The Boston Celtics did not give Tyler Zeller or Jared Sullinger contract extensions ahead of the deadline this season and that could fuel trade interest for the players at the deadline for head coach Brad Stevens. The Celtics have a young core with Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley and there is a chance the team could be active at the trade deadline after declining to extend Zeller and Sullinger.
The Celtics have started the season 1-2 and they will be taking on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night following losses to the Spurs and Raptors. The Celtics exceeded expectations last season and made the playoffs and this year Stevens will be looking for the team to make more progress. The addition of David Lee in a trade should help add depth and Marcus Smart has been off to a solid start for the team.
The Celtics opted to not give Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger contract extensions at the Monday deadline and that puts both players on track to be restricted free agents this summer. According to Hoops Rumors, the team could be "pleased" to sign both players as restricted free agents, but there is a chance that they could end up too expensive to bring back. The salary cap is going to rise and depending on what Zeller and Sullinger ask for, the Celtics may only bring back one of the two next season.
Sullinger has been mentioned in trade rumors before, including last summer around the draft, but the Celtics have not been close to making a deal. There is a chance that Sullinger and Zeller could be trade targets this season after not signing extensions, but the Celtics may want to try and see what they can do this season with the roster they have, as both players are young and still have potential to improve as they develop.
But there are some things that make it tough for the Celtics to keep both, as the team already has a crowded frontcourt with David Lee, Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Jerebko and draft pick Jordan Mickey and that could lead to the team making a move with one of the players. According to WEEI.com, the Celtics want to keep some flexibility moving into free agency in 2016, as the cap is rising and there are some notable players hitting the market. The team could have over $40 million in cap space and that is one of the main reasons why the team did not push hard for extensions with Sullinger and Zeller.
Zeller has been off to a slow start this season after playing well during the preseason, but overall the starting unit has been struggling for the Celtics. ESPN writes that Zeller's defensive rating is the worst on the team and this season he has averaged just 5.3 points per game and has only grabbed two total rebounds in three games. Sullinger has been playing well and according to NBA.com, head coach Brad Stevens praised his defense and energy on the court this season. Sullinger is averaging 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds this season.