Boston Celtics: 3 trades to absorb “bad contracts” into TPE

Why the Boston Celtics do it

Taurean Prince is the bad contract here, but since being traded to Cleveland, he has played to the standard he set coming out of Baylor while suiting up for the Atlanta Hawks. His Brooklyn stint didn’t go as well, making him somewhat of a throw-in in the James Harden trade.

Adding his 45% 3-point shooting (His Cavs conversion rate) and Larry Nance’s 38% would add floor-spacing to the frontcourt and give the team two more traditional power forward options than Jayson Tatum.

JaVale McGee is far from a throw-in here, as he would bring a rim-running athletic center with alley-oop finishing and highlight shot-blocking to a Cs second unit that cannot fully rely on the oft-injured Robert Williams.

Why the Cleveland Cavaliers do it

The Cavaliers have lost their last five games in a row, and don’t seem poised to stick around in the Eastern Conference postseason picture considering the injuries to Nance and Kevin Love that are keeping the frontcourt pair out of a pivotal stretch for the young Cavaliers.

This deal allows them to focus on developing their young guns and prepare for a more successful 2021-22 season after tailing off in 2020-21.