Boston Celtics: 1 trade target from every Southwest division team
Houston Rockets trade target: Danuel House
Houston is a team with championship-or-bust expectations this season. After being the closest threat in the Western Conference to the Golden State Warriors dynasty for two seasons, they pushed all of their chips to the center of the table for the 2019-20 season by pairing Chris Paul with two first-round picks and two pick swaps to land Russell Westbrook.
Currently sixth in the Western Conference, Houston is expected to be a dangerous out due to their iteration of small ball gaining momentum before the season was suspended. If they don’t win, there could be plenty of offseason maneuvering done by Daryl Morey to reconfigure this roster.
Danuel House would be an intriguing target due to his low salary and his 3-point marksmanship. He signed an $11 million deal over three years last summer and in the past two seasons, he has shot 36 percent or higher on over 4.5 3-point attempts per game.
Dallas Mavericks trade target: Seth Curry
The Boston Celtics could be looking for a backup point guard with Brad Wanamaker potentially playing through his final season in green and white. Tremont Waters and Carsen Edwards sit behind him on the depth chart, but they may not be ready for extended minutes next season.
Dallas Mavericks point guard Seth Curry isn’t exactly the purest of point guards, but his efficiency and marksmanship would take the C’s second unit to a new level.
Curry’s 45% conversion rate from deep is eye-popping, and his potential fit in a backup backcourt with Marcus Smart is tantalizing. Smart could pick up the playmaking duties while Curry sits behind the 3-point line and scorches opponents with his dead-eye shooting.
Curry makes around $8 million annually, so it would take a few contracts to make a trade work. With Dwight Powell set to miss time next season, Boston could entice Dallas with the likes of Enes Kanter and Robert Williams along with draft capital to get a deal done.
San Antonio Spurs trade target: Luka Šamanić
You may be asking why the Boston Celtics would be interested in trading for a player that has played 12 minutes in the NBA. Luka Samanic was drafted with the 19th pick in last year’s draft, and he underperformed somewhat in the G-League, with averages of 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and three turnovers on a 43/30/77 shooting slash playing for the Austin Spurs.
The reason why the C’s would make a move is simple: buy low. Samanic is six-foot-ten and has plenty of bounce for his size. Along with that, he has nifty post moves that can provide easy scoring as he works his 3-point shot up to a respectable level.
The San Antonio Spurs are likely to miss the playoffs this season, and a lengthy rebuild could ensue. It’d be worth it for the Celtics to give R.C. Buford to see what it would take to bring the Croatian to Beantown.