets, and the odds of a significant transaction. Through wide-ranging trade hypotheticals and careful breakdowns of fit, contract situations, and organizational philosophy, the hosts assess what (if anything) Boston should do before the deadline and why.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Overall Approach to the Deadline

• Expecting Quiet:
  Corrales opens by saying he’s “okay with [the Celtics] being a little on the quiet side," suggesting that any move would likely be minor (03:09).

  • "If I had to say they would or would not make a trade, I think they will. I don’t think it’s going to be the kind of deal, like, people are going to make jokes about the deal on Twitter." (03:15)

• Brad Stevens’ Reputation:
  Westerholm notes a shift in fan perception: “People don’t talk about Brad that way... if the Celtics make a trade, people are going to pretty quickly talk themselves into ‘oof, I bet that guy’s gonna be pretty good.’” (04:46)

2. Evaluating “Big” Targets

• Out-of-Reach Names:
  Hosts eliminate top-tier targets as unrealistic:

  • "We're not looking at Vita Zubach... Jaren Jackson... Damonta Sabonis—too expensive." (04:49)

• Miles Turner Discussion:
  Corrales: “The most expensive name I would consider is Miles Turner... watched him look absolutely awful against the Celtics... It works as a straight-up trade [with Simons]." (05:47)

  • Both hosts agree he’d fit timeline- and skill-wise, but question if it would be worth breaking up current team chemistry.

  Notable Quote:

  • Corrales: “It’s like, either way, you’re like okay, sure. And if you don’t, yeah, no problem...” (09:25)

• Downsides and Role Fit:

  • Westerholm worries about team cohesion: “That’s such a big add at this current juncture… that changes everything you’ve been doing.” (07:22)
  • Corrales likens Turner to a TV show "recasting" Porzingis: “That new character has to be damn good...” (09:46)

  Memorable Exchange:

  • Westerholm: “I do love that going to get Turner would solve precisely zero of the rebounding issues.” (10:54)
  • Corrales: “Well, and that’s the thing—that would be the argument against in a big way.” (11:02)

3. Mid-Tier & “Movable” Names

• Yusuf Nurkic:
  Corrales brings up Nurkic as a possible target, mainly noting his expiring contract (16:20). Westerholm acknowledges his quality but isn't overly excited: “I can kinda take it or leave it with Nurkic… I err on the side of just keeping [the team] going.” (17:22)

  • Notable Logic:
    Nurkic could be re-signed for less, freeing up future cap flexibility: “You can sign him for 10 [million], and you don’t have to use an exception to do it.” (18:56)

• Santi Aldama:
  Corrales floats Aldama for his shooting and developmental upside—even if not a traditional center.
  Westerholm is positive: “There’s a lot of stuff that he can do… if that is who the Celtics pick up at the deadline, I think that’d be a pretty good piece of business.” (21:59)

• Nas Reid & Multi-Team Potential:
  Mentioned as a possible target if the Celtics can “snag one of these guys” in a multi-team blockbusters (e.g., if MIN gets aggressive for Giannis). Both see it as unlikely, but not impossible given Boston’s creative front office. (22:24–23:10)

4. “Solid Depth” or Reclamation Swings

• Goga Bitadze for Sam Hauser:
  Corrales proposes trading Hauser for Bitadze, who’d offer size and interior presence.
  Westerholm quickly vetoes: “I would rather have Hauser… the explodability… he could just give you 12 points in a minute and a half…” (28:05)

• Zeke Nnaji for Josh Minott:
  A “reclamation project” possibility—that makes more sense. Corrales: “If you’re taking swings… [Boston has] done well… with reclamation guys. I don’t see a downside.” (32:18)

  Westerholm: “If it’s a Josh Minot for Zeke Nnaji… why not? You’re not using [Minot], give him a chance somewhere else… why not?” (32:47)

• Jordan Walsh Limits:
  Both clearly won’t trade rotation or young high-upside players for marginal upgrades.
  Westerholm: “I would not do Jordan Walsh.” (35:20)

5. Wild Card & Other Names

• Eve Mece (New Orleans):
  Intriguing due to low salary, but both agree there’s little reason for the Pelicans to move him (33:44–34:56).

• Bobby Portis Mention:
  Corrales: “I’m more willing to trade Sam Houser in the right deal. I don’t think Bitadze is the right deal for Sam Houser, but Portis... would work and people would love him.” (36:42)

  Westerholm: “Boston would end up loving that.” (36:49)

6. The “Stay Put” Option

• If Nothing Happens? That’s Fine.
  Westerholm: "If the Celtics don't do anything, that's okay. It's fine." (37:09)

  • “This team is probably going to win a championship... I do know they've got one heck of a player coming back... it is a very valid option to go through this trade deadline and just let it go.” (37:16–37:56)

• Corrales Agrees:

  • Any “big” move would more likely come in the offseason, not now (37:56–38:12).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brad Stevens’ Trade Reputation

  • Westerholm: “I almost feel like if the Celtics make a trade, people are going to pretty quickly talk themselves into ‘oof, I bet that guy’s gonna be pretty good.’” (04:46)

• On Potential Moves

  • Corrales: "The most expensive name I would consider is Miles Turner... But there’s a lot of people who are like, ‘yeah, but—’ and I’m like yeah, also that." (07:16)

• Trade Deadline Realism

  • Corrales: “None of these [mid-tier targets] are moving the needle for me.” (18:07)

• Why Run It Back?

