Last night, the Boston Celtics lost 116-111 to the Sacramento Kings without their starting point guard, Kemba Walker.
You must be asking yourself why the Houdini has decided to take a peek over at the grass on the other side of the point guard fence, today, then.
Well, you see, Walker’s absence last night was the 13th DNP for the 30-year-old floor general this season. Knee issues kept him out of the first 11 games of the season. During that time, the team amassed an 8-3 record.
Now, look, I know Walker’s absence wasn’t why they won those early-season games. The schedule was pretty tame early on, with two games against the downtrodden Detroit Pistons and a few contests against the struggling Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, and then-struggling Toronto Raptors (temporarily misplaced in Tampa Bay, of course).
But since he has returned, he has struggled mightily. Adjusting to an injury is one thing, but when that same injury was an issue a full calendar year ago, there’s a larger problem looming in the background.
I’ve pointed to Walker’s contract (one ascending in value in the coming years) and his chronic knee issues as a reason why the undersized point guard on the wrong side of 30 could be a problematic deal if not traded.
Today, I have my eyes on these three point guards to pursue in a deal for Walker:
Boston Celtics point guard target #1: Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is up to his same old trick this season, scoring just under 30 points per game while dishing out seven assists per contest. The Trailblazers currently sit in a playoff spot, but just two games separate them from the #12 team in the standings.
If things go south in Portland, it isn’t terribly likely the franchise staple would ask out…although this league tends to be full of surprises–I mean, who had Russell Westbrook being traded twice in consecutive offseasons?
Lillard is a dream upgrade, but one the Cs should monitor going forward.
Boston Celtics point guard target #2: Kyle Lowry
The 2019 NBA Champion Toronto Raptors were exposed in the postseason by the Celtics down in the Lake Buena Vista bubble from Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports complex for not having much in the way of a go-to scorer.
This is less of an indictment on the 34-year-old Kyle Lowry, who is still good for a big outing offensively, and more of a lashing to Pascal Siakam. Siakam was given a max contract after a breakthrough 2019 postseason, but he struggled against the Cs in the Eastern Conference semifinals down in Orlando.
Scoring just 13 points in game seven, and is following that up with a scoring and efficiency dip in 2020-21 (his 3-point shooting has cratered to a mere 23%).
In turn, Toronto has fallen from the ranks of a title contender, and they could potentially even fall out of the postseason altogether if they can’t completely climb out of the early-season hole they dug themselves in.
If that happens, Lowry will surely be dealt by the deadline. Being that he is on an expiring contract, plenty of contenders would be lining up for him in that case.
Here’s hoping the Boston Celtics throw their hat into the mix, swapping out the remaining two expensive years on Walker’s deal for a much cheaper rate on Lowry’s next deal.
Boston Celtics point guard target #3: Terry Rozier
The Houdini is a sucker for Beantown reunions, especially players that were on the 2016-18 Cs that went to the Eastern Conference finals and were stopped by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While I’ll never advocate for a Kyrie Irving return (and he likely isn’t chomping at the bit to return either) or even Marcus Morris returning (his trouble-making tendencies likely weren’t good for the locker-room even if his shooting and defense were), there will always be a home in Boston for the man they call “Scary Terry”.
Terry Rozier is in the midst of a career year, posting career-highs in points per game and efficiency: 46% from the field and a scorching 43% from the 3-point line.
The Charlotte Hornets have actually been able to keep pace in the playoff picture, but they are currently clinging to the #8 seed with 10-12 record after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers last night.
After spending so much money on Gordon Hayward in the offseason, Charlotte needs to achieve something going forward…but that isn’t guaranteed. Assuming the Raptors and Miami Heat get their acts together, there won’t be room for Cleveland or Charlotte in the postseason picture.
Dealing Rozier to give LaMelo Ball the keys to the offense is the best thing the Hornets can do if the team falls off in the coming weeks. While the Hornets likely aren’t interested in ending up with Kemba Walker after choosing not to back up the brinks truck in June 2019, a three-team deal that lands Rozier should be explored by Danny Ainge in the near future if things don’t improve.