The Boston Celtics have a $17.1 million traded player exception (TPE) available to them as their biggest, sexiest teambuilding tool this offseason, able to absorb $17.1 million plus up to $100,000 more in player salary or salaries without having to send anything back.
They will need to make use of it before the TPE — created by signing-and-trading Evan Fournier to the New York Knicks the season prior — before it expires on July 17. There is a good chance it expires, and also that it is used before the league calendar changes to 2022-23 salaries on July 1, 2022, but chances are that Boston will use their Fournier TPE after the 2021-22 season ends on June 30.
With more than a few fans wondering who might be able to be traded into the TPE, we decided to put together a comprehensive guide to every player that would fit as a focal point that would not also fit into one of the Celtics’ smaller TPEs. Let’s take a look at the candidates.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Above average
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Yes
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly unlikely
Negative contract? Slightly
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Near ideal
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? No
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly unlikely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly unlikely
Negative contract? Yes
Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? No
Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Poor
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Yes
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? Neutral to slightly
(AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Fit: Very good
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Fit: Good
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Slightly
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? Slightly
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Fit: Near ideal
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Fit: Good
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? No
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? No
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Fit: Near ideal
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Above average
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? Slightly
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Above average
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? Slightly
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Slightly
(AP Photo/Garett Fisbeck)
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? Neutral
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly unlikely
Negative contract? Neutral
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Near ideal
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Near ideal
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly likely
Negative contract? No
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? No
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Neutral
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Very likely
Negative contract? Health-dependent
(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Excellent
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Fit: Good
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Health-dependent
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Fit: Good
Availability: Slightly unlikely
Negative contract? No
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Patrick Breen-Arizona Republic
Fit: Above average
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? Yes
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Fit: Very good
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Above average
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Yes
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Below average
Availability: Very likely
Negative contract? Yes
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
(Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Fit: Very good
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Ideal
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Average
Availability: Very likely
Negative contract? Yes
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Near ideal
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Below average
Availability: Very likely
Negative contract? Yes
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Poor
Availability: Very likely
Negative contract? Yes
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Average
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Neutral
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Poor
Availability: Very likely
Negative contract? Yes
Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Very good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Near ideal
Availability: Very unlikely
Negative contract? No
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Unlikely
Negative contract? No
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Average
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Slightly
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Likely
Negative contract? Neutral
Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Fit: Good
Availability: Neutral
Negative contract? No
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