Stevens discusses team’s options, approach as trade deadline looms

BOSTON — The Celtics are in a position of power as the trade deadline looms in just over one month. Through 33 games, they have the best record in the league. they have, arguably, the most talented top six, with a bench that has proven to be capable.

Making a move, barring a major injury, isn’t exactly imperative. The Celtics will remain heavy championship favorites without one. But there’s also some pressure attached to this season. The team has already demonstrated an all-in, win-now approach with the acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

Brad Stevens has been given the green light by ownership to do whatever it takes in pursuit of a championship. To that point, he’s prepared to exhaust all his options that could put the Celtics over the top.

But as he does so between now and the feb .8 trade deadline, stevens isn’ t going to make a move just to make a move. With a league-best 26-7 record, the new pieces have meshed well together. Stevens doesn’t want to mess with that chemistry.

“There’s two ways when you add players to your team,” Stevens said Thursday. “They can add to your team and take away from your team. I think you just got to be careful. And so that’s something to think about when you have as many guys that are complementing each other as well as ours.”

Stevens said Thursday that he continues to have the green light to make any move he deems necessary. But he acknowledged there are limits to what he can do from a financial standpoint after the Celtics’ offseason moves built a big luxury tax bill. Any move is likely to be a small depth addition. Boston presently has one spot open on their 15-man roster.

“There’s really not a ton we can do big without touching our main guys, right?” Stevens said. “And so, what you look at is guys that can play, guys that can add value, but like I said last year, don’ t need to play. they are over themselves, and I think that that’s important. That’s what we have right now.”

The Celtics have a $6.2 million traded player exception they acquired from the Grant Williams deal they could use to add to the roster. But Stevens said those options are limited, too.

“That’s really the number one tool we have,” Stevens said. “But that’s $6.1 or $6.2 million. So it’s a small number of people. A lot of the people that are in that were signed to minimums or smaller contracts, or are on their rookie scale deals that teams aren’t exactly excited to move on from yet. So it’s a very small group of people, but we’re going to exhaust it, we’re going to look at it. And again, I think it’s about OK, who can come in, have the self awareness to add to the group and the talent to add to the group?”

The Celtics don’t have any obvious flaws or critical needs, but places that could certainly be fortified. They have been happy with their depth in the frontcourt with the play of Luke Kornet and emergence of two-way center Neemias Queta, who could be a candidate to have his contract converted to a standard one. But there could be an upgrade to be made, especially as the Celtics look to keep both Porzingis and Al Horford as fresh as possible for the playoff run.