After the new Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens dealt away the first fallen domino in swapping out Kemba Walker (and a few draft incentives) for Al Horford and Moses Brown, the focus around these parts immediately shifted to what could be the next shoe to drop.
These Cs are not magically fixed with the move, and actually have more roster questions than they have answers. The frontcourt is jam-packed with bodies, and most of them have overlapping skill sets.
The backcourt is also short on lead guards. As of right now, Payton Pritchard is the lone traditional point guard, but even he is far from a pass-first point guard. That will need to change if the team has any hopes of capitalizing on the new space afforded to the lineup with Horford (presumably) back in the starting center spot.
There is an ace in the hole on the free-agent market in the form of former Brad Stevens favorite Isaiah Thomas. Not only would we here at HH like to see the former MVP candidate return to the franchise he achieved his greatest feats with, but the fanbase at large could use a feel-good moment after a feel-bad postseason performance against the recently-eliminated Brooklyn Nets.
That said, Thomas is more of a second unit fit for whoever he lands with. The starting job needs a point guard with a higher ceiling to match up with the elite floor generals across the Association.
HH has decided to package the two greatest assets in the Boston Celtics locker-room–the expiring contracts of Marcus Smart and Tristan Thompson–to reel in a new starting point guard:
Why the Boston Celtics do it
At this point, the missing piece to get the Cs into the NBA Finals may just be the primary missing piece in the team’s 2018 postseason run, Terry Rozier. Al Horford is back, and the Jays have extrapolated their star performances from that offseason into a full season’s worth of All-Star heroism.
Marcus Smart was a part of that run, but he is also the primary trade piece that can help reel in a major return. Now that Rozier is a 20-point-per-game scorer, the 2015 #16 pick qualifies as such.
Why the Charlotte Hornets do it
With the ascension of LaMelo Ball, the Hornets are better off building around his talents, and Marcus Smart is the kind of addition that can alleviate defensive pressure off of the 2020-21 Rookie of the Tear.
Their need for another capable frontcourt big makes Tristan Thompson more than just a salary filler throw-in, while Romeo Langford could find his footing with a new home after showing flashes in the 2021 postseason. A draft pick definitely gets the deal done and sets the stage for more young talent around Ball in the future.
Why the Boston Celtics do it
Rajon Rondo is still a fringe-starter at this point in his career, although admittedly Luke Kennard is the true gem of this return. As a former teammate of Jayson Tatum at Duke, acquiring Kennard would be a clear sign from Brad Stevens that the 2x All-Star is the foundation of the team moving forward.
Ivica Zubac is essentially a salary throw-in, but there are far worse options to deploy in case of emergency than the Bosnian big man.
Why the Los Angeles Clippers do it
With the emergence of Reggie Jackson, Rajon Rondo is somewhat superfluous in Tinseltown. With the meteoric rise of Terance Mann, Luke Kennard may become less of a priority than he would like to at this point in his career.
Tristan Thompson is more active on the boards than any of the Clippers’ current centers and is a better fit for Hollywood than Beantown. While he underperformed in Boston, he may bring more to a Los Angeles lineup that has gone small during the 2021 postseason to overcome their shallow big man corp currently missing Serge Ibaka.