Boston Celtics: 3 out of place players Cs should trade for this offseason
By Chris Conte
Boston Celtics target No. 2) Devonte Graham
The Charlotte Hornets took the NBA by storm last season after acquiring LaMelo Ball with the third pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
The young point guard was projected by some to go number one and projected by most to go number two but winded up landing in the Hornets’ lap at three.
That stroke of luck just flipped Charlotte’s future on its head and changed the fate of most of their young players. Guys like PJ Washington, Miles Bridges, and Terry Rozier thrived next to Ball while guys like Devonte Graham struggled.
Before Ball arrived, Graham was coming off a break-out season with the Hornets.
He averaged 18 points and 7.5 assists per game on 53TS% after starting his career averaging 4.7 points and 2.6 assists per game on 46 TS%.
His improvement warranted him a spot in the NBA’s Most Improved Player race and even had some analysts talking about voting him to the All-Star game.
Although he didn’t make it, the fact that he was being mentioned speaks to how much noise he made in the 2019-20 NBA season.
Now Graham finds himself between a rock and a hard place.
He struggled mightily next to LaMelo Ball and is entering restricted free agency this offseason. With Terry Rozier looking to make a return to the young and explosive Hornets, that means Graham’s role is unlikely to change this upcoming season.
The Hornets will likely look to move on from him before they lose him for nothing next summer.
The Boston Celtics may be a potential suitor for the former second-round pick.
After losing Kemba Walker, the Cs have a vacancy to fill in their point guard room and could undoubtedly use Graham’s shooting and passing next to Jayson Tatum. The Hornets likely would not demand too much from the Celtics, and Graham could help reinstill ball and player movement into Udoka’s offense.
However, there are a few dilemmas that come with Devonte Graham.
For one, the Cs would have to pay him somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million per year, therefore making it challenging to create space for next summer’s superstar free agents.
If Boston fails to move him next summer, they could forfeit their chances at Bradley Beal, Stephen Curry, Zach LaVine, and guys on their roster like Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.
Graham would also be a defensive liability and may struggle to play more off-ball next alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, much as he did next to LaMelo Ball.
What it’s going to come down to for Graham is how much money he wants. If Graham takes a team-friendly deal or even takes a one-year deal with the Celtics, Stevens should have no problem trading for him.
But, if he doesn’t, I’m afraid the Celtics should put some distance between themselves and Graham’s camp.