Boston Celtics: This 4-team blockbuster involves Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons

When the offseason started, the Boston Celtics seemingly had the biggest point guard problem in the Atlantic Division of the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

Kemba Walker still had two years left on a max contract, one he signed in the summer of 2019, but had declining knees and no longer seemed able to live up to that salary figure.

Well, fast forward to the preseason, and the Cs may have the most backcourt stability of any team in their division at this point. Kyle Lowry is in Miami now, leaving the floor general spot in Toronto to Fred VanVleet and Goran Dragic. Down in the Big Apple, Walker is now the starter for the New York Knicks, with Derrick Rose behind him on the depth chart.

But truly where the dysfunction lies is in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. The reasons couldn’t be any more contrasting.

In the City of Brotherly Love, Ben Simmons is feeling anything but love, citing a poor relationship with Joel Embiid on and off the court as a reason why things just won’t work for the current iteration of the Sixers. So far, disappointing playoff runs have plagued the post-Process era in Philly, and Simmons’ disappearing act against the Atlanta Hawks turned many fans against him this past summer.

For Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets, the franchise fit is fine and the on-court product poses a daunting challenge to all 29 other teams. The issue with Irving and the Nets is the local laws and mandates that Irving just won’t see eye-to-eye (or jab to arm) with.

It’s possible both floor generals find a new home before the season starts. They should, at least.

Hardwood Houdini put our GM hat on and finding a cure-all to these messes in one fell swoop with this 4-team blockbuster trade:

"Boston Celtics get: Christian Wood, Danuel HouseHouston Rockets get: Ben Simmons, Jevon CarterPhiladelphia 76ers get: Kyrie Irving, Grant WilliamsBrooklyn Nets get: Eric Gordon, Josh Richardson, Tyrