Boston Celtics: 3 Daniel Theis trades to improve bench when Kemba returns

The Boston Celtics should look to improve their bench by trading Daniel Theis for second unit depth when Kemba Walker returns.

To begin the season, Brad Stevens made a smart move starting Tristan Thompson and Daniel Theis together in the Boston Celtics frontcourt. As the Cs continue to figure out the best roster arrangements with Kemba Walker missing until later this month, having a dual-big frontcourt is a nice way to–at the absolute very least–best ensure extra shot attempts for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Unfortunately, Theis is not cutting it early on.

While Thompson is averaging just shy of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, Theis is putting up the mundane stats (five points, four rebounds on 45/14/66 percent shooting) in a contract year.

After getting a quality starter at the 5 in 2019-20, Danny Ainge is now paying $5 million per season for the kind of production the team could pick up on the undrafted free-agent market for pennies on the dollar.

That he is no longer the top big in Beantown doesn’t bode well for his future. When Kemba Walker returns, Thompson will have done enough to earn the starting role, leaving Theis in no man’s land. If he isn’t long for the green and white, here are 3 Theis trades the Houdini would pull the trigger on:

Why the Boston Celtics do it

Danny Ainge could swap Theis, who could lose usefulness in the lineup with Thompson thriving and Robert Williams surging, with Josh Okogie, who could immediately step in and be in line for backup minutes ahead of Semi Ojeleye, Romeo Langford, and Aaron Nesmith.

Why the Minnesota Timberwolves do it

With Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined with a wrist issue, Theis is a nice stop-gap center that could use a fresh start. That he could come with a first-round pick in a potential deal makes it even easier to pull the trigger on for the T-Wolves.