The Boston Celtics woke up on Tuesday morning as the No. 2 seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
The Celtics have been good in recent years, of course, but this is Jayson Tatum-less Boston. Not many would've expected them quite this high in the standings at this point.
Tatum may still make it back this season, which raises the urgency. The Celtics have a chance to put together a special season despite the adversity.
And so as trade season approaches, there's plenty to keep an eye on.
One thing many are expecting is a move that sends away Anfernee Simons, who came to town in the offseason in the Jrue Holiday trade with Portland.
"Assuming Boston makes a move, its biggest need is getting out of the luxury tax to reset its repeater tax clock and see if it can move Anfernee Simons," ESPN's Tim Bontemps wrote on Tuesday. "With a guard-heavy roster, adding a big man would make sense."
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ESPN's Zach Kram isn't sure if a big man is forthcoming. But he thinks the Celtics could parlay Simons into an asset that could then help them land Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu.
"The Celtics are competitive enough that they shouldn't dump Simons solely for tax relief. But if they make a trade to create some financial flexibility, thereby opening a spot in the perimeter rotation, the Bulls' Ayo Dosunmu would be a good replacement in a subsequent move," Kram wrote. "The speedy Dosunmu could add some fast-break points to the league's slowest-paced team, and his 3-point shooting (43% this season) and strong point-of-attack defense would make him a fit for Joe Mazzulla's style."
Dosunmu has been one of the league's most improved players over the past few seasons. He entered the NBA with expectations of being a disruptive defender.
The fact that he now shoots better than 40% from beyond the arc is incredible growth, and it would make him a perfect target for the Celtics to try and maximize this campaign.
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