Boston Celtics: Should Cs pursue Russell Westbrook/Bradley Beal package?

Cost of acquiring Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook

To bring on that much in salary and star power to the roster will require sacrifices. The Washington Wizards are not entertaining such an offer if it doesn’t include Jaylen Brown as a baseline. The idea of pairing the Wizards All-Star duo with the Boston Celtics All-Star duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum isn’t realistic.

In addition, Washington might be interested in swapping out Westbrook for their third former All-Star PG in Kemba Walker after departing with John Wall in December 2020. Those two alone won’t get a deal done, though.

Marcus Smart is a feasible throw-in to cover the salary difference, as is another expiring deal in Tristan Thompson. On top of that, draft capital and perhaps even a young player or two could be needed to complete the transaction. Danny Ainge would more likely part with any of his 2019 draft picks before either Payton Pritchard or Aaron Nesmith, but then again the final choice may not be his since he will be getting the two best players in the trade.

What is the fit of the Boston Celtics-Westbrook/Beal backcourt fit?

Westbrook and Beal showed in 2020-21 that they don’t need much of a supporting staff to win games. While Davis Bertans is a pure sharpshooter (career 40% from the 3-point line) and Rui Hachimura are serviceable in the starting lineup, Bertans’ lack of versatility and Hachimura’s inefficacy put a lot of pressure on Westbrook and Beal to produce.

The duo has responded by making Alex Len an NBA-quality starter once more while propping up a second unit that included Ish Smith, Robin Lopez, Daniel Gafford, and Chandler Hutchinson down the stretch.

Who knows the kind of leap Robert Williams can make with them in tow. And while Jayson Tatum may no longer dominate possession of the ball with such a blockbuster, the defensive focus the duo would bring could bring record efficiency to his game.

There’s no doubt that a Westbrook/Beal/Tatum trio would make the Cs legitimate options to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals every season. In fact, the trio may could challenge Brooklyn’s Big 3 of James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving as the league’s best.

As we saw with the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat teams of the 2010’s, you need star power to rein in today’s NBA.

Making a move for the Wizards’ backcourt (preferably after beating them tomorrow night) would be the quickest way to put the Boston Celtics in that position.