Something's gotta give - the Celtics need to make some moves

So after writing a whole column about how the most likely outcome is that nothing dramatic happens, I feel the need to completely contradict myself. You see, while any one specific deal is unlikely, I really do feel like some kind of impact deal is actually somewhat likely. Or said another way, while it is a long shot that we deal for Jimmy Butler in particular, it could be even odds that we make a trade of some sort that consolidates talent on the roster.

Yes, technically the team could run it back with much of the same roster. However, more of the same results in...well, more of the same results. Does it really get us that much closer to a championship by making marginal roster improvements and greening the roster more by adding multiple rookies?

Also, there could potentially be a lot of moving pieces this summer, to the point where the staff is working overtime to figure out what they could and should be doing in the next few months.

Green Street " Austin Ainge: ‘Still too early’ to say how active trade market will be in draft

"I don’t know. I think that each one of us would give you a different answer on our staff," said Ainge, the team’s director of player personnel. "We have so many picks and trade possibilities and all these other things that we’ve all been talking about all summer. There’s still a lot of work to be done."

It just seems that there are going to be a lot of opportunities for movement this offseason. Perhaps more than in recent memory.

As for going with the youth movement, that doesn't sound like anyone's Plan A. Least of all Brad Stevens.

Celtics still have lots on table as they evaluate draft prospects | Boston Herald

"I think that all of those things are on the table, and we need to look at all of those," said director of player personnel Austin Ainge. "I think Brad [Stevens] asked in his contract extension to not have eight rookies this year. That’s specifically written in."

Obviously Austin was joking, but there's a hint of truth in there. Even from a roster numbers perspective, it would be hard to squeeze all those picks onto the team, even if you pick a number of draft-n-stash guys.

The team is already very young, and a roster loaded up with guys on rookie contracts is just not a winning formula. I'm all for being patient and letting the rebuild take a natural course, but at some point you have to push those chips to the center of the table and take your chances on a big hand.

I've really grown quite attached to most of the players on this roster. I don't want to see Avery Bradley go. I don't want Jae Crowder to have to wear another jersey. But at some point, we need to be able to compete with the likes of the Cavs, Warriors, Thunder, and Spurs of the world if we want to raise another banner, and I'm pretty sure our current roster (plus a few picks) doesn't get us there.

So Danny will work the phones, and the rumors will ramp up the week of the draft, and maybe, just maybe, we'll see something significant happen this year.