Two news bites came out today about two Boston Celtics targets before the upcoming deadline.
The first was about Sacramento Kings tweener forward Harrison Barnes. Barnes–a recent target by yours truly in a trade piece I penned crafting packages for the 2015 NBA Champion–apparently isn’t being dangled by Sacramento’s front office at this point.
That’s fine and dandy, but likely only true because they are a game out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference at the moment. That could change very quickly, especially considering they are two games out of the #14 spot as well.
John Collins’ name also came up today. Apparently, Atlanta could be looking to move the power forward before ponying up for whatever his next contract ends up being.
That’s been a poorly-kept secret for a while, especially considering Collins’ frustrations with Hawks franchise guard Trae Young.
Both tidbits of information came courtesy of The Athletic’s Sam Amick:
Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes - are any of these talented players that teams would love to get their hands on available? That and much more on the early NBA trade front here, at @TheAthletic https://t.co/w8RKlwTIoi
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 12, 2021
Being that both men play on franchises that are far from postseason locks, the Houdini thought it’d be a fun exercise trying to come up with an offer to both franchises for their elite 3-point marksmen.
Here’s a deal that brings both to Boston:
Why the Boston Celtics do it
Giving up four picks is what you do for a superstar. The Nets did so to acquire James Harden, and that doesn’t even get into all of the pick swaps involved with the historic package it took for Brooklyn to land the “Beard”.
While Barnes and Collins don’t qualify as such at the moment, Collins has the possibility to become one in the future. He’s already put up star-like numbers–21 points, ten rebounds, 1.6 blocks in 2019-20 on 40% 3-point shooting–but just needs to supplant his stats with meaningful wins.
He can definitely do that in a Cs lineup as a small-ball center or a traditional power forward. Barnes is having a career year, sporting a 49/41/85 shooting slash, and as a bench piece or the starting power forward, he would see the most open looks he’s had since his days with the Golden State Warriors as a tertiary option in Boston.
Bringing Rajon Rondo back into the fold is another reason why giving up so many picks is worth it in this scenario. His value has been minimal in the ATL, but that value would rise exponentially in Celtics green and white.
Why the Atlanta Hawks do it
If Collins is a goner, the Hawks should aim to replace his shooting with another elite marksman. While Buddy Hield is having a bit of a down season from beyond the arc, he is just a season removed from shooting 43% and two seasons removed from shooting 45% from the 3-point line.
The possibility of having an all-Sooner backcourt reminiscent of the dynastic Golden State Warriors splash brothers duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson is one Atlanta could make a reality with this deal.
Why the Sacramento Kings do it
If this season takes a downturn, it might be time for the Kings to move on from their current core. Moving both Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield would mark a(nother) new beginning in Sacramento.
This haul would include plenty of shooting (Kevin Huerter, Aaron Nesmith), another frontcourt body (Robert Williams), a veteran point guard (Kris Dunn), and a legitimate building block for the future (Cam Reddish).
This is a nice restarter package to usher in a new era in Sac-Town.