Should the Celtics use the TPE now or wait till the deadline?

Hey, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the Celtics have a massive trade exception that they can use to acquire some help. Oh, you’ve noticed? You’ve actually been thinking about it obsessively since the moment you heard Hayward was going to Charlotte? Yeah, me too.

The season is well under way and trade season approaches. We’re already hearing names available for trade. But should the Celtics make a move now or should they wait for the trade deadline to see if better options become available. With the play-in games there are more teams talking themselves into going for the playoffs where they might have checked out in prior years.

So for kicks let’s go through a few names that have come up.

JJ Redick has the knockdown shooter resume that is exactly what the Celtics need.

But ...is he any good anymore? He’s shooting and playing terribly this year. Old friend Jared Weiss wrote extensively on the subject and concluded with this.

It’s clear Redick still can be the missing piece for a team with championship aspirations. But with the way he is shooting right now, it’s hard to justify the opportunity cost of using nearly half of the Hayward trade exception on a one-year rental. Trading for Redick would then take the Celtics out of the market for any of Orlando’s starters, or any other starting-caliber player in his prime on a bloated enough contract to make his ascertainable with the Celtics’ now-average trade asset collection. But if the Celtics are confident Redick will be rejuvenated and healthy in a competitive situation, the opportunity cost may be worth it to secure one of the game’s great shooters.

That seems to be the popular option being discussed at the moment but there are other names out there.

PJ Tucker seems to the be the next logical guy out of Houston. Brian Windhorst discussed the rumored pricetag.

“The word on the street that I heard that has been floated [for his value]: they either want a first-round pick or three seconds, which I’ve never heard that arithmetic done. Three seconds … There are fifteen teams that are somewhat impacted from trading firsts and eight who can’t really trade any, sort of narrows the market. Most of the competitors, most of the teams who are playoff teams this year, are encumbered from trading their pick.”

Finally, the Orlando Magic got some bad news today. Aaron Gordon is out for the next 4-6 weeks with a severe ankle sprain. Does that prompt the Magic to blow things up?

So do you think the Celtics can make a move sooner than later? Or should they wait and see what becomes available closer to the trade deadline?