The Boston Celtics came into this year’s NBA trade deadline with a lot of buzz surrounding them. Now, post-deadline the franchise finds itself receiving similar attention, though perhaps not as joyous and hopeful as it was prior.
All season long, the conversation was centered on how the Cs might go about using their historically large $28.5 million TPE and who they could look to use it on. High-profile names such as Bradley Beal, Nikola Vucevic, and Harrison Barnes were all viewed as viable targets that Danny Ainge could pursue come the deadline and, in turn, get this disappointment of a team back on track.
Of course, with it now being a few days removed from March 25th, we see that Boston’s front office didn’t manage to snag any one of these aforementioned players and, instead, opted to use their illustrious player exception on veteran sharpshooter, Evan Fournier.
To some, the deals made were exactly the cost-efficient moves the Celtics needed in order to help improve upon their underwhelming scoring production. To others, however, these trades were merely the team “settling” for the sake of striking a deal.
In the end, no one can honestly say the decisions ultimately made were “bad” — after all, they got a 19 point per game scorer for two second-round picks and two floor-spacing bigs in Mortiz Wager and Luke Kornet for essentially the price of one.
However, when looking back on the day, it’s fun to think upon the “what if” situations that could have transpired, and today we present to you 3 specific moves we wish would have happened:
Boston Celtics move No. 1) Cs still get Evan Fournier… but also Mo Bamba
While some of us here at HH may still be underwhelmed by the fact that the Boston Celtics opted to use their traded player exception on “just” Evan Fournier, we must not lose sight of the fact that, in actuality, he is a solid player.
This season, in particular, the French-born baller is posting some of his best numbers since coming into the league back in 2012. Through 26 games played, the wing finds himself averaging 19.7 points, 3.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and a steal per game on 46 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent shooting from deep.
Having Fournier now in tow should certainly help this team, specifically in the scoring department for, outside of stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they struggle to find consistency.
However, when thinking about the $11 million in cap space that went unused in the exchange (the 28-year-old is making $17 million this season), one can’t help but wonder why Ainge didn’t look to bring someone else over in the package.
One player in particular that we at the site would have loved to have seen come in the deal is third-year big man Mo Bamba who, despite being the No. 6 overall pick back in the 2018 draft, has yet to carve out meaningful minutes within the rotation and now, with both Vucevic and Gordon gone, still has not seen a major uptick in usage nor has it been made any easier for him to see any with Wendell Carter Jr. now entering the fold.
Bringing on the high-upside 7-0 center still on his rookie contract through the end of next season alongside Fournier would have easily been more worth the C’s while, even if it meant coughing up a few more assets in the process.
Boston Celtics move No. 2) Lonzo Ball heads to Beantown
For those of you who follow the site, we at the Houdini were head over heels with the idea of the Boston Celtics pursuing point guard Lonzo Ball at this year’s deadline, and, frankly, so were the fans.
Though the majority of coverage surrounded the C’s need for a center, with the breakout season in which a finally healthy Robert Williams III has been having, it was (and still is) our belief that the answer for the team’s pivot woes is already on the roster.
Because of this, we felt (and still feel) that addressing their need for a legitimate set-up artist would provide more of an impact for this reeling shamrocks squad, and Ball would have been the ideal target.
Currently having himself a fantastic all-around season with the New Orleans Pelicans, the 23-year-old is posting per-game averages of 14.2 points, 5.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals on 43 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent shooting from deep.
Recently deemed as having the highest basketball IQ in the entire league by Magic Johnson, Ball would have served as a fantastic floor general for the Celtics, providing optimal distribution skills that would only stand to benefit the team’s offensive focal points in Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown as well as their 24th ranked assists-per-game unit as a whole.
His two-way style of play would have been a luxury for the Boston Celtics while his youthful age would have made him a long-term fixture within this core moving forward.
Boston Celtics move No. 3) Cs actually trade for Aaron Gordon
Leading up to the day of the draft, the talk of the town was that Boston desperately wanted Aaron Gordon, and the feeling was seemingly mutual with the power forward.
On many different levels, a trade for the 25-year-old seemed to make a ton of sense for the franchise, as they find themselves severely lacking at the power forward position and could use for a bit of an upgrade in the overall talent department.
His specific skill set would have meshed quite well with the team’s offensive scheme, as Gordon is a two-way threat who can scrap on defense while also showing the capability to both space the floor and fly high for lobs off pick-and-rolls on offense.
On the year, AG is boasting impressive all-around averages of 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and just shy of a block on 44 percent shooting from the field and a career-high 38 percent shooting from deep.
His game would have fit in nicely in the starting five, specifically on offense, for he has the capability of knocking down the triple, excelling in the paint, and serving as a distributor, all of which are things currently lacking in Beantown.
Though perhaps he wouldn’t have been the addition that solved all of this team’s problems, but Aaron Gordon would have been a fine contributor for the Celtics and could have given the team that much-needed spark within the offense as we now embark on the final few months of the season and into the playoffs.