he Celtics might sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 14-4 record, but that doesn’t mean that Brad Stevens is standing pat when it comes to Boston’s roster.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Celtics are one of three teams that are reportedly “keeping tabs” on Grizzlies swingman John Konchar ahead of the February trade deadline, especially as Memphis continues to plummet near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Scotto also mentioned the Warriors and Lakers as other teams who are monitoring Konchar, who is in the middle of his fifth season with the Grizzlies. Much like the rest of Memphis’ roster, the 27-year-old Konchar is struggling in 2023 — averaging 3.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest while shooting 34.9 percent from the field.
Konchar, who is averaging just 18.7 minutes per contest with Memphis, has been a useful bench asset for the Grizzlies before this 2023 campaign. Last season, Konchar averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while converting on 43.1 percent of his field-goal attempts.
Even though the Celtics added bench depth during the offseason with players like Oshae Brissett, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Lamar Stevens, that trio has yet to make the most of the limited reps handed to them through the first month-plus of the 2023 season.
Beyond Konchar’s potential impact on the court following a change in scenery, the Celtics would also be able to fit in Konchar’s current salary ($2.4 million in 2023-24, signed through 2026) into the team’s $6.2 million traded player exception that it generated by sending Grant Williams to the Mavericks in the offseason.
Trades can officially commence during the 2023-24 NBA season on Dec. 15, with the deadline set for Feb. 8.