Coming into the 2020-21 campaign, if someone were to have told you that, through 52 games played, the Boston Celtics would find themselves barely holding onto a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and be slotted behind the likes of the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks in the standings, you would have laughed in their face.
However, sometimes reality can be more bizarre than one’s own imagination and, even with our own lowly season predictions, not even we would have expected the Cs legitimately being at risk of taking part in the play-in tournament come year’s end.
Less than a year removed from taking the Miami Heat to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, Boston finds themselves stationed in seventh seed whilst boasting a mere .500 record of 26-26.
Disappointment doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling in which fans feel and, based on the team’s recent level of play, things don’t appear to be on the verge of changing any time soon.
The Boston Celtics could look to make some major shakeups this offseason
Many were under the impression that the Boston Celtics would look to make some big splashes at this year’s trade deadline but, ultimately, the front office opted to make small spatters instead by giving up minimal assets to acquire the likes of Evan Fournier from the Orlando Magic, Luke Kornet from the Chicago Bulls, and Moritz Wagner from the Washington Wizards.
As we’ve seen thus far since March 25th, these dealings may not have been the “needle movers” Boston drastically needs.
Now, with the deadline in the rearview, should the team actually wish to make any sort of blockbuster transactions on the trade market, they’ll need to wait for the offseason.
Though there are a bevy of trades in which we believe the Cs could consider making, today we present to you two out of the box blockbuster transactions that the team could consider:
Boston Celtics blockbuster No. 1) Cs get a new starting point guard and center
Today, we write this article, not because we necessarily want these trades to happen but, like the title suggests, because they’re ‘out of the box’ ideas.
In actuality, we do NOT want the franchise to part with Jaylen Brown.
However, desperate times call for desperate measures and, should the front office believe bringing on a top-five center in the league and a 25-year-old former All-Star point guard could make this team a contender once more, it would certainly come at the expense of one of their star wings and Brown is likely to be viewed as the more expendable between him and Jayson Tatum.
Recently, we discussed the idea of the shamrocks pursuing the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason, citing his stellar production, star status, and the team’s desire for an upgrade at the pivot as major catalysts for why he could be an ideal target.
"With him in tow, the Cs would have an unquestioned answer at the pivot to battle with the East’s other star bigs in Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo, something they simply have not had since the All-Star days of Al Horford."
Adding to this, Evan Massey of Hoops Analysis recently took to the Twitterverse to announce that his sources have indicated that the Minnesota Timberwolves could be up for trading both their star center and starting point guard, D’Angelo Russell, this offseason.
Again, we already discussed Boston pursuing KAT, so why not try and get a packaged deal going if they really wish to shake things up?
On the season, Towns is owning stellar per-game averages of 24.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks on 50 percent shooting from the floor and 41 percent shooting from deep.
Russell, meanwhile, is finding himself posting impressive numbers himself, averaging 19.4 points, five assists, 2.6 rebounds, a steal, and a half block per game on 42 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent shooting from deep.
Pairing these two young studs with the likes of Tatum would bring Boston yet another Big 3, one that arguably better fits the mold of the modern-day NBA with a willing passer at the point, a floor-spacing/ board gobbling presence at the pivot, and a 3-way scoring threat at the wing.
In turn, though losing Brown (again, not something we’re gunning for) would certainly be a tough pill to swallow, the Celtics would be parting ways with Kemba Walker‘s contract, which has been something they’ve reportedly been trying to do since draft night of 2020.
Boston Celtics blockbuster No. 2) Cs land a new franchise point guard
Over the years, the Boston Celtics have constantly found themselves rolling out a starting-five consisting of one of the best point guards in the entire league.
From 2006 to 2014 it was Rajon Rondo.
From 2015 to 2017 it was Isaiah Thomas.
From 2017 to 2019 it was Kyrie Irving.
From 2019 to now it’s been Kemba Walker.
Perhaps from 2020 and onward, this position could be manned by the likes of yet another top-tear floor general — Damian Lillard.
Now, before you head to the comments section and talk about the fact that the man is “unbelievably loyal” to the Portland Trail Blazers and that “the front office wouldn’t trade him away for Walker, benchwarmers, and picks”, are we forgetting about what happened just two offseasons ago between the likes of the OKC Thunder and the Houston Rockets?
Coming off of four straight underwhelming postseason appearances, the then face of the franchise for Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook, who, by all accounts, was the most loyal player the team had ever seen, requested out of the Sooner State in search of greener pastures.
Simultaneously, the Rockets were a championship-aspiring team with an injury-riddled point guard on an albatross contract.
Sound familiar to a certain situation that’s transpiring as we speak?
The Trail Blazers who, though were in the Western Conference Finals just two seasons ago, have not been able to get over the hump to vie for legitimate championship contention during Lillard’s tenure and, due to their lacking appeal on the market, are not likely to be a “premier destination” for top-tier free agents to flock to in order for them to actually get over said hump any time soon.
How many more first or second-round exits is the point guard willing to endure before he comes to the realization that, if he wants to win, maybe he should look for an out from Oregon.
Perhaps an out could be found in a trade with the Boston Celtics.
Lillard raises the C’s ceiling to a similar stratosphere to that of at least the Philadelphia 76ers and perhaps even pushes them into “favorites” territory when it comes to Eastern Conference contenders.
On the season, the 6x All-Star is finding himself posting 29.1 points, 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and just shy of a steal per game on 44 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from deep.
As we’ve seen over the past several years, superteams reign supreme in this league, and adding the dime-dropping/ scoring machine Lillard to a team consisting of two two-way All-Star wings would bring them closer to such a moniker.
Following the same type of mold that the Rockets had in their trade for Westbrook would be a good place to start in a swap with the Blazers involving Kemba.