  • Westerholm: “I err more on the side of inertia and the fact that the Celtics are what, 31 and 18, right? I err more on the side of just keeping that going.” (17:39)

• On Hauser-for-Bitadze Suggestion

  • Westerholm: “I would rather have Hauser. I would rather have the shooting... he could just give you 12 points in a minute and a half and all of a sudden the game is different. I would just rather have that guy.” (28:05)

• On Minor “Reclamation” Trades

  • Westerholm: “If it’s a Josh Minot for a Zeke Nnaji, I have no problem with [it]. Yeah. Take a swing. Why not?” (32:47)

• Team Status

  • Westerholm: “If the Celtics don’t do anything, that’s okay. It’s fine.” (37:09)

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Key Segments & Timestamps

[03:09] Trade Deadline Philosophy—Small moves, expectation-setting
[05:47] Miles Turner discussion—fit, costs, chemistry
[16:20] Yusuf Nurkic as a hypothetical target
[18:56] Nurkic, cap strategy, and “Bird Rights” angle
[20:25] Santi Aldama as a “developable” stretch big
[21:58] Aldama & Nas Reid—stretch/size/talent profiles
[28:05] Hauser-Bitadze swap—value of shooting off the bench
[32:47] Zeke Nnaji/Josh Minot—pro-reclamation swings
[35:20] Where to draw the line on assets (Jordan Walsh, etc.)
[36:42] Bobby Portis as an ideal but unlikely fit
[37:09] Overarching message—standing pat is perfectly acceptable

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Final Takeaway

This episode makes it clear that the Celtics are in a strong position and don’t need to force a move. Both hosts emphasize the value of stability, team chemistry, and not sacrificing depth for marginal upgrades. They explore several reasonable, minor trade ideas, but uniformly agree that a blockbuster is highly unlikely—and unnecessary. The message to Celtics fans: trust the process, be happy with what you have, and be ready for a potentially bigger move in the offseason rather than expecting dramatic fireworks at the deadline.

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For further insight, check out John Corrales on Celtics on SI and Tom Westerholm on Boston.com. Questions for future mailbags can be submitted at johncorrales.com/mailbag.

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This summary has carefully preserved the tone, back-and-forth dynamic, and practical optimism of the original conversation, providing Celtics fans and NBA observers a comprehensive, timestamped guide to the episode’s content.

Transcript

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[John Corrales]

Now on the Locked on Celtics podcast, we're talking trade deadline. We're going to throw out some names, some you've heard of, some you have not to see what the Celtics should do. Locked on Celtics pot, home of the winners. Hey, welcome back to the Lockdown Celtics podcast right here on the Lockdown podcast. Now, Reg, where does your team every day your team is the Boston Celtics. I talk about them every Monday through Friday. I got bonus podcasts for you when they play on a Friday or Saturday night. So sometimes six podcasts a week, sometimes seven. Whatever I need to do to cover the Celtics for you, I'm going to do it right here for free. So make sure you're subscribed. Watch the show on YouTube if you're new to the show. I'm John Corrales. I'm a beat writer covering the Celtics for Sports Illustrated's Celtics on SI. I've been covering the team for 20 years doing this podcast for 10 and I've written a couple of books about the team. It is all about the trade deadline. That's all people care about. I was going to make a joke that we're starting off with a super in depth recap and you know how the Celtics beat the Milwaukee. Nobody. Nobody cares. That was not that. That's just no one. They won. Yay. What's going to happen on Thursday? That's the only thing anybody cares about other than meeting Tom Westerholm. Everybody.

[Tom Westerholm]

What's up?

[John Corrales]

Someone asked me like, you know you're gonna Fade out the applause when you play that for Tom. And I want to just say that that's the joke. The joke is that the. The applause or canned applause. There's.

[Tom Westerholm]

I. I appreciate that person looking out for the idea that some people might think that that was real applause. That's. Yeah, it's. It's important to keep up. It is real applause, actually. So stop insulting the real people who are watching us by saying. By telling them how to applaud.

[John Corrales]

The applause are fake. Boobs are real. Boobs are real.

[Tom Westerholm]

The laughs are real too, though. You see as natural as it gets.

[John Corrales]

That is as smooth as an opening as you're going to find. I wish we could do, like, the old TV bits. Whereas Lockdown Celtics was filmed in front of a live studio audience. They used to say that, and then they don't say that anymore. I don't know if they need to or whatever. Anyway, the. This. This live studio audience wants us to get to the trade deadline, so let's just start with this. I'm okay with them being a little on the quiet side. Yeah. I. I think. And I think that's how it's going to go. I think I. They. If I had to say they would or would not make a trade, I think they will. I don't think it's going to be the kind of deal, like, people are going to make jokes about the deal on Twitter. Right. It's going to be a name. It's going to be a minor thing, and people are going to go like, oh, wow, Celtics are champions now. Watch out, here come the Celtics. So I think. And I have a couple of names in mind, a couple of wild card names in mind.

[Tom Westerholm]

Before you do, though, do you think that people will do that? Because I feel like the Celtics are starting to get enough of a reputation around the league that if they. At least among fans, right. Like Brad Stevens, I. Brad does not have the same. Like, people used to laugh at Danny Ainge, right? People used to make fun of him for what. Whatever it was, right? Like hero. Here comes Danny. Oh, yeah. Something.

[John Corrales]

And then he doesn't almost trade.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. I don't. People don't talk about Brad that way. I almost feel like if the Celtics make a trade, people are going to pretty quickly talk themselves into.

[John Corrales]

Oof.

[Tom Westerholm]

I bet that guy's gonna be pretty good. Like.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, okay. I want to save my wild card for the end. Okay. Because I don't wanna. I want to have people. So you. You can skip ahead, I suppose, to the Wild card names because it's all recorded. But I, I want to, I want to kind of like eliminate some of the names. Like, so we're not, we're not looking at Vita Zubach, I think, I don't think he's available anymore. We're not looking at Jaren Jackson. We're not looking at Damonta Sabonis. Like, those are the names. So Zubach is not even available, I don't think. Yeah, Jackson and Sabonis are too expensive.

[Tom Westerholm]

So instead we're going to look at Giannis Antetokounmpo.

[John Corrales]

Yes. Who is an up and coming young man in the league. Who. It could be a steal. Could be a steal available here. Tom.

[Tom Westerholm]

I personally would rather have Kelly Olenic. If it were me.

[John Corrales]

The most expensive name I would consider is Miles Turner. And I say that having just watched him look absolutely awful against the Celtics. But he, he's in the 20 something million dollar range. He worked, he, the, the deal for him and Simons works straight up. So I want to just double, double check that because I think, I think it, it's, it's the type of deal where you can talk yourself into it, but the arguments against, like, somebody's gonna make the arguments against it in the comments and maybe you'll make the arguments against it right now and I'll just be like, yeah, no, you're right. You're right. There's no, like, debate. There's no going back. Or it's like it, it, it works as a straight up trade. So you can negotiate around that. Right. The, the principles involved can be traded for one another. The, the skills, just the skills that he has.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yes.

[John Corrales]

Are skills that Boston can use. Yep. And he's 29, same age as Jaylen Brown. He's right in the timeline. So I can sit there and be like, well, this works. So, yeah, maybe. But there's a lot of people who are like, yeah, but. And I'm like, yeah, also that.

[Tom Westerholm]

Also that.

[John Corrales]

And so what do you think of Miles Turner as a potential trade target?

[Tom Westerholm]

I like the concept of Miles Turner. I, I like Miles Turner the player. I, I think that that's a, that's a, I mean, that's one of the names that, when you say it and you, like you were just saying, you go through the list of attributes and it's like floor spacing, block shots, like big. You know, I think that there's, there's so much there where it's like, I get why that would be an appealing name at the trade deadline. I also think that there is something to the idea of the cohesion that this team has built. Right. I think that there's. And that's such a big ad at this current juncture that changes. That changes everything that you've been doing. And listen, I'm not saying that Keda is, is the perfect, the future of the Boston Celtics, but this team has built an identity around Kada as the starting center. Obviously, I'm saying all the things that I'm sure somebody would argue in your hypothetical. Right?

[John Corrales]

Absolutely.

[Tom Westerholm]

I think that, you know, we've seen Anthony Simons be a. Anthony Simons be a genuinely helpful player, and we know that he is a genuinely helpful player on this team who does seem to fit. Is he a little underutilized? I don't know. Maybe I, I, I honest. Or maybe honestly, this could be a really good role for somebody who is as defensively limited as him. Like, this might be a really good spot for Anthony Simons. And in that, you also might then get kind of a deal on Anthony Simons and that. I think there's something to that too. Obviously, you know, a lot of money on Turner currently. Like, you know, he's an expensive dude. That's why it works for him and Anthony Simons. But yeah, if it happened, I would be like, okay, all right, good trade. I, I see it, I hear it, I'm with it. If it doesn't happen, I, I, I, I also, yeah, I see it, I hear it.

[John Corrales]

You know what I mean? What this is. Yeah, it's like you're like, either way, you're like, okay, sure, okay, sure. And then, like, get them. Okay, sure, okay. And if you don't, like, yeah, no, no problem. That's, it's, which, which makes me think, like, maybe you shouldn't get them. But again, it's, it's also.

[Tom Westerholm]

He would solve so many problems.

[John Corrales]

Like I, he would. Yeah. Speaking of TV shows, if you've ever watched a TV show that's recast the character midstream, like, this would be the Celtics using Miles Turner in the Porzingis role, you know, very, a very poisingus way. So they would be recasting Porzingis with Miles Turner and everybody who watches the show, you've. It's happened, you know, a few times where you're watching a show, you're like, this guy is, or this person is, is playing this, this character. Now, you couldn't come to an agreement and you'd play. Okay, all right. That, that new character has to be damn good. Has to be damn Good to be that person. Now there's the Fresh Prince recast moms in the middle of it, you go back to old, old school. I dream of Genie recast Darren. A couple of, you know, there's a couple of Darren. There's like these little spots in the middle. So this would be the new Porzingis. And he better be damn good at this role if he's gonna be what Porzingis was at his best when he was available.

[Tom Westerholm]

I do love that going to get Turner would solve precisely zero of the rebounding issues.

[John Corrales]

Well, and that's. That's the thing. That's to be the other thing. Like is it is. And that. That would be the argument against in a big way, by the way.

[Tom Westerholm]

But again, it makes your Porzingis comparison.

[John Corrales]

Sure.

[Tom Westerholm]

Chef's kiss. Right.

[John Corrales]

By the way, I did. I did tell everybody that mailbags. I. I do mailbags here on the podcast every once in a while. I'm also going to start doing them on si. I do have one posted on the Celtics on SI page right now. I took. If anybody has asked one of these questions about the trades. A lot of big man question trades, this podcast will answer a bunch of them organically. But if you go to the Celtics on SI page, I have, I have answered all of the recent big man trade questions there. So if you submitted one, go there. So, okay, Miles Turner. I answered this one there too. And it basically said the same thing. It's. I'm not. I'm not moved by it either way. So that tells me. Yeah, especially because he's expensive. Yeah. Let's get into. Let's get into some of.

[Tom Westerholm]

Maybe the.

[John Corrales]

The. The mid. The mid names. The mid tier names. Also mid players.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, probably mid excitement level.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, mid excitement level. And then we'll do the wild cards. We'll do wild cards in the Thursday. We'll do all that stuff coming up. Today's show is brought to you by FanDuel. Super bowl is here. Super Bowl Sunday is this Sunday. Oh, man. And it's the Patriots and it's the Seahawks and it's one final Sunday of football. And fanduel is making sure you're right in the middle of it with a special offer just in time for the biggest game of the year. So whether you're backing the favorites, whether you're backing the underdog, whether you. Everybody should be backing the Patriots or you're building one last same game part. I understand there's some haters out there. Don't worry about it. This is the game everybody's been waiting for. This is where the predictions turn into play, stats turn to storylines, and every snap feels bigger. It's a perfect way to cap off the season and make the super bowl even more exciting. From kickoff to final whistle. If you're a new customer, you bet just $5, and you get $200 in bonus bets if you win. So go make it count. Go to FanDuel.com an official sportsbook partner of Super Bowl 60. When you sign up, they're going to ask you to set a limit, set a budget. Please do that. Whatever you can afford to lose your disposable income. That's what you should set it at. If you go cold, they'll help you. They just stop and then you pick it up again later. So check it [e-mail], go there to get started. Today's show is also brought to you by Indeed. Hiring is not about finding somebody who's willing to take the job. It's about finding the right person with the right background who can actually help your business move forward. If you want candidates to match what you're looking for, Indeed Sponsored Jobs is the move because instead of hoping, the right person just stumbles across your post, Indeed helps you match with quality candidates by boosting your job listing to people who fit your specific criteria like skills, certifications, location. If I were hiring, which I've done in the past, I wouldn't want just someone who can help. I want someone with real experience who can jump in and trust me, there's a pile of resumes that you're just going to have to sift through otherwise, and that stinks. You can get specific and target exactly what you need. It saves time because you're you're spending less time and energy sorting through mismatches. And with Sponsored Jobs, your post gets seen by candidates who actually fit. Here's a stat that says it all in the minute I've been talking to you. Companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed just now, according to Indeed Data Worldwide. So if you're hiring, spend less time searching and more time interviewing candidates who check all your boxes with Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help your job Premium status Help get your job the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com podcast that's Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Hiring do it the Right way with Indeed. Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen. Every day you're an everydayer. You want to join the everydayers club. Now that the trade deadline is right around the corner, you can join. We got a little deal for you. If you want a group chat that keeps up with the chaos, join ours. The everyday club gets you group chat on Discord just for Celtics fans. Plus national chats. You can hang out with fans from across the league. You could add free versions of the show and if you sign up before the trade deadline on Thursday, you can use the code deadline to get your first month free. Tap the link in the show notes or go to lockdown celtics lockdown celtics.supercast.com lockdown celtics supercastle all right, let's get back into the middle. Middle of the road guys that may be out there. And when I say middle of the road, I'm talking about, oh, I don't know, Yousef Nurkic. Is there a world where a nerc kind of tickles your fancy? Tom? He's, he's a, he's in that, he's an expiring contract. He's in the mid teen range. He's in Utah. He's getting triple doubles. Yeah, you know what, what do you, can you talk yourself into a use of Nurkic type?

[Tom Westerholm]

Oh yeah, I, I think you can definitely talk yourself into him. I think, I think that if Yusuf Nurkic came to Boston it would not take long to like the quality of, he's, listen, he is a, he is a high quality player, right? Like not, not a star, never a star. Right? That's not at all what I'm saying.

[John Corrales]

No. Right.

[Tom Westerholm]

But he is a, he is a very quality player and I think you would see that quality, especially on the offensive end very quickly and it would, there's, there's, there's a late Rick and Morty reference where Rick tells Morty he's going to be 22, nicer to him. You will feel the difference. And that's like how I feel about Yusuf Nerkins. It's like you will feel the difference. It, it's significant. Right. And I, so I, I do think that you could, I mean, kind of similar to Turner in that way, I think, right. Where it's like you, you will feel the difference. But I, again, I don't know how much I think, you know.

[John Corrales]

Again, I.

[Tom Westerholm]

Can kind of take it or leave it with Nurkic. I really could. Like, all right. I, I really like Anthony Simons as a player. I, I, as, I, I've said this before, as I get older, I appreciate the aesthetic of the game so much more where I'm just like, wow, you can do that with still.

[John Corrales]

Like that's amazing.

[Tom Westerholm]

I used to be able to do cool things on a basketball court. Like so I really like Anthony Simons and I like having him around and all that stuff. But I mean, I do think. Yeah. Can you talk yourself into Nurkic for sure. But I, I think I err more on the side of inertia and the fact that the Celtics are what, 31 and 18. Right. Like. Like I err more on the side of just keeping that going.

[John Corrales]

I listen. I agree with you. I think, I think the. Just to calm the people down who might have swerved off the road when I said Yusuf Nurkic. It's. I think the point I'm making here is that I would just rather keep Anthony Simons. I would rather a lot of these situations. Yeah. And I'm. I'm mentioning these names because these are the types of players that are out there and nothing like this, none of these are. Are moving the needle for me. Now with NERC, it's $19 million. It's expiring. But you're trading for his bird rights. And what you end up getting is a guy that you can sign for whatever he's actually worth. And it's not $19 million.

[Tom Westerholm]

He's not getting that much again.

[John Corrales]

No, no. Right. But you can sign him for 10 and that is. You don't have to use an exception to do it. That's if you're. If you're saying to like if you're in the front office and you say we need to remake the kind of just. Just the balance of our team and we're going to trade a wing for a big. And this is how we have to do it. Then I get it. And I would look at Yousef Nurkic less as trading for him and more as a trade disguised as a.

[Tom Westerholm]

Or.

[John Corrales]

Or a free agent signing disguised as a trade because you're trading for him in order to sign him. But that. That's not the mid level or not the mid level but the mid tier guy that I'm looking for. I want to speak this into existence. The one guy I want to speak into existence at this level and it's Santi Aldama. I don't know why I fixated on him. I just. Because he's a big that can shoot. He's not the biggest dude in the world. He's not a great rebounder. He doesn't. He doesn't. Doesn't do a lot of the things that I think people would be looking for in that spot. But I'm looking at as him. As more of a. A stretch that maybe. Maybe you can develop. I'm in a lot of these deals I'm looking at. The Celtics are good at developing centers.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

And a little bit of time with Joe Missoula. Toughen you right up. Get. Get that pit bull out of you. He'll have you chewing nails.

[Tom Westerholm]

No.

[John Corrales]

You know, in. In no time.

[Tom Westerholm]

Or like Santi all dogma. Am I right?

[John Corrales]

Where's the boot? Timing was off.

[Tom Westerholm]

I've seen what makes you cheer.

[John Corrales]

Sorry. Okay. Any interest? I don't even know if he's available. I might. I don't know. I'm trying to speak into existence. What do you think?

[Tom Westerholm]

I like it as a play for when Tatum comes back. Too. Right. I. I think that that's when you.

[John Corrales]

See what I'm doing. I'm kind of trying to, like, rekindle the Porzingis thing. I'm trying to get that, like.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[John Corrales]

That's big type of. Type of guy. Because I know that that works. That's kind of where I'm going.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yep. Yeah, I can. I can see that. I. I like that one. As a. You know that you got a guy coming back who's gonna gobble up a lot of rebounds. You know what I mean? You know, you got a guy coming back who's big and can. And can do a lot of stuff, and you've got. You've got guards who can block shots. Right. Like, you have a. You have a lot of stuff on this team that can benefit from what Santi Aldama does, and that can cover up the things that he doesn't do. So. And there's a lot of stuff that he can do, so. No, I mean, I don't hate that one. I think that's a. I think that's a good one. I don't. Again, I like, like, all these guys. He's not a guy that I. I'm like, you. You.

[John Corrales]

Oh, yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

Go do that. You know, Like, I'm not. Not losing my mind over it. But, like, if that is who the Celtics pick up at the deadline, I think that'd be a pretty good piece of business.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. You know, I'm. Look, I've seen.

[Tom Westerholm]

I know that you're also not saying no.

[John Corrales]

Right?

[Tom Westerholm]

No.

[John Corrales]

Right. I'm just. I'm just trying to throw things out there to see the. The. The Aldama, and I'll throw. I'll throw Nas Reed into this mix.

[Tom Westerholm]

Sure. Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Because Minnesota is trying hard to get Giannis and if the Celtics can get involved, can you get Nas Reed, If Minnesota is really trying that hard, if John Morant, which he's probably not moving at this point, but if something happens, John Morant moves and you need a third team, can Santi Aldama be thrown in there? Can you get one of the. That is the kind of I, I've just been looking at. Where can the Celtics get involved in a multi team deal and can they snag one of these guys? Unlikely is I think the answer. But Brad Stevens, you know, that whole front office, they are very good at doing things that I don't think are possible. And so that, that's kind of where I'm, my mind is there.

[Tom Westerholm]

Can I, can I admit that I just, I just looked it up and I had no idea Santi Aldama was 7ft tall. Like, yeah, I had no clue that he was that tall, but. Okay, all right, fair enough.

[John Corrales]

There you go. All right, I got two names. And the best part about these two names is you can get them. I think I'm one for sure.

[Tom Westerholm]

Maybe both Giannis and Thanassis.

[John Corrales]

Yes, Tom, I'm teasing this next segment. No two guys without trading Anthony Simons. So you get two guys, two potential possibilities.

[Tom Westerholm]

Okay.

[John Corrales]

Okay. Trading Anthony Simons. Who could that be? I'll tell you when I come back. Today's show is brought to you by TurboTax. Because it's not just trade deadline season, it's tax season and does not have to take over your Life. This year, TurboTax is making it easier than ever to just hand things off and move on with your day. With TurboTax Full Service, you can have your taxes done for you by a trusted local expert, start to finish, without the stress or guesswork. Instead of spending hours and hours and hours trying to figure out your forms, you can just meet with a local TurboTax expert in person or connect online. They handle everything from W2s to self employed forms and they work to get you every deduction. You can upload your documents, you go about your day, you, you open up the TurboTax app and you can track the progress and get updates. It's a huge time saver and it gives you real peace of mind knowing an expert is handling it. For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 all in. If a TurboTax expert didn't file for you last year, just file by February 28th. Take taxes off your table, off your plate, and get Back to your life. Visit turbotax.com local to book your appointment.

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[John Corrales]

Thank you for making Locked on Celtics the number one sports number one Celtics podcast. On the number one sports podcasting network that's Locked On, I want to invite you to check out Locked on NBA Locked on NBA game night. Game night. I normally am hosting on Wednesdays but the Celtics play the the Mavs on Tuesday. Cooper flag. So I will not be hosting this week, but I'll be back next week. Game night covers every game in the association. Seven days a week lockdown. NBA has a ton of trade talk. All the, all the big stories, all the, the, the big storylines. That's five days a week, both on the same feed. Okay, Tom Westerholm, I got two names for you. Okay. Both of them make about $8 million. So there's a way to get them. You give, give up nothing or. Well, let's just, let's just go with the names. Number one, Goku Batazi. Orlando Magic makes 8.3 million. Big dude. He's 27. He fits. It's not the most ideal guy in the world, but he is big beefy dude that Ken is working on developing a, a three point shot. Yeah. And you're. What you're doing. I would say he's about the same as Keda. Doesn't play exactly the same, but about the same. So you're, you're committing to big strong dude. Not a stretch big. He's just gonna set the picks and do all that stuff. But you can get him and you can in, in this scenario, Tom. Sam Hauser for Gogo Patazi. They Orlando needs shooting cell. Let's get a big. Tatum's coming back. So now you get Tatum back. Anthony Simons in this scenario sticks around, resigns $15 million a year. That's my, my go to scenario. Mid level money which by the way people can. I probably didn't say it the right way. Mid level equivalent money. You don't have to use the mid level exception to sign. You just have his bird. Right. So you give him the equivalent of the mid level exception. So 15.1 whatever million dollars. So you have to give up a shooter, but you have Anthony Simon sticking around and you now have a front court that's decent. Still not the best. Does not fit my Porzingis scenario at all. Yeah, I know. What do you think?

[Tom Westerholm]

I don't love that one. I wouldn't do that one. I would rather have Hauser. I would rather have the shooting. I would rather have the explodability of Hauser right where he can come in and for two, three straight games in a playoff series, he could just give you 12 points in a minute and a half and all of a sudden the game is different. I would just rather have that guy. I'm also a little damaged from having seen what the Celtics have done to Batazi in the, in the past. Right. Where they just really. And look, that's not very fair because the Celtics aren't going to face Jason Tatum because they get to have Jason Tatum. So that's not entirely fair. But that's where I come down on that one. I. I would rather have Hauser.

[John Corrales]

Okay, then I'll go to the other.

[Tom Westerholm]

One.

[John Corrales]

Zeke Najee from Denver, who Denver is just gonna straight up salary dump. They don't want him anymore. He's 6, 10. He plays more of a 4 than a 5. He's switchable, but he's not like the strongest guy in the world. But he's switchable. He's not the best shooter in the world, but you know, 35 career. But he's really struggled lately. If you can get that back, there's this, to me actually makes the most sense because you can get him for Josh Minot. You know, I mean, like you, you're not giving up anything. It's a reclamation project for sure. But the Celtics have done well with their reclamation projects and he is a big. You're not playing Josh Minot anymore now, Now Naji play. He makes $8 million. Let's double check this. Eight point, almost 8.2. And then next year, seven, seven and a half. And then a player option for seven and a half a year later so he doesn't make a ton of money. So I think this feels like a very Brad Stevens move.

[Tom Westerholm]

It does to some extent. I guess my only question is what. How concerned are you that you're just acquiring a slightly different Xavier Tillman in that.

[John Corrales]

I understand that. And, and maybe, maybe that's. Well, I guess my response would be when you got Xavier Tillman, there was like promise there.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, yeah. For sure.

[John Corrales]

You know, I mean, it hasn't worked out. And I think it's mostly the knee.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

And so I'm at this price. So 8 million coming in, 2 plus moving out. So really you're adding 6 million. So you're not, you're not going over the second apron.

[Tom Westerholm]

No, for sure.

[John Corrales]

You're, you're. It's. And that's fine. The. He doesn't have to, he doesn't have to perform right away because he's taking the spot of a guy who wasn't playing.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yep.

[John Corrales]

You can work them in. You can try him in practice and shoot arounds and all that stuff. You can get him up to speed. He's played at the NBA level for a little while. He's done. Okay. I, I don't see, I don't see a downside, to be honest with you. I just don't see the downside because, yeah, he's taking a guy who doesn't play. I'm not trading Hauser. I'm not trading Richard. I'm not like. It's just. You're taking a spot and maybe you don't trade Minot form. I think they would want Minot. They're trying to get under the tax and Minot can step in and, hey, maybe he can get in there and do a little. What Zeke has done and, you know, whatever. I'm not making the best. This is not a game changer. Right. This is not a game changing trade. But if you're taking swings, if you're the Celtics who like to, they, they've done well so far with these reclamation guys.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

I don't see, I don't see the problem because what happened if it doesn't work next, next year's trade deadline, you attach a second round pick to him and somebody else says, well, we'll give it a shot. And I think that's where it goes.

[Tom Westerholm]

I could see that. I don't, I, I don't have a problem with the Zeke Naji one. I, I, Yeah, I think the thing that I'm not willing to. For, for neither. I'm not willing to give up a rotation player for either of those guys. Right.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

I'm not willing to give up a Hauser for a Batazi, obviously.

[John Corrales]

Which is what if it's.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, but if it's a. Yeah. If it's a Josh Minot for a Zeke Naji, I have no problem with. Yeah. Take a swing. Why not? Like, why not? You're not, you're not using. Give Minot a chance somewhere else. Like, I don't know what he did to just be like, you know, like, let him go. Let him go try to have an NBA career somewhere else. If you're not going to use him. You've got all these young guys who are showing some real promise. Let him. Let him play somewhere else. He didn't do anything to. To have to rot on a bench somewhere. And. Yeah, I mean, why not I.

[John Corrales]

So why not Minot?

[Tom Westerholm]

Why not Naji? Why. I don't have anything for that one. It's. It's my. It's not my favorite of the potential trades, mostly because I don't think it'll move the needle much, but I have no problem with it by any means.

[John Corrales]

I think the one that people might be latching on to is the Eve Mece from New Orleans. That's. I think that's. I don't know what his salary situation is, but that. That's. Where are we here? Why can't I find it here anywhere? That's great. This is great podcasting right at the end. I don't know where he is. Anyway, that. That's a name that's come up. Oh, here he is. 3.3 million. I don't understand why they would. Why would they trade him? That. That's the thing about him. I don't know why they would trade him. He seems to be doing okay, but New Orleans makes bad decisions. So one or two. I think. I think where we're landing is we, like. We, like, kind of where this is at in the. In the Giannis Antentokounmpo situation is kind of thrown such a wrench. Everybody's kind of like, whoa, wait a second. We don't want to be caught with our pants down here. If we could have gotten involved for a Giannis deal and gotten something out of this. You don't want to be the team that makes a trade and is like, oh, we could have gotten something better.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Because of this Giannis thing. So I think a lot of teams are just kind of sitting it out. So. But. But that's. That's why I go to, like, the Zeke Naji thing, because it's just such a. Doesn't mean anything. No disrespect to Josh Minot, but, like, end of bench guys, you know, I wouldn't. I don't even know if I would go Jordan Walsh for Zeke. You know what I mean?

[Tom Westerholm]

That's the thing. That's. That actually is my cut off. I would not do Jordan Walsh.

[John Corrales]

That's right. That's right. Absolutely. Josh Meyer, Xavier Tillman, Chris Boucher, any of those guys, that is fine with me. Jordan Walsh is actually useful. I think Jordan should probably stick around, but if he does get traded in in the right deal, it's not the. It's not the end of the world. But. So I think where we've landed is we like. We like Anthony Simons. I would rather keep him. I'd rather have him resign here.

[Tom Westerholm]

And listeners of Locked On Celtics will be shocked to hear that. I think Anthony Simons is pretty good.

[John Corrales]

Well, I don't know. I would love to hear people's opinions. There are a lot of other names that are out there, but these are the big ones that kind of. I didn't mention maybe a Bobby Portis in. In Milwaukee, you know, but these are all. I think we're all in the same place with all these guys. Like, fine. It's fine. I'm not giving up Anthony Simons for those guys. But, you know, maybe I. I'm. I'm more willing to trade Sam Houser in the right deal. I don't think Batazi is the right deal for Sam Houser, but that's what it would take. Baton. I mean, Portis for Sam. How. I mean, Sam Houser gets to go home. He would probably love that. You know, thanks, Boston. Thanks for the championship, but I get to go home to Wisconsin. That. That would be. I'm sure he would love that.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Bobby Portis, I think would work and people would love he. People hate him right now, probably.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. Boston would end up loving that.

[John Corrales]

They would love Bobby Portis.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Like two games for Bobby Boris to come in and people go, oh, yeah, I get it now. The.

[Indeed Representative]

The.

[Tom Westerholm]

The Bobby. Bobby would hit pretty hard.

[John Corrales]

Pretty. Yeah. And quick. And like, quick. So. But I still.

[Tom Westerholm]

But I think the bigger. The bigger thing with this, right, Is it's just if the Celtics don't do anything, that's okay.

[John Corrales]

It's okay.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, it's fine. Like, there's not this team. I don't think that this team is probably going to win a championship, but I do think that they're good. And I do know that they've got one heck of a player coming back. And if you take a look at this team and you're like, I want to see what this team looks like when that heck of a player does come back. I think that is very defensible. I have no problem with that. And if you think that you can sign Anthony Simons for a decent deal next year, I have no problem playing for that. I think it is a very valid option to go through this trade deadline and just, just, just let it go. I don't, I don't have any problem with that at all.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, I, I agree with you. I think, I think the Celtics big, anything big would happen this summer if, if there is anything big to happen. And I don't, I don't know that there is. I don't know there is, but we'll see. All right, Tom, that'll do it.

[Tom Westerholm]

You're just appreciate you, man.

[John Corrales]

Thank you. I appreciate you. Tom Westerholm find his work. Celtics work is on Boston.com my work is on Celtics on SI. So go check that out again. I've got a bunch of stuff. I got the Q A. If you've submitted questions recently for the Q A, which all go to john carales.com mailbag it's john corrales.com mailbag to submit your questions. I am doing them on both now. So because Sports Illustrated is free, you can go there and get your, you see your answers, answers to your questions. So check that out. If there's about 5 trade, I think it's 5 trade question and answer there. So go check that out. I want to thank you for being here, being an everydayer, joining me every Monday through Friday bonus podcast on the weekend. If you want to join the everyday club, it's locked on celtics.supercast.com 5 bucks a month, 50 bucks for the year. So you get a couple months free that way. You want a free month, Use the code deadline before Thursday. Sign up. You get that free month access to our Discord server audio ad, free audio, all that and more. So go check that out now. I would love it if you shared the podcast and tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the lockdown Celtics podcast here on the lockdown podcast network. It's your team every day.

[Indeed Representative]

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[John Corrales]

Why?

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Because of our amazing team. And when it comes to hiring, I trust Indeed sponsored jobs to help connect businesses with the right people. If you're looking to build your own amazing team, Indeed is a platform I'd recommend hiring. Indeed is all you need. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Now with Indeed sponsored jobs and listeners of the show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com LockedOnSports just go to Indeed.com LockedOnSports right now and support Support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com LockedOnSports Terms and Conditions apply. Hiring do it the right way With.

[John Corrales]

Indeed packages by Expedia, you were made to occasionally take the hard route to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We were made to easily bundle your trip Expedia Made to travel flight inclusive packages are atoll protected.

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To be a Team USA skier. It takes dedication, determination and lots of hard work. But it doesn't take all that to score unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Just use the active cash Visa credit card from Wells Fargo and tap to pay with that natural born talent and unwavering focus. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with the Active cash Visa credit card from Wells Fargo. Terms apply. Visit Wells Fargo.com ActiveCash Visa proud sponsor of the Olympics and Paralympic Games.