Boston Celtics: 3 teams that could trade for the No. 26 pick

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are another team that could be looking to reshuffle the deck, but their next move could (or at least should) resemble more of a complete tear-down and build-back. They went all-in on a failed James Harden-Chris Paul pairing and then pushed their remaining chips to the center in dealing for Russell Westbrook…and have nothing but a couple of trips to the Western Conference finals to show for it.

It just hasn’t resonated in H-town, and one or both superstars should be on the way out of town this offseason. The Cs have been listed as a potential suitor, though the Brooklyn Nets appear to be in the lead for Harden’s preferred destinations.

Yesterday I commented on the prospect of landing Harden:

"Pairing two top 25 superstars is always a recipe for championship success, and adding James Harden to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would be the best way to ensure the Cs will be in the title picture for the next three to five seasons."

While I believe a Harden-Tatum-Brown trio could work based on the amount of talent the Boston Celtics would have in tow after such a blockbuster, getting involved in a deal as the third team is likely the better route for Danny Ainge and co.

The risk is inherent when acquiring Harden; sure, no one dominates on the offensive end as thoroughly as “the Beard” does, but is Jayson Tatum’s offensive growth at risk with Harden in the lineup?

It’d be a fun question to find the answer for.