Which Players Could the Celtics now Trade Their Assets for?
The 2017 offseason is winding down, and the Celtics have gotten a lot better as a team. They have added Gordon Hayward and Aron Baynes through free agent signings, and brought in Marcus Morris through a trade. The Celtics also found two rookies in the draft that will certainly contribute in Jayson Tatum and Semi Ojeleye.
They have lost some important players from last year in Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson, and Avery Bradley, but it’s safe to say that the Celtics have a better chance at a championship going into next season.
After all the improvements the team made, Boston still holds on to some extremely valuable future drat picks. They were connected to a number of players in trade talks like Paul George and Jimmy Butler, but their former teams simply wanted too much from Danny Ainge.
There will always be a star player that has a chance to be traded, and as long as the Celtics have their assets, they’ll be in the running to make a move. With Isaiah Thomas’ contract extensions coming up, this season might be one of the last chances for the Celtics to add a superstar type of player to their already impressive roster.
Here is the next wave of superstar players that could be available for trade.
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans made a big time trade right after the all star game in acquiring DeMarcus Cousins from the Kings. The trade was an attempt to surround Davis with more talent, as New Orleans has really struggled with that over the past few years.
If the experiment doesn’t work out, Cousins could leave in free agency and create some serious problems for the Pelicans. Davis is under contract until the 2021 offseason, but he could end up demanding a trade if his team continues to fail in surrounding him with talent.
This is where the Celtics could come in and scoop him up. Davis is one of the best players in the NBA, and could turn the Celtics into the Warriors’ biggest challenger overnight. The Pelicans would be able to start over with two top five picks in the 2018 draft, and the Celtics would be competing for championships.
Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
Porzingis was shopped by Phil Jackson before the daft not too long ago because he skipped an exit meeting following the Knicks’ ever disappointing season. Jackson has since been fired, which would make one think that Porzingis isn’t going anywhere.
However, the problem with the Knicks didn’t stop when Jackson was let go. The main problem starts with the ownership, and Porzingis could eventually want out. As an organization, it would be foolish to let Porzingis walk for nothing, so it’s possible that New York finally decides to trade their talented big man.
The Celtics could come in and offer the same amount of picks as they would to the Pelicans to get a deal done. Porzingis would fit seamlessly with the Celtics current core, and make them the biggest threat to Golden State as well.
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Thompson just won a championship with the Warriors, but is the fourth most important player on the team. He’s a great shooter and defender, and would make the Celtics a very hard team to stop on both ends of the floor.
The reason Thompson could be available is the Warriors’ ownership not wanting to pay a ridiculous luxury tax bill. Golden State is a very smart organization, and will want some compensation if they are to let a player of Thompson’s caliber go.
Giving the best team in the NBA two top five picks is pretty daunting, but for the Celtics, it weakens their main obstacle to an 18th championship. If one player of the Warriors super team needs to go to keep Durant around, Thompson will have to be the one to go.
Next: Who Would Pay Isaiah Thomas $30 Million?
The Celtics are in a situation where they’d be smart to give up their main assets to get another piece to put them over the top. However, I’m not sure how available these types of players will be before the clock runs out on the Celtics moving those picks. Still, be ready for another season of trade rumors, and other team’s fan bases complaining about Ainge holding on to valuable picks.