Boston Celtics: Analyzing fit for 5 stars in need of a trade
Could the Boston Celtics be in the market for any of Bleacher Report’s listed stars needing a trade from their current franchise the most?
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz recently penned a piece about NBA stars who need a trade now more than ever, and we wouldn’t be the Houdini if we weren’t exploring the feasibility of each of these headliners in Boston Celtics green.
Swartz listed five players on four different teams who can all have been considered the best player on either their current team or a team from their past. Some would even be the best on the Celtics…but what are the chances that these five players end up in Beantown?
Let’s take a look…
Andre Drummond, C – Cleveland Cavaliers
Andre Drummond has a player option for the 2020-21 season, making him a good short-term fit for a Boston Celtics team that is a few pieces away from being a favorite for the 2021 NBA Championship.
Beyond his upcoming guaranteed season, Drummond isn’t looking at paydirt next offseason…unless he can add an outside shot and improve his footwork in the post. The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t seem very interested in keeping him long-term, meaning he may be a goner sooner than later:
"According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, waiting for a deal may be what’s best for the Cavaliers, as well: “Multiple league sources believe the Cavs’ best chance for a trade would be at the deadline, sending him to a contender looking for an additional piece with no financial commitment beyond the 2020-21 season. That gives rival executives a chance to evaluate where they stand financially and competitively.”Drummond was a low-cost acquisition for the Cavaliers (John Henson, Brandon Knight, 2023 second-round pick), but he ultimately doesn’t make sense for the future of the team."
Acquiring Drummond would require the Cs to part with Gordon Hayward or Marcus Smart, so unless the team can add a young talent like Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, or Kevin Porter Jr., a deal isn’t prudent for the Celtics.
De’Aaron Fox, PG – Sacramento Kings
A much more interesting name for the Cs would be De’Aaron Fox. The 22-year-old was part of the same draft class as Jayson Tatum and would be a fantastic long-term fit. Swartz doesn’t see the current fit in California’s capital:
"Why would Fox want to stay?The West is only getting better, with Sacramento finishing in 12th place above only the New Orleans Pelicans (getting their first full season of Zion Williamson), Minnesota Timberwolves (boasting the No. 1 overall pick, D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns) and Golden State Warriors (getting a healthy Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson back).All three could theoretically pass Sacramento in the standings, which could make the Kings the worst team in the West.Fox should be seeking a trade now before he signs a long-term extension coming off his rookie contract. Doing so would put him in a better environment in which he could grow and develop."
Fox would be an interesting replacement for Kemba Walker if the Kings would be interested in swapping out their young stud floor general with another piece and draft capital.
James Harden, SG – Houston Rockets
The Boston Celtics really aren’t a good match for the league’s best scorer. He is a tough player to build around, and the Cs may already focusing on building their team around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Swartz noted just how difficult Harden is to craft a contender with him as the top player on your team:
"Although he’s set to make $131.5 million over the next three years, Harden is still a good value with everything he provides—even now at age 31. Teams can base their offense around him (34.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 62.6 percent true shooting), but finding the right complementary pieces has always been the challenge.Harden has done all he can individually with three scoring titles and an MVP, but his career is in real danger of going down the path of Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and so many other all-time greats who were never able to win a championship."
Pass.
Kevin Love, PF/C – Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Love will always be an interesting name linked to the Boston Celtics because of what he brings in a nutshell. Outside shooting from the 5 spot would be the best thing to open up the floor for their athletes.
Then again, the price may be unreasonably high, given the depreciating value of his stock in the last few seasons:
"The Cavs understandably don’t want to give up the face of their franchise for nothing, of course. Simply flipping Love for an expiring contract to create cap space isn’t as important to a team that hasn’t signed a non-Akron-born superstar free agent, either.The ideal Love trade would likely have him going to a contender that needs an upgrade at power forward and has a strong rim-protecting center already on the roster. The Cavs should be open to taking on another bad contract, so long as the team sending it can attach some draft picks or young players, as well."
If Cleveland is going to be unreasonable, Danny Ainge should hang up the phone.
Chris Paul, PG – Oklahoma City Thunder
Chris Paul has long been linked to the Boston Celtics, but would the Cs be ready to ditch three seasons left on Kemba Walker’s contract for a much more injury-prone point guard in his late-30’s?
Probably not since Paul is more likely to join the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers for their pursuit of banner #18 instead:
"Matching contracts would be an issue, but the Los Angeles Lakers seem like an obvious fit coming off a championship and with Paul’s buddy, LeBron James, on the roster.“Chris Paul would love to come back to L.A. I know it would be a dream come true for Chris,” an Eastern Conference executive told Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus. “I know LeBron loves and trusts him and he would be a good fit.”All that’s missing on Paul’s Hall of Fame resume is a championship, which he’s not going to win by staying in OKC."
Go try for your first ring elsewhere CP3.