Many are expecting the Celtics to be buyers leading up to this Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. And why wouldn’t they? Boston currently sits atop the Eastern Conference with an NBA-best 37-16 record. Buying teams don’t typically move pieces off their rotation unless a blockbuster deal is in play. Could that be the case for the Celtics?

According to a new report from Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, there are teams around the league hoping the Celtics will elect to move such a player. O’Connor wrote on Sunday that “teams have made calls to Boston” regarding trading for forward Grant Williams.

• So far this season Williams has played in 52 of the Celtics’ 53 games, making 18 starts. He’s averaging 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game – the fifth-most of any player on the team. In his current role, he’s given the Celtics valuable depth both on the wing and in the frontcourt, especially as Robert Williams has missed time.

  That all being said, Williams and the Celtics failed to reach a contract extension by the October deadline, which has the 24-year-old now set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. He’ll hit free agency, but the Celtics would be able to match any contract offer he accepts from another team.

  Even with that, the Celtics dealing Williams doesn’t seem like a likely possibility given their current situation. Making the current roster weaker in the short term during a championship window to prevent losing a bench player for nothing in free agency just isn’t how teams generally operate.

  If the Celtics were to deal Williams, it would likely be in a package to bolster the top of the roster. That being said, teams with those kinds of players are generally in playoff contention, and probably wouldn’t be looking to move them at this point.

  The Celtics still have some time to figure out how they want to approach the deadline as a whole. Teams have until 3 p.m. ET on Thursday to make trades.

• Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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