It’s no secret that the Boston Celtics have a ton of centers on the roster. So many, in fact, that there isn’t enough playing time to go around.
Before you suggest it, no, Al Horford cannot play power forward. The 76ers tried that two years ago and it did not work out well.
Grant Williams can play the four a little bit, but other than that, Horford, Robert Williams, Moses Brown, and Tristan Thompson are all centers.
Ime Udoka can only play so many big men in a single rotation. Ideally, one of these players is traded by the time the season starts.
Using the process of elimination, it’s fairly easy to tell who the odd man out is. Williams is blossoming into a young star, Brown has solid potential, and Horford is a veteran fan favorite.
That leaves Thompson as the one most fans wish to see traded.
He plays hard and has championship experience, but there’s just no need for four centers.
Looking around the league, there are some teams out there who could use a veteran center. The issue is, Thompson makes $9 million a year, which could be more than some teams are willing to take on.
Ideally, the Cs can get a point guard back to help bolster that part of the rotation. With Kemba Walker gone, they only have Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard at that position.
Brad Stevens will have to find the right situation in order to deal Thompson for a decent return. If he doesn’t, then the Celtics are going to have a lot of big men that deserve minutes.
It’s apparent that the Boston Celtics need help in other areas within the rotation, and today we present to you 3, in specific, that involve Tristan Thompson heading elsewhere to better fill out the rotation: