Boston Celtics

Can the Boston Celtics find hidden value in Zoran Dragic?

Published Aug. 4, 2015 9:59 a.m. ET

foxsports

Acquiring Zoran Dragic was, on the surface, a curious move for the Boston Celtics. They already had more guaranteed contracts on the books than they're allowed to take with them to training camp, and have no need for someone at Dragic's position.

But that doesn't mean the trade was dumb. Boston saw an opportunity to alleviate another team's luxury tax problem and struck by swiping a second-round pick from the Miami Heat for the price of Dragic's salary. Here's more on why it was a smart deal, per Hoops Habit:

"While just a minor move in a busy offseason, this trade is an example of Danny Ainge’s ways on a smaller scale. He saw the opportunity of a salary dump, but came out of it a winner. Most salary dumps burden a team with a multimillion dollar contract, but the Celtics managed to receive the cash needed to pay the contract. They picked up another valuable asset in the second rounder, without having to give up anything except a possible second rounder that would have to be a bottom-five pick to lose it. The only penalty is another man on the roster, but that will certainly be resolved in time."

There's almost no chance Dragic spends even one minute in a Celtics uniform. The 26-year-old lefty (just like his brother, Goran) scored 28 points in 78 minutes last season, his first in the NBA. It's highly unlikely Boston keeps him around considering all the young guards already on their roster.

But for the trouble, they now own Miami's 2020 second-round pick, yet another asset. The rebuild continues.

(h/t: Hoops Habit)