The uptick in Kemba Walker trade rumors over the last week or so has been massive. Unfortunately, most of the news that came to fruition makes life much harder for Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics.
As reports trickle in detailing Walker’s desire to part ways with the C’s, teams around the league won’t be willing to trade as much to acquire him. Therefore, the return Stevens can expect for the guard is at an all-time low.
Most of the ideas circling around lately involve some of the other bad contracts around the league. Players such as Kristaps Porzingis and John Wall come to mind when thinking about potential trade targets.
However, in those cases, there is little incentive for the other team to take on Walker’s contract unless they get picks in return. In all likelihood, the Celtics will have to attach picks to Kemba Walker in order to trade him.
While the return on investment won’t be ideal in the eyes of most fans, that’s the harsh reality of trading big contracts in the NBA. If the Boston Celtics want any hope of having cap flexibility in the future, getting off of Walker’s contract now is essential.
Luckily for Boston, the way the team is currently constructed, they don’t necessarily need more young assets. The main priority in free agency and the trade market should be acquiring veterans.
Combine this with the fact that they will be looking to compete every year, and their draft picks become very tradable assets. The only question is, what teams around the league are in desperate need of picks.
If Stevens can pinpoint those teams, he will be in a solid position to trade Kemba Walker this offseason.
Al Horford makes his return to the Boston Celtics
This is the one trade rumor that actually makes a ton of sense for both sides. Al Horford returns to Boston while the Thunder add to their never-ending draft pool.
Horford spent the latter half of last season away from the team. Oklahoma City wanted to prioritize playing their younger players, so they announced that he would be benched for the rest of the season.
Before sitting out, Horford played 28 games with the team. In 27.9 MPG he averaged 14.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 3.4 APG. He shot 45.0% from the field and 36.8% from three.
Boston loved Horford while he was with the Celtics, as the big man earned two of his three All-Star appearances while wearing the green and white. He remains good friends with most of the players on the team and would fit right in with the team’s culture.
The one slight issue with bringing back Horford is where he would slide into the rotation. With Robert Williams solidifying himself as the go-to starter, Horford and Tristan Thompson would be fighting for backup center minutes. The trade would also likely lead to the end of Luke Kornet’s time in Boston.
Regardless, Horford makes less money than Walker, and the last year of his deal is not fully guaranteed. Making this deal makes lots of sense from a cap space perspective.
As for the Thunder, this move would simply help them add to their stock of draft picks. They are in full rebuild mode, so any picks they can get are a win in Sam Presti’s book.
Timberwolves salvage a year of tanking by adding a first-round pick
While most Boston Celtics fans seem to be on board with an Al Horford trade, this is the harsh reality of potential options outside of that. Walker and picks for players much less valuable than him.
The real beauty of this deal is that the Celtics could shed over $28 million in cap space at the end of next season. Both Ricky Rubio and Jake Layman will be on expiring deals, while Juancho Hernangomez’s deal in 2022-23 is non-guaranteed.
The downside to this trade is that the Celtics are certainly losing value. Walker is a far superior player to any of the three incoming players, even with his struggles this past season.
The Celtics would also forfeit their 2021 first-round pick in this deal (16th overall). Although it may not seem necessary considering how lopsided the talent is, the pick is really the only reason Minnesota would be interested.
The Timberwolves finished near the bottom of the standings last year, but do not own the rights to their first-round pick if it falls out of the top three. If it does, they lose it to the Warriors as a part of the D’Angelo Russell trade.
If Minnesota finds themselves without a pick, they could be looking to trade for one. By attaching the 16th overall pick to Walker, the Wolves might be willing to take on the extra salary.
Rubio could fill in as the playmaking point guard many believe could help Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown thrive. Meanwhile, Hernangomez and Layman would provide some short-term bench depth.
Boston Celtics upgrade backup center, Pistons get picks
Another scenario where the Celtics would be forced to give up draft picks in order to get off of Walker’s contract. However, in this case, they would receive slightly more value in return.
Mason Plumlee is the star of this trade for the Celtics. He averaged 10.4 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 3.4 APG in 26.8 MPG last season in Detroit. His hustle and playmaking abilities make him an ideal backup center for the C’s.
This trade could be conducted with or without Tristan Thompson involved, but if the Celtics receive Plumlee, Thompson would most likely be on the move somewhere. The two would fight for backup center minutes behind Robert Williams.
Cory Joseph and Rodney McGruder will be on expiring contracts next season, and Joseph’s contract is not fully guaranteed. This would free up a ton of cap space by the end of next season.
Both would provide solid veteran leadership off the bench, regardless of if they earn playing time or not. With the amount of youth in Boston, any veterans should be considered valuable.
Detroit paid Plumlee a decent amount of money, so getting them to part ways with him would cost a few picks. However, since the Pistons are in a rebuild, attaching enough draft capital could sway them into striking a deal.
Since the Pistons already have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, they would not be as enticed as the Timberwolves. Therefore, another first might have to be included for a deal to get done.