It's TPE deadline day for Celtics: Will Brad Stevens use the $17.1 million exception?

BOSTON -- Brad Stevens has already made a big splash this offseason, trading for guard Malcolm Brodgon in a deal that greatly improved the Celtics' depth. Mix in a little Danilo Gallinari to a team that just went to the NBA Finals, and Boston has one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. 

Could the Celtics get even deeper by the end of the day Monday? Stevens has a pretty big chip at his disposal if he wants to make even more ripples throughout the NBA: The $17.1 million Evan Fournier TPE. 

However, the clock is ticking on using that asset.

Stevens has until midnight on Monday to turn that $17.1 million exception into another player or it just disappears into thin air. He said earlier this summer that he has no limitations to add payroll, but after picking up Brogdon and his $22 million annual salary, it seems unlikely that Stevens will be using this massive TPE before it goes poof.

Not only did adding Brogdon add a ton of money to the books, but it also cost the Celtics a 2023 first-round pick. While the TPE lets teams trade for a player without matching salary, the team they're doing business with usually likes a little draft compensation in return. The C's are a little thin on assets to truly bring in another high-end player at the moment.

Stevens could potentially sweeten the pot with someone like Grant Williams or Payton Pritchard, and second-round picks are given out like candy on Halloween in deals like this, but it's more likely that the Celtics will let the buzzer sound on the TPE without using it.

That would usually send Celtics fans into hysterics, but adding Brogdon a few weeks ago lowers the need to use this TPE. And Stevens still has seven others in his back pocket, including TPEs of $6.9 million (from Juancho Hernangomez) and $5.9 million (Dennis Schroder) that don't expire until early 2023. Those will come in handy should Stevens need to make any mid-season additions to the club.

There is always the chance that Stevens does use this big TPE before it expires, with a glaring need for another big at the bottom of the roster. The Pistons may be looking to jettison Kelly Olynyk and his remaining contract, and the Hornets are likely looking to do the same with Mason Plumlee, and either would fit in under the exception. Adding either, however, would push Boston's tax bill even higher.

Would it be worth it to the Celtics to pay that big bill for someone of their talent, or wait to see if someone else becomes available in-season? Sometimes, it's better to be patient than to do a deal for the sake of doing a deal.

If something worthwhile pops up before the end of the day, Stevens will certainly strike and make use of a valuable asset before it expires. But after making one of the biggest moves of the offseason thus far, Stevens may be done making big splashes this summer.