![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769441782_711_GettyImages-2246438824-e1763737818801.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla looks on from the bench during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at TD Garden.<\/p>\n
As the February 5 trade deadline approaches, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Boston Celtics<\/a> do not intend to stand pat.<\/p>\n More than simply being buyers, Boston appears focused on upgrading one specific area of the roster.<\/p>\n That focus, according to ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania<\/a>, is on adding a starting-caliber center.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve been in the marketplace, trying to go get a big-time starting center potentially,\u201d Charania said on The Pat McAfee Show. \u201cSo, they\u2019re gonna be, I think, aggressive in moving the needle. They\u2019ve got assets, they\u2019ve got contracts to use and play with.\u201d<\/p>\n With that in mind, a familiar group of names have started circulating in trade conversations.<\/p>\n Boston Celtics Exploring Options in the Frontcourt<\/p>\n In any potential deal, Anfernee Simons\u2019 $27.6 million expiring contract stands out as Boston\u2019s most significant trade chip in the pursuit of a quality center.<\/p>\n According to Forbes\u2019 Evan Sidery<\/a>, the Celtics\u2019 internal shortlist includes Ivica Zubac, Nic Claxton<\/a>, Onyeka Okongwu<\/a>, and Daniel Gafford<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gafford, in particular, appears to be one of the more attainable options on the market, though Boston may not be alone in its interest.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel Gafford is generating strong interest for the Mavericks<\/a> during trade season,\u201d Sidery reported<\/a>. \u201cThe Celtics, Hawks<\/a>, Hornets, Pacers<\/a>, and Warriors are among the teams to check in on Gafford.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGafford appears to be the most likely player on Dallas\u2019 roster to be moved by the trade deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n The Mavericks center is coming off a career-high campaign in 2024-25, averaging 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game, on 70.2% shooting from the field.<\/p>\n His momentum, however, has been slowed this season after spending time in and out of the line-up with injuries.<\/p>\n Through 30 games this year, Gafford is averaging 7.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game, while shooting 62.4%.<\/p>\n Evaluating the Fit and the Alternatives<\/p>\n Gafford is in the final year of a three year, $40.1 million contract and is earning $14.3 million this season. A three year, $54.3 million contract extension will then take effect, beginning at $17.2 million annually and increasing to $18.9 million by the 2028-29 campaign.<\/p>\n While Neemias Queta<\/a> and Luka Garza<\/a> have both provided more than expected in limited roles, there is a growing belief that Boston would benefit from a more established presence at center.<\/p>\n With Jayson Tatum<\/a> expected to return<\/a> in time for a late season push, reinforcing the middle could be a way to stabilize the rotation and raise the team\u2019s postseason ceiling.<\/p>\n Whether Gafford fully fits the \u201cbig-time starting center\u201d profile Boston is reportedly targeting remains open to debate, but he would represent a calculated veteran swing, particularly if he can stay healthy.<\/p>\n Zubac may align more cleanly with that description and remains a name that continues to surface, even as questions linger about his availability.<\/p>\n ClutchPoints\u2019 Tom Azerly<\/a> recently reported that the Clippers could have interest in Simons, which may open a realistic pathway to discussions.<\/p>\n \u201cOther players that have been linked to the Clippers<\/a> over the last several days are Collin Sexton<\/a>, Anfernee Simons<\/a>, and Coby White<\/a>,\u201d Azerly reported. \u201cAll three players are on expiring contracts and are currently on teams that likely prefer to move them for the right price.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional names<\/a> tied to Boston include New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> big man Yves Missi<\/a> and Memphis Grizzlies<\/a> star Jaren Jackson<\/a> Jr., though the latter would almost certainly require a substantial package to pry loose.<\/p>\n With multiple teams monitoring Gafford\u2019s availability, competition could escalate quickly.<\/p>\n For a Celtics team firmly fixed in the title picture at 28-17 and sitting second in the Eastern Conference, adding a proven rim protector could be the kind of measured move that helps define a postseason run alongside Tatum\u2019s return and Jaylen Brown\u2019s MVP-level play.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMatt Evans<\/a> is a sports journalist from the United Kingdom, based in Paris, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA and wider global sport. More about Matt Evans<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Celtics\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla looks on from the bench during the second quarter against the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":425862,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3795],"tags":[7,294,293,177,4070,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-562098","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-memphis-grizzlies","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-grizzlies","10":"tag-memphis","11":"tag-memphis-grizzlies","12":"tag-memphisgrizzlies","13":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115962144107241101","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=562098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562098\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/425862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=562098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=562098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=562098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}