Also, as a team that is operating above the second salary apron, the Celtics face numerous restrictions that will likely prohibit them from completing any substantial deal prior to Thursday afternoon. The Celtics cannot combine salaries in a deal, and they cannot send out cash in any trades.

Still, they could operate on the fringes. One league source said that despite the obvious restrictions, the team continues to have conversations with just about every team in the NBA about possible moves, just like it does every year.

Also, the Celtics still have an empty roster spot, and the source said the team will monitor how the buyout market unfolds after the trade deadline, when the dust from trade season settles and a few bigger-name veterans inevitably get waived by their new teams.

But as a second apron team the Celtics are also unable to sign a player who was making more than the $12.8 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception when he was bought out.

It’s unclear whether the looming sale of the team will factor into decisions that are made this week, but lead governor Wyc Grousbeck has given no indications that the process will lead the team to operate any differently than it would in a normal year.

If the Celtics do choose to pursue a deal, they will at least have some assets at their disposal. They own all of their first-round picks over the next three seasons. The Spurs have the right to swap first-round picks with Boston in 2028, unless the Celtics own the No. 1 overall pick that year. And the Celtics’ 2029 first-round pick is slated to go to the Trail Blazers as part of the trade that brought Jrue Holiday to Boston last season.

Among current roster players, guard Jaden Springer would be the most logical candidate to be dealt. Springer is on an expiring contract that is paying him $4 million this season, and due to the Celtics’ position above the luxury tax threshold and the resulting penalties, he is due to cost the Celtics about $15 million this season. He is still just 22 years old, and a team could be intrigued by his potential, just as the Celtics were when they acquired him last February.

Springer was out of coach Joe Mazzulla’s rotation for most of this season but has been used more frequently recently. He has had impactful moments, such as when he registered four steals in Boston’s Jan. 22 win over the Clippers. Springer has appeared in 26 games this season, averaging 1.7 points and 0.8 rebounds in 5.3 minutes.

A league source said that Springer’s uptick in playing time recently — he played 20 minutes apiece against the Clippers and Bulls in the last two weeks — was not a front office directive to essentially audition him for prospective suitors. The source said that Mazzulla has simply been using Springer in spots that he believes will give the Celtics a chance to win.

Regardless, playoff rotations will be condensed and it is unlikely that the Celtics will acquire a player this week who could eat into the playing time of the top reserves.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.