The Boston Celtics have been as banged up as any team in the NBA this season between injuries and COVID concerns. They don’t have a single player that has appeared in every game this season and already have started 13 different players despite playing only 28 games.
As a result, there has been consistent shuffling with the lineups. Despite that, one player that has been unable to carve out a role is shooting guard Carsen Edwards. He could be a name that ends up surfacing in NBA trade rumors.
Boston has battled injuries to their backcourt all season. Kemba Walker has been brought along slowly after having an offseason knee operation. Jeff Teague has missed five games. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart are currently sidelined. Payton Pritchard has missed six games. Romeo Langford hasn’t played yet this season because of offseason surgery.
Despite all of that, Edwards has not been given much of a chance at playing time this season. He has appeared in only 13 games, eight of which he hasn’t even reached double-digit minutes played. Imagine how limited playing time will be when the Celtics are healthy?
With no real path to consistent playing time in Boston, a trade might be best for both sides. That is why Edwards landed on the list of young NBA players ready for a trade before the deadline.
Despite being undersized for a shooting guard, Carsen Edwards has shown the ability to fill it up when his confidence is flowing. In the two games he received the most playing time this season, he scored a combined 34 points on 12-of-20 from the field, 5-of-11 from deep, with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.
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During the 2019 Summer League, Edwards was lighting up the scoreboard, averaging 19.4 points and 4.2 3-point makes per game. In the preseason following that Summer League, Edwards remained hot, averaging 15.3 points per game, knocking down 14-of-31 3-pointers in just over 72 minutes played.
If given the opportunity, Edwards could carve out a role as a scoring sparkplug off the bench. There are plenty of teams, such as the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, that could use some scoring punch a guard.
Scoring the ball is something that comes naturally for Edwards. He did it at Purdue as well, where he averaged 24.3 points per game his last season with the Boilermakers. Edwards just needs a team to give him a chance to showcase his talents.
