Boston Celtics: Ranking the fits of all big men on the trade block

Boston Celtics big man trade target #2: P.J. Tucker

P.J. Tucker was a small forward when his NBA career began, but he has morphed into one of the most effective traditional 4’s in the league despite standing at just six-foot-five. His physicality has increased with age, and in Houston, he served as the starting center in 2019-20 alongside James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

His 3-point efficiency was solid in Houston when Harden was setting him up with looks, but he no longer fits on the team with the priority shifting to youth for the Rockets. His presence is now a direct block to the development of Jae’Sean Tate, so a trade for Tucker is seemingly imminent after Houston parted ways with DeMarcus Cousins this week.

Boston is the perfect landing spot for Tucker, who functions similarly to how the Rockets did with Harden’s isolation abilities opening up things offensively for others. In Beantown, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown serve in that role, making the transition somewhat clean despite the presence of a true playmaking dynamo in green and white.

Boston Celtics big man trade target #1: John Collins

John Collins is a perfect fit for the Cs in a timeline sense (he was drafted in 2017 with Jayson Tatum) and in an on-court fashion too.

Collins brings athleticism at the 4 that Semi Ojeleye and Grant Williams do not, and his shooting is superior to everyone but Ojeleye and the “Jays” at 38.5% from the field.

What it will take to pry him out of Atlanta is unclear, but unless the Hawks soar to the top of the east, don’t expect the trade chatter to die down anytime soon…and expect Boston to be in the middle of any Collins talks.