After finishing a disappointing 7th in the eastern conference and losing in five games to the mighty Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs, the Boston Celtics have a lot of work to do this offseason.
After Danny Ainge stepped down and Stevens replaced Ainge, fresh faces on the roster seems inevitable along with the changes within the team’s staff members in what has now become a challenging and unusual situation for the organization.
Other than Jayson Tatum and probably Jaylen Brown, the Celtics seem to be willing to move everyone to improve the roster, and hopefully build a better team surrounding their two young stars.
Even though it feels like the time where the C’s had the assets to make almost any trade has passed, they still have some pieces at their disposal that they can use to improve their roster.
After watching almost every game so far in the playoffs, to me it seems that there are two ways the C’s can go about improving the roster this offseason based what has worked for certain teams.
The first way is to acquire a third star, like what the Brooklyn Nets did.
They saw the opportunity to acquire James Harden and immediately pounced on it at the expense of some of their depth, which instantly made them in many people’s opinion, the most talented team in the NBA in terms of star power.
They could also take the route that many of the other playoff teams have taken this season, which is to build a deep team that fits well with two star players.
The Phoenix Suns are a great example of this, as they have a plethora of great role players who fit seamlessly with their two star players in Devin Booker and Chris Paul, such as Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Deandre Ayton.
Choosing to pursue one of those two plans and making good use of the remaining assets they have will be crucial for a successful offseason for the C’s, and therefore, I’d like to analyze what players I feel the C’s should consider pursuing this offseason that could fit into those paths.
I will be taking a look at each position across multiple articles, and highlight a star, a role player, and a depth piece that should all help the C’s improve next season.
Starting with the point guard position, the most chaotic and controversial position for the C’s the last few seasons, here are three very different types of players they should pursue this offseason.
Boston Celtics Star PG Target: Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is probably the best player that could possibly be traded any time soon, so if the Celtics were to give up a ton of their assets for any player available right now, it would be for Lillard.
Considering his elite shooting ability, clutch play, leadership and playmaking, and plenty of experience in the playoffs, Lillard, like with any team, would be a seamless fit at the point guard position with the Celtics.
However, as mentioned before, acquiring a guy like Lillard would probably be best to help form a big three, which considering Jaylen Brown would likely need to be involved with almost any realistic Lillard trade, it is hard to imagine a trade for Lillard actually happening.
That doesn’t mean Brad Stevens shouldn’t try his absolute hardest to acquire him though.
While Lillard is one of the few players I’d be willing to give up Brown to acquire in terms of overall talent level, his defense isn’t great, making it hard to justify giving up a great defender like Brown for him.
However, if the Celtics were willing to part with almost every other asset they have, they would probably have the 2nd most talented trio of stars, only behind the Nets.
Despite not great defense, “Logo” Lillard’s offense most certainly makes up for it, as he is probably the 2nd best shooter in the entire NBA behind only Steph Curry, and is probably also one of the best shooters of all time given his insane difficult shot making ability and range while behind the three point line.
Combining that elite shooting with great athleticism, finishing ability, and playmaking, you get not only one of the best point offensive point guards in the NBA, but one of the best offensive players in the entire NBA.
A trio of Lillard, Tatum, and Brown would all be incredible on offense, and Tatum and Brown’s great defense would help make up for Lillard’s lack of defensive ability, so along with being an elite trio in terms of talent, the three would fit well together.
While it seems very difficult to actually make happen, acquiring Lillard and forming a big three would be the dream scenario for the C’s this offseason, despite how much it would probably take to acquire Lillard without including Jaylen Brown.
The only way I see that scenario actually playing out is if Lillard publicly demands a trade, similar to what happened with Harden, decreasing his trade value and making it easier to acquire him.
All C’s fans should be hoping for a formal trade request from Lillard if they feel that forming a big three rather than a team with more depth is the way to go.
Boston Celtics Role Player PG Target: Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball in my eyes would be an unbelievable fit next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
If the C’s decide to go the route of making a deep and well-rounded roster, then Lonzo is a player that makes a ton of sense.
He is an amazing passer who would be great to have to mainly focus on running the offense and getting the ball to Tatum and Brown and make it easier for them to score.
On top of his traditional point guard skills, Lonzo also has improved as a shooter over the past few seasons, and was often playing off ball with Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson doing a lot of ball handling for the Pelicans last season, meaning he can also spot up shoot when Tatum and Brown are handling the ball.
While the C’s have had some unbelievably talented point guards over the past few seasons, none of them have had the passing ability nor the defensive versatility that Lonzo has as a six foot six point guard.
While it won’t be easy to acquire Lonzo due to him almost certainly becoming a restricted free agent (Pelicans can match any offer a team makes him), if there are any signs suggesting the Pelicans don’t want him back or he has no interest in resigning, then the C’s should quickly swoop in to try and conduct a sign and trade in order to make whatever salary he gets work.
Lonzo may not be a star player that C’s fans really want, but he would be a great role player to have to not only help in the important non-scoring areas, but he can help to further elevate Tatum in Brown with his playmaking.
To top it all off, he’s only 23 years old, so he would be a significant piece to have for multiple years and would grow as a player alongside Tatum and Brown.
Boston Celtics Depth Piece PG Target: Ish Smith
While I already knew Ish Smith was a solid player before he started destroying the C’s in the play-in game with the Wizards, that game further showed me that Smith is just the definition of a solid backup point guard.
He’s a good playmaker, has quickness to get to the rim, and as his career has gone on he’s improved as a 3-point shooter.
He’s not going to score a ton of points, but he will get the job done by not turning the ball over, setting up teammates, playing solid defense, and hitting open shots.
Being only six feet tall, he may seem a bit redundant as a backup point guard with Payton Pritchard who’s only six foot one, but that is why he’s a depth piece.
He’s a better player than Tremont Waters and Carsen Edwards, other third-string point guard options on the roster last year, and he’s better at playing point guard than Pritchard, who’s more of a score-first shooting guard in a point guard’s body.
On top of all that, given that Ish Smith will be 33 years old entering next season, not only does that mean he will probably get no more than a veteran’s minimum contract, but he will provide a veteran presence that the bench desperately needs.
Playing under a minimum contract also means that it is worth acquiring Smith, whether the C’s follow through with either offseason plan I previously mentioned.
A problem with the Boston Celtics this season was playmaking, so bringing in any player that can help with that, even if they won’t play a lot of minutes and are only worth a minimum contract, should be a priority for the C’s this offseason.
Depth was also a huge issue this past season, so bringing in better players across the roster, even a better third string point guard, is crucial for a better season to help relieve some of the work from the stars, as well as overcome injuries if they constantly occur again next season as they did this past season.