The Boston Celtics’ “shooting with size” need could actually be met today if Danny Ainge can read the tea leaves and pounce on a deal for Lauri Markkanen.
Chicago’s blockbuster acquisition of Nikola Vucevic has turned the trade market upside down, and the Bulls’ Finnish big man could be the next domino to fall.
Clearly, the Bulls are all-in on the current core. Pairing Vucevic with Zach LaVine–and giving up two future draft picks to do so–shows that Marc Eversley is being aggressive in improving the roster.
Could he persuade Danny Ainge, a notoriously difficult GM to deal with, to make a move for Markkanen?
Let’s hope he does.
Markkanen makes under $7 million, so finding a suitable deal should not be hard to do. While the Cs do have a $28.5 million traded player exception, that would be better off saved for the offseason, when a blockbuster hits the market.
Chicago would not likely be tempted with draft picks, considering the fact they just gave several up to acquire an All-Star. The C’s draft pick treasure chest would have to entice a third team in any prospective deal, but there are other options on the Cs roster as well.
The two non-“Jays” that would entice the Bulls would be Payton Pritchard and Marcus Smart. The latter name is not one the team should be looking to deal this early into his tenure, especially considering the locker-room toll trading away a fan-favorite and even peer-favorite in Pritchard would have.
Smart on the other hand is an intriguing option, especially considering the fact that his deal could help the team bring in more than just Markkanen.
Perhaps the Boston Celtics could ask for a cost-controlled young role player like Ryan Arcidiacono or Chandler Hutchinson as well. If Ainge plays his cards right, perhaps he can even add more draft picks…as he tends to do in deals.
The best-case scenario is bringing in a third party willing to absorb young players and draft picks and keeping Smart, but Ainge should explore every possible option to add a seven-footer who scores 17 points per game on 39% 3-point shooting on over seven attempts per game.