Boston Celtics: 3 Carsen Edwards trades to improve bench
The Boston Celtics are off to a disappointing start to the season, and Carsen Edwards is easily the most expendable player on the roster.
Losing to the previously winless Detroit Pistons is reason enough for the Houdini to hit the panic button on the 2020-21 season for the Boston Celtics.
I’m not hearing it when it comes to excuses as to why this slow start is a thing. Taking L’s to the Brooklyn Nets (who may not be the contender I thought they were) and Indiana Pacers is forgivable, but coming out so flat last night at the Little Caesar’s Arena against a team whose roster is as imbalanced as it gets is not.
Bleacher Report recently listed every team’s top trade target and–wouldn’t you know it–popular HH trade candidate Carsen Edwards was Boston’s pick:
"Carsen Edwards is the lowest-hanging fruit, and in this case, the right choice. He has fallen firmly behind Payton Pritchard and Jeff Teague in the backcourt pecking order, racking up mostly DNPs to start the season. If he’s not going to crack the rotation now, when Walker is on the sidelines, he probably won’t ever be a factor. Dangling his $1.5 million salary won’t net the Celtics much, but they can move it just about anywhere, and he retains some appeal as a prospective marksman for teams in need of an offensive firecracker. In the event Boston decides to use all or part of the $28.5 million Gordon Hayward trade exception, Edwards is the player most likely to wind up elsewhere should the C’s still need to create a roster spot."
With that in mind, we’ve designed deals to send Edwards out of Beantown to immediately improve the team’s second unit with someone that can step in and contribute right away:
Why the Boston Celtics do it
Edwards has no proven track record of being able to adequately perform at an NBA level. Wayne Ellington is a proven commodity that has shot over 37 percent from the 3-point line three of the past four seasons.
Why the Detroit Pistons do it
Detroit is not a team with any realistic shot of making the playoffs in 2021, so scooping up a draft pick for a younger shooter selected in the 2019 draft is a move they should consider.