Boston Celtics: The”War on Theis” culminates in puzzling deadline deal

With a day that already saw the Boston Celtics trade for the Orlando Magic’s Evan Fournier, we thought it would end there. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

The Celtics have agreed to trade their starting center, Daniel Theis to the Chicago Bulls for the recently acquired Moritz Wagner per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

Theis has been a big part of the Celtics’ success the past few seasons, whether that be as a starter or as a rotational piece off the bench. In his three and a half seasons in Boston, Theis averaged 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game on 55.4 percent shooting from the field and 34.5 percent from beyond the arch. The past two seasons he has really come on as being the full-time starter at the center position since the departure of Al Horford.

With the crowded big man rotation of Theis, Tristan Thompson, and Robert Williams III, it was expected that one of them would be moved at the deadline.

As for Wagner, this will be his fourth team in his first three years. After being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, he then went to the Washington Wizards where he’s been the last season and a half. Earlier on deadline day, Wagner was traded from the Wizards to the Chicago Bulls in the Troy Brown Jr. trade. He didn’t even have the opportunity to book a flight before he was traded to Boston in exchange for Theis.

Wagner has averaged 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1 assist per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and an abysmal 30.2 percent from beyond the arch.

This move is puzzling because the Boston Celtics don’t gain anything from this trade and seemingly get worse. The Cs also lost guard Javonte Green in the deal.

With the trade deadline passed and everything becoming official, you have to ask: did this move make the Celtics any better?

Time will tell.