Boston - March 27: The Celtics romped over the Timberwolves, and as the game was safely in the books in the fourth quarter, head coach Ime Udoka (right) had a big smile and a pat for a smiling Jaylen Brown (left) on the sidelines. The Boston Celtics hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves in a regular season NBA basketball game at the TD Garden in Boston on March 27, 2022. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)Boston Globe via Getty Images

We’re running a weekly mailbag during the Celtics offseason. If you have questions about the Celtics or NBA, email brobb@masslive.com or tweet @briantrobb

Can the Bucks with a healthy Middleton beat the Celtics in the playoffs in 2023? — HomerJ90

Absolutely and that’s probably one of the reasons a trade for Kevin Durant is even a consideration for Boston this offseason. The Bucks are pretty much running it back next season with a potential boost in the second half of the year with Joe Ingles as a bench option upon recovering from a torn ACL. The Celtics upgraded their bench depth as well which should help match up with Milwaukee’s supporting cast but there’s a very real possibility Giannis and Khris Middleton can be the best two offensive players in any series against Boston when they match up. Brook Lopez was also limited for much of last season as well with his back injury so as of right now, the Bucks are clearly Boston’s top competition in the East. That’s not to say the Celtics still wouldn’t be favored in that matchup but it’s going to take a far better effort than we saw in the second round last year to take down this Milwaukee squad at full strength.

Who is a better player? Tatum or Brown? — Maine Celtics Fan

Tatum. It’s not particularly close when you look at it from a big picture perspective. Brown was a better player in the NBA Finals last year but Tatum was the team’s best player throughout much of the season and his All-NBA selection is indicative of that.

Do you think at some point that Brad Stevens ever pulls Jaylen Brown aside and tells him, look, man, don’t have any fear you’re not going anywhere it’s just noise? — Miles

There’s no doubt at this point that Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka have addressed this situation with Jaylen Brown given the fact the rumors have not gone away. If the Celtics decide to bow out of the Durant sweepstakes down the line, ensuring those open lines of communication will surely be meaningful for the long haul. Brown has dealt with trade rumors for stars throughout his career so it’s nothing new for him, but doing so after an appearance in the NBA Finals has to sting a little bit more. Addressing and downplaying any strategic leaks by the Nets amid negotiations will be essential for Boston to maintain that trust from Brown over the long-term, assuming he isn’t dealt.

In what ways do you foresee Timelord improving his offensive game? — Danny R

The midrange jump shot has been a pleasant surprise last year so continuing to gain more confidence there is one thing. The other area of focus I’d have him lock in on is his offensive aggression around the basket. There were far too many possessions when he turned down a possible dunk or layup in order to kickout to a shooter. It’s nice to mix in a few of those but Williams should punish teams more in those instances with a smaller defender on him. That will make Boston’s offense more well-rounded and less reliant on the jumper some nights.

Hope you’re enjoying your summer.   What are you thoughts on Matt Ryan?  At the end of Summer League he seemed like a certainty to compete for an end of the bench roster spot.  Now all I hear is crickets.  Keep up the great work.   AJ

Ryan is definitely in a tough spot roster wise with Boston’s two-way spots already going to JD Davison and Mfondu Kabengele. The Celtics addressed a lot of their shooting issues on the bench by adding Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari this offseason. With Sam Hauser already signed to a guaranteed deal, the Celtics seem to be on the hunt more for two-way wings or defensive-minded guys to fill out their bench over another player like Ryan. That’s not to say he couldn’t get an invite to training camp but the bet here is the Celtics go with other more experienced and versatile options. Ryan’s story is a great one and he’ll get another chance somewhere, it just might not be in Boston given their roster needs.

We’ve now watched a few trade exemptions come and go with Danny and now brad. What’s the point then?  Were they ever really close to using any of them in recent years? — Sawdust

Most trade exceptions go unused since the vast majority of them are for insignificant amounts ($2 million or less). However, big ones do matter for teams that are over the salary cap and are trying to improve like Boston for the last few years. There was no way to directly replace Gordon Hayward or Evan Fournier in free agency when those guys walked out the door so creating TPEs at least gave the Celtics a potential option to replace them in a trade without having to shake up the rest of their roster. The fact that Boston let the Fournier TPE expired unused was simply due to the fact that Boston was able to acquire a better player (Brogdon) in a straight up trade that would have been structured similarly to any deal involving the Fournier TPE. They definitely had a couple of options lined up with the Fournier TPE but just like the Brogdon deal better so they went with that. I’d expect at least one of  Boston’s remaining smaller TPEs to be put to use during the upcoming year if Boston remains in contention.

I am 90% convinced the Durant to the Celtics trade is happening. What percentage are you? — Greg

I’d put it at 25 percent.

Please send any questions about the Celtics or NBA for a future mailbag to brobb@masslive.com or tweet @briantrobb

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