After the disappointing first half of action that the Boston Celtics had, expectations were that this final stretch of 36 games could be a turning point for the team, especially considering they managed to rattle off four straight wins heading into the All-Star break.
Unfortunately, however, their second-half start didn’t seem to stray away from the complications that plagued the team during the three months that came before, as they dropped game 37 against the Brooklyn Nets in an underwhelming fashion.
Now, as the days begin to dwindle down, the Cs must look for some answers as to how they can save their sinking season and, ultimately, get back to their preseason status of being legitimate championship contenders.
Though there are some who believe some of their solutions can be found from within, perhaps the most popular belief amongst fans, media, and, frankly, Danny Ainge himself is that Boston should look to make some trades to help better shape their roster.
The Boston Celtics could use for some help at power forward during this second half stretch
While this rotation has a few glaring holes in it, arguably their biggest rotation blunder is their lack of a quality starting presence at the power forward position.
Though they’ve tried to slot Grant Williams and Tristan Thompson at the four for considerable stretches of time, ultimately they’ll want to find an upgrade that they believe could better complement Boston’s core.
Should they actually look to the trading route to find an upgrade at power forward, we believe there are 3 specific players Ainge and co. should strongly consider pursuing:
Boston Celtics power forward target No. 1) Larry Nance Jr.
Larry Nance Jr. is a player we’ve seen linked to the Cs as a potential trade target recently and, frankly, we at the Houdini completely understand why.
At 6-7, 245-pounds the 28-year-old may seem a bit undersized for the four slot, but that’s seemingly prototypical for what Brad Stevens likes to roll out at the position.
Check one.
Check two is his specific skill set, which is that of a tremendously efficient multifaceted contributor who is posting 9.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and a half block per game on 38 percent shooting from deep and a team-leading defensive box plus/ minus of 2.0.
Check three is that he’s on an unbelievably team-friendly deal for someone of his production level and could be acquired without Boston even touching their illustrious TPE, thus saving it for another potential move at the deadline or, perhaps, even for the offseason.
Boston Celtics power forward target No. 2) Harrison Barnes
Most recently, the rumor mill has been all about Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes making his way to Beantown at this year’s trade deadline.
Though it took us some time to get behind such an idea, ultimately we came to the conclusion that, for the right price, the 28-year-old would be a quality addition to this struggling Boston Celtics rotation.
On the season, the wing finds himself boasting impressive averages of 16.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and just shy of a steal per game on 49 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent shooting from downtown.
At 6-8 with a 6-11 wingspan, Barnes would provide positional versatility for the C’s lineup, as he can conceivably play the two to the four and cover all of said positions as well.
Though one can look at the forward’s contract and scoff at his high-end salary — we get it, it’s easy to do — with the TPE the Celtics possess they could easily absorb the $22.2 million he’s owed for this season.
One problem they’d run into eventually, however, is the remaining two years left on his deal that come at a cost of $20.2 million in 2021-22 and $18.3 million in 2022-23 but, should this team wish to go all in for 2021, perhaps these down the road concerns could prove to be worth it in the end.
Boston Celtics power forward target No. 3) Lauri Markkanen
Of all the players mentioned on this list, Lauri Markkanen is the least likely to be a member of the Boston Celtics come year’s end… we get that.
However, of all the players mentioned on this list, Lauri Markkanen would easily be the best add this shamrocks squad could possibly imagine.
Having himself a career year, the Finnish-born big is posting impressive averages of 19.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 53 percent shooting from the floor and 44 percent shooting from deep.
At just 24-years-old, Markkanen fits the time line in which both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are on, while his specific skill set and high-level production fits the mold in which this Cs team desperately needs at the four.
Though the fourth year pro would be worth a pretty penny for Boston’s front office to try and acquire, it’s our personal belief that he’d be worth such a cost.
At 7-0, 240-pounds he has the frame to log minutes at the five, while possessing the play style to play both power forward and center.
Like we said in the begining, Markkanen being moved to the Boston Celtics this season is very unlikely.
That said, it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be on Ainge’s radar from now until the deadline.