Boston Celtics: DK ponders Mitchell Robinson-Aaron Nesmith swap
With seven games left in the 2020-21 season, the goal for the Boston Celtics is to avoid the postseason play-in tournament and clinch a matchup with the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
If you feel those are underwhelming goals just six months after playing for an Eastern Conference championship, well you aren’t alone. Jaylen Brown becoming an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career has coincided with Boston dropping in the standings and the loss of Gordon Hayward has had more of an effect than many thought his absence would have.
The Cs are sitting in a precarious position and with the strength of the Eastern Conference elites (Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Milwaukee), this could very well be a lost season for the green and white barring something unforeseen.
Through the ups and downs of this paranormal pandemic season, there have certainly been promising developments for the franchise’s prospects moving forward. Unlike in 2019, Danny Ainge hit on his two 2020 first-round draft picks.
Payton Pritchard burst onto the scene almost immediately, shooting 17-28 in his first five games as a Celtic. The #26 pick out of Oregon has established himself as an all-around threat out of the gates, recording a 10/5/5 stat-line in just his fourth game in uniform against Indiana in December. Pritchard’s play even had the New York Post debating whether or not he was the superior point guard to Kemba Walker in the early going.
It was a slower ascension for fellow Boston Celtics rookie and 2020 #14 pick Aaron Nesmith, who had his first double digit outing in his pro career during the team’s 15th game on the schedule. Even so, he is just now coming into his own, scoring 47 points in his last three outings. During that stretch, he is shooting a blistering 8-12 (67%) from the 3-point line.
Nesmith is a legitimate weapon now, and his emergence could be coming just in time for Boston. Evan Fournier has not been the Hayward replacement the team thought it was getting, and Jabari Parker is already out of the rotation. Perimeter scoring has to come from somewhere, and Nesmith is proving there may not be a better shooting option in the second unit.
No wonder the interest for the Vanderbilt product is high. In a recent trade piece, Daily Knicks’ Brad Dressler made the case that New York could make a play for the 21-year-old swingman:
"KNICKS GETAARON NESMITHBOS 2021 1ST RD PICKBOS 2023 2ND RD PICKCELTICS GETMITCHELL ROBINSONThere are probably 10 other teams that would make a trade for Mitchell Robinson so that I wouldn’t have to trade with Boston of all teams (yuck). But when looking at the rosters as they stand now, I have to go based on who needs a center today.One of those teams is Boston.Boston gets Mitch…hate to see it happen but they really can use a solid center. The Knicks get a promising but underperforming rookie in Aaron Nesmith whom I’ve traded for before in previous articles. The Knicks also acquire Boston’s 1st round pick this season and yet another 2nd rounder from the 2023 ‘double draft’. Super valuable draft to have as many picks as possible."
With the idea being fleecing the Cs, New York would acquire Nesmith and two first-round picks. Danny Ainge likely slams the phone on Knicks GM Scott Perry for asking for two first-rounders in exchange for an injury-prone center who has missed more than half of his games this season.
Even Nesmith for Robinson straight up would make very little sense for the Boston Celtics. With Tristan Thompson and Robert Williams both under contract for another year, Robinson’s skillset would overlap with the C’s already established options at the pivot.
It’d be shocking to see Ainge part with Nesmith for anything less than a legitimate third star considering his recent growth. The more likely course of action from Ainge is to continue to build a second unit out of draft picks and offseason cap exceptions to circumvent the salary cap and keep Boston competitive behind the Jays.
It’s unlikely the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks break their 11-year trade drought for this deal.