ESPN's Brian Windhorst ruled out the possibility of the Boston Celtics, or the NBA's 28 other teams, extracting big man Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clipper

But fast forward to the present, and it is clear that the Celtics are a good team with postseason potential despite those high-profile exits, and Mazzulla is a major part of the reason why given how well he is getting those younger replacements to play this season.

Brad Stevens has to weigh several factors when considering Boston's next moves as NBA trade season begins on Monday.

As the trade window opens, Boston’s strong start has clarified how the Celtics could approach the center market moving forward.

The Pistons will face the Boston Celtics on Monday night at TD Garden in their third meeting of the season. The two teams have split the first two matchups, but this one carries added weight for a young Detroit squad that sits at 20–5.

After all, the Celtics are in the early stages of a retooling process. Joe Mazzulla is coaching a roster full of unproven talent, fighting to prove they belong in the league. Interestingly, all three of Boston's young forwards,

The Boston Celtics are a much better team than expected this season. This trade proposal would take care of their biggest roster flaw.

The Celtics have swung at least one in-season trade every year since 2021, ranging in significance from the big swing for Derrick White in 2022 to the modest dumping of Jaden Springer’s salary this past February.

Following his first three-game losing streak in two years, Jaylen Brown reiterated a belief he had stated several times before. This was in late October, after a frustrating road loss to the Detroit Pistons. At 0-3, Brown and the Boston Celtics were in an unfamiliar situation. He still wanted to give his young team time.