Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Mozgov, Harris

There are a number of reasons why the Celtics didn’t make a dramatic move at the trade deadline, not least because there wasn’t a grandfather offer presented that would prompt them into action. As A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes, another motivating factor was preserving opportunities for young players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to play and develop.

“We’ve got some big decisions in our franchise going forward with those young guys and and we love them all and they all bring something different to the table and we have a lot of confidence in them but yeah, bringing in other players can jeopardize their growth and development,” Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said.

While the article mentions Marcus Smart as another sub-23 young asset, it was Smart who was most discussed as a possible trade chip ahead of the deadline. Prior to that deadline, the Celtics insisted that they would only consider a significantly haul in exchange for the former lottery pick and obviously didn’t get one that impressed them.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

• The Raptors figure to be active in the buyout market, Josh Lewenberg of TSN tweets. The scribe also notes, in a second tweet, that general manager Bobby Webster reiterated that the franchise is willing to dip into the luxury tax next season.
• With just one 20-minute showing under his belt so far this season, there’s no denying that veteran center Timofey Mozgov‘s role is limited. Despite the lack of playing time, however, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes that Mozgov and the Nets haven’t discussed a buyout.
• The Nets view 26-year-old shooting guard Joe Harris as a potential part of their core, Zach Lowe of ESPN writes. In 54 games this season, Harris has averaged 10.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.