NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics’ 'Untouchables' Named Amidst Trade Talks

The Boston Celtics management could be open to the possibility of shifting any of its players to another team in exchange for a much-needed big man to anchor the team’s mediocre frontcourt – save for their “best five.”

The Celtics’ core comprised of high-efficiency scoring guards and pesky defending wing guys will not be broken up. The core includes Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum, Marcus Smart, and the injured Gordon Hayward.

"We're just trying to play to our strengths. And our strengths are, without Gordon here, Marcus, Jaylen (Brown), Jayson (Tatum), Kemba, those are our best players. So we're going to have them out a lot, and they'll be out a lot together. And when Gordon's back, all five of those guys, (there will) be four of them on the court a lot," Steven said about how his system is designed for these key guys.

Steven’s top-notch system of playing the small ball has done wonders so far for his Boston Celtics. Through the recent years, the squad he leads has been a consistent high-placed team in the Eastern Conference – a testament that his coaching philosophy is indeed off the charts. One dark spot, however, could not be left unnoticed in this type of approach. Despite getting backed up by the number of wins in the regular season, Stevens and his boys have never translated the success to the postseason.

As such, rumors still rolled out regarding the said trade intentions of the Celtics. In an article by Brian Windhorst of ESPN, he raised an interesting question: “ Can the Celtics win in the postseason when they face some of the most talented big teams in the league? ”

The Sixers, Raptors, and Bucks all present a solid frontcourt, respectively, and over the past couple of years, these teams have also been the Celtics’ stumbling block in fulfilling the franchise’s dream of returning to the NBA Finals.

"Would I favor them in a playoff series right now against Philly or Milwaukee? Maybe not," one scout said in an interview by ESPN. "You can focus on what they don't have, but if you look at what they do, you see they present you a lot of problems. Who knows what the matchups will be or who will be healthy in the end."