Boston Celtics: What to make of a potential John Wall to Philadelphia trade

Although the 2021 offseason is still technically in swing for the Boston Celtics as well as the rest of the league, most of the signings and trades have been finalized as teams are looking to solidify their rosters before training camp.

Tons of big and small names switched jerseys, as well as other big-time players getting the help they’ve been waiting for as they’ve rotted at the bottom of their conference without it.

The NBA is shaping up to be at its most competitive form in a while now that the talent pool has increased and become more widespread amongst teams and conferences.

Although there was an abundance of moving parts this offseason, a couple of players remained in their hometowns despite being heavily involved in rumors throughout the summer.

Players like Ben Simmons, Damian Lillard, and John Wall all were rumored to be the trade block earlier in the offseason, only to remain on their respective teams a month from the start of the season.

What happened? Why weren’t these guys shipped off to different teams when multiple marquee sources indicated they were as good as gone?

There’s a couple of reasons why each of them hasn’t gotten the call to start packing their bags, but this article is going to look at two of them in particular.

Kendrick Perkins said earlier this week he would love to see John Wall on the Sixers beside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons beside Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr, and Christian Wood. This article will analyze the possibilities of that deal and what it means for the odds of the Boston Celtics attaining banner 18.

First, let’s look at the money.

John Wall’s contract has been the most significant reason for why the former All-Star has yet to find a new home. The point guard is set to make $44 million this upcoming season and has a $47 million player option he’s unlikely to reject unless he can secure a longer-term deal, which is doubtful if he remains on the Rockets.

Luckily for Wall and Houston, Philly can theoretically put together the money to bring in the Kentucky product.

Ben Simmons signed a 5-year, $177 million contract last season, earning him upwards of $30 million in the first year and $40 million in the previous year, making him one of the most overpaid players in the NBA.

His skill set does not remotely warrant that kind of cash, and his work ethic only makes matters worse.

The Sixers are burning money every day he’s on the team.

However, a floundering franchise like Houston could take a flyer on Simmons.

They don’t need the cap space Simmons would take up, considering they’re in a small market and their young cores extensions are a ways away.

As a developing young core, the Rockets are in the right stage to take a chance on developing Simmons into the star everyone thought he would be by now. He can play power forward and would function well beside Wood as a ball-handler and beside KPJ and Green as a roll man.

The Sixers are already paying a hefty tax bill, so adding John Wall to the mix may not be ideal for them financially, but it is attainable.

By adding Danny Green to Ben Simmons, they could meet Wall’s pricetag while staying away from the NBA’s hard cap apron. Since Green was signed later in the offseason, the Sixers would have to wait a few months for the NBA’s signing rules to pass, but the deal would eventually be plausible.

As a Boston Celtics fan, you should want this trade to happen. Although Wall’s playmaking and speed beside Embiid and Harris may sound enticing, it is far from a recipe for high-level success.

Wall’s floor spacing comes from his cutting and dribble penetration, meaning he will need the ball more than Simmons or Green would to make an impact offensively.

In doing so, the Sixers would be taking the ball out of their best player’s hands and therefore be a much worse offensive team.

Their defense would also suffer a significant blow.

Say what you want about Ben Simmons’ offense, but on defense, he’s an absolute menace. He eats up space with his long arms and quick feet and swallows unexpecting ball-handlers with quick-twitch muscles and physical play.

Although Wall is still a good defender, he is far from what Simmons provides. Combine that with the loss of Danny Green’s critical help-side defense, and the Sixers are a worse defensive team.

Lastly, there’s the matter of health.

John Wall is a season removed from suffering one of the worst injuries in sports and he’s still not fully recovered. He played 40 games with the Rockets and missed extensive stretches to load manage his recovering Achilles.

Wall’s injury report combined with Embiid’s is a recipe for disaster. The Sixers would be forced to play multiple games with Tobias Harris and Seth Curry as their two best players.

All in all, the Sixers get worse with any Wall-related trade, which is why the Boston Celtics should endorse it.

Their conference rivals are set to be a contender for a top slot in the East, a slot the Boston Celtics will also be competing for. If Philly was to get John Wall and become worse, the contention for that top seed becomes that much easier for the Cs.