The Boston Celtics have been one of the biggest surprises of the season. Despite superstar Jayson Tatum going down with an Achilles injury in the team’s playoff run last year, they’ve been one of the leaders in the Eastern Conference, sitting at the #2 seed. Now, as the trade deadline nears, one insider weighs in on the team’s status after they came as close as they did to cleaning house in the offseason.

“I could see Boston going the other way and maybe adding a player, maybe adding another big man,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said on the Pat McAfee Show. “They’ve been in the marketplace trying to go get a big time starting center potentially. So they’re going to be, I think, aggressive in moving the needle.”

“You have to give Jaylen Brown a lot of credit,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said. “You think about MVP candidates, he has to be up there… What he’s been able to do to propel this team to being a top three seed in the Eastern Conference without Jayson Tatum, and we’ll see if and when Jason Tatum, exactly when he comes back the second half of this NBA season.”

Brown has been having the best year of his career, averaging MVP-level numbers, stepping into the void left by Tatum, and, according to Charania, has left the Celtics’ front office to rethink their trade-deadline approach. Coming into the year, the team was only expected to offload Anfernee Simons’ contract to a contender, but now, they might end up being a buyer too.

Their surge has come at the perfect time. The Eastern Conference is unusually open this year, especially with teams expected to contend falling off. Other than the Detroit Pistons, who have been dominant in the regular season, there’s no clear team quite on the Celtics’ level.

“The East is wide open,” Charania claimed. “You look at what Boston has. They’ve got the talent. They’ve done it before. So you have to put them up there.”

So far, the team has been extremely cautious with Tatum’s return. Despite his extremely impressive recovery program off the court, the Celtics are hesitant to let the star return as soon as he wishes, especially considering that he’s coming back from one of the most brutal injuries.

Why the Boston Celtics may add instead of subtract this trade deadline

Coming into the year, the Celtics got rid of many key players from their 2024 championship squad. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were traded to shed salary. Al Horford and Luke Kornet walked in free agency, and what was received in return was considered meager at best: minimal draft capital and Anfernee Simons. The front office, however, would be kicking itself for not re-signing Kornet, their fan-favorite high-value reserve for the past four years.

The big men are a concern for the Celtics, and though Neemias Queta and Luka Garza have been serviceable, neither is really playoff-tested.

The team has been connected to Brooklyn Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe, Los Angeles Clippers big man Ivica Zubac, Chicago Bulls veteran Nikola Vucevic, and Golden State Warriors reserve Al Horford.

Vucevic, in particular, will provide a major boost due to his offensive and rebounding skills. The 35-year-old also helps space the floor with his decent shooting. The veteran has averaged 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 50.4% from the field and 37.3% from three.

Come the trade deadline, keep an eye out for any potential moves from the Celtics.