One of the more important but often ignored aspect of each NBA trade deadline is the art of matching salaries. This means not only the obvious considerations of matching amounts permitted to be exchanged by teams. It also means satisfying front offices that are focused on the value of those deals, such as the Boston Celtics.
Just because the dollars work doesn’t mean the value does unless perhaps sweeteners like players on value deals, cash or draft assets are introduced into the equation to improve the offer. To such an end, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley compiled a list of the best and worst contracts on the books for every team in the league ahead of this season’s Feb. 9 deadline.
Let’s see who he put down for the Celtics.
While the prevailing wisdom of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ may seem the obvious route for a better version of the ball club that made (and nearly won) the 2022 NBA Fin… https://t.co/AlGBgJDjMZ
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 21, 2023
Best contract: Robert Williams III (four years, $48 million)
“Williams’ lengthy injury history plays into his contract amount, and if he never shakes the injury bug, it could really hinder the value of this deal,” suggests Buckley. “Still, he’s such an asset on the defensive end that the pay rate looks good even if he makes annual trips to the sideline.”
“A healthy Williams is a legitimate difference-maker who’s compensated like a role player. He creates all kinds of havoc on the defensive end, and on offense, he pairs elite finishing with sneaky-good passing.”
Worst contract: Malcolm Brogdon (three years, $67.6 million)
“Boston’s well-balanced books don’t do Brogdon any favors. His deal wouldn’t even enter this discussion on a lot of different teams,” offers the B/R analyst. “Going a step further, the Celtics’ depth isn’t helping, either, since it has him operating as a reserve for the first time since 2017-18 and logging a career-low 23.8 minutes.
“Add some previous injury issues to the mix — he hasn’t topped 65 games since his rookie season — and his deal becomes the worst (least good, really) on the payroll.”
