Boston Celtics: 2 Brooklyn Nets the C’s should pursue in the offseason

Jarrett Allen

The first three games of the Boston Celtics’ return has revealed obvious flaws in the center rotation that the teams’ brilliant play this season has helped mask. Daniel Theis is doing as well as can reasonably be expected, but he is just too small to overcome the Bam Adebayo‘s and Jusuf Nurkic‘s of the league.

A player who should become a force in the paint as his frame fills out is current Brooklyn Nets starting center Jarrett Allen. Given the politics in the Nets organization, it is unlikely Allen will be able to leapfrog DeAndre Jordan on the depth chart when the team is at full health.

Jordan was one of the key factors in recruiting Durant and Irving to Brooklyn, so his aging legs and declining athleticism will be featured over Allen’s development for as long as the Nets’ stars run the franchise.

Allen could well develop into a player like Adebayo, but with more ability to space the floor. An undervalued talent like Allen could flourish in a C’s starting five that lacks reliable rim protection. Given his upcoming extension next offseason (2021), the Nets may want to avoid commitments beyond Irving and Durant’s deals, opening up the door for the C’s to send over draft picks to a team in a hypothetical 3-team deal.