The Celtics have few alternatives for adding to their roster ahead of next month’s trade deadline. However, one change on Sunday created a few additional opportunities for their squad without affecting Boston’s core. The Wizards and Pistons reached an agreement on Sunday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com, in which Washington obtained Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Livers, and two second-round selections from the Pistons in return for former Celtics Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala.
The trade between two of the NBA’s poorest clubs is unremarkable on its own. The Pistons want to free up some financial space for next offseason, so they combined a couple of second-round picks with Marvin Bagley’s salary ($12.5 million in 2023-24) to persuade the Wizards to make the large deal for the 24-year-old forward. Muscala and Gallinari were only traded for matching salaries and are unlikely to be part of the Pistons’ long-term plans because they are both on expiring contracts as elderly veterans.
So, why is this a potentially significant trade for the Celtics? It all comes down to one NBA CBA rule. Boston traded Muscala and Gallinari to the Wizards in June as part of a three-team transaction that resulted in Kristaps Porzingis joining the Celtics. After selling away both players, the Celtics were no longer able to acquire Gallinari or Muscala for the next season through a Wizards trade or buyout.
However, with the Pistons transaction, that equation has changed. Since both forwards have joined a new team, the Celtics are technically free to trade for either player. They could also technically re-sign any player if they strike a buyout agreement with the Pistons.
The more pressing question is whether the Celtics are truly interested in re-signing either player. Both players have struggled with Washington this season, registering shooting percentages much below their career averages. Gallinari averages 7.0 points per game despite shooting only 31 percent from three, while Muscala averages 4.0 points per game while shooting a terrible 27 percent.
Gallinari ($6.8 million) is extremely unlikely to be a target for Boston at that salary owing to luxury tax penalties. He could strike a buyout with Detroit if he is not traded to another team before the trade deadline, but he would most likely desire a larger role than what is available to him in Boston in that event.
Muscala is the more fascinating name here from Boston’s perspective because he earns a lower salary of $3.5 million, which would fit into Boston’s Grant Williams TPE. Boston could also easily match his salary by moving a pair of backup players.
It is unclear whether Boston is hunting for another large before the trade deadline or prefers to strengthen at a another position (big wing). However, given that Muscala is familiar with Boston’s system, Brad Stevens has at least one more trade option to explore. The chances of either player reuniting are slim, but this is still something the Celtics should keep an eye on.
Leave a Reply