Celtics trade targets: Who could C’s acquire with three TPEs? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Can the Boston Celtics become the first team in five years to appear in consecutive NBA Finals? That may depend on the work Brad Stevens does over the next few weeks.
The Celtics’ president of basketball operations identified a desire Tuesday to add more consistent bench scoring and playmaking this offseason. Among the tools at Stevens’ disposal are a host of traded player exceptions (aka TPEs), which can allow Boston to add players via trade without having to match salaries.
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What are the specifics of the Celtics’ TPEs, and which players might they target with each exception? Here’s all you need to know about TPEs and the C’s.
What is a traded player exception?
TPEs are created when a team trades a player away without receiving any salary in return. They’re often generated after sign-and-trades.
For example, when the Celtics dealt Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets in November and received only a draft pick in return, they generated a $28.5 million TPE, which was the equivalent of Hayward’s salary on the first year of his contract.
How can traded player exceptions be used?
Think of the Hayward trade in reverse order: If the Celtics had a $28.5 million TPE, they could acquire Hayward (or any player making up to $28.5 million on the upcoming year of their contract) in a trade without having to “match salaries,” or send back players whose salaries add up to that $28.5 million figure.
A couple important notes about TPEs:
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They usually expire one year after they’re created.
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They can’t be combined with other TPEs. So, the Celtics couldn’t acquire a $20 million player using a $15 million TPE and a $5 million TPE.
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They can be used to acquire multiple players. So, if the Celtics had a $20 million TPE, they could acquire two players making $10 million each next season.
How many traded player exceptions do the Celtics have?
The short answer: A lot. Boston currently has eight TPEs at its disposal. Five are worth less than $2.2 million, however, so we’ll just focus on the three big ones: $17.1 million, $6.9 million and $5.9 million.
Here’s a breakdown of each TPE and which players the Celtics may look to acquire with those assets.
Traded player exception No. 1: $17.1 million
How acquired: Evan Fournier trade with New York Knicks…