Boston Celtics: 3 Clippers trades if LA blows up core

Many talking heads seem to think the Los Angeles Clippers are due for a breakup. If that is the case, who would be a reasonable trade target for the Boston Celtics?

The rumor mill yesterday was filled with hot-takes aimed at the Los Angeles Clippers, who were eliminated Tuesday night after losing their third straight game following a 3-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets. While it took the heat off of the Boston Celtics–who surrendered a lead themselves in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against Miami–it also may have set up the NBA offseason for one hell of a rumor mill.

It took no time for that to get started in earnest yesterday when former Celtics center and current ESPN on-air contributor Kendrick Perkins indicated that the Clippers are hell-bent on moving pieces around this offseason:

"“But listen, here’s the thing…the Clippers are going to break this up whether you like it or not,” Perkins said. “I heard from the inside source they’re all going to break this up. They are going to break this up.”"

Breaking this up after just one season following a summer that saw Los Angeles trade away a dump truck of draft picks to pair Kawhi Leonard and Paul George? Preposterous!

Then more dirt came out in the form of a reported argument between George and impending free agent Montrezl Harrell per in-bubble reporter Chris Haynes:

"“Harrell responded with something along the lines of, ‘You’re always right. Nobody can tell you nothing,’ and expletives were uttered from both players, sources said. George eventually toned down his rhetoric, but a heated Harrell wasn’t having it. Teammates began clapping on the sideline, in part to disguise what was going on and in an attempt to defuse the situation. The incident deescalated shortly after as coach Doc Rivers took his seat to go over the game plan.”"

Okay, well that’s just heat-of-the-moment stuff right? Well, apparently not, as the team’s dysfunction runs even deeper than that. The 2019-20 Clippers–one that cost so much to put together that looked like the 1B to the Lakers’ 1A in the western Conference–was never all-in on winning the championship this season:

Well okay then. Maybe it is time to blow this thing up.

If that is the case, the Boston Celtics are a reasonable trade partner in the event that they fail to bring home banner #18 in the Lake Buena Vista bubble. With three upcoming first-round picks and players of all pay grades having value in a deal, the Cs can do business with a Clippers team that wants to ship away ill-fitting–but successful–players.

Here are 3 trades the two teams can make together: