Boston Celtics: “Pass or Pursue” on 3 proposed Cs trade targets
Boston Celtics Receive: C Jarrett Allen
Brooklyn Nets Receive: C Robert Williams III, G Carsen Edwards, 2021 first-round pick (lottery-protected)
This was the deal designed for the Celtics, and it was meant to address the starting center position. As Swartz explains, Boston’s 16th ranked defensive rebounding rate can use a board gobbler like Allen, and the fourth-year man’s salary makes it an easy swap for a Cs team that would rather not sacrifice any core members:
"Allen is still on his rookie deal and more than good enough to be a team’s starting center, even if he was (foolishly) benched at times this year in favor of veteran DeAndre Jordan. If Brooklyn only values him as a backup, moving him now to avoid paying him in free agency next year makes sense. Williams would give the Nets a shot-blocker in training behind Jordan, Edwards has scoring potential off the bench, and the 2021 first-round pick would give Brooklyn some more trade ammo to go out and land a third star."
In the end, rolling the dice with Williams instead of using a pick to swap him with Allen may be the better course of action, but this is a creative way to alleviate the roster crunch Boston will face this offseason with three incoming first-round picks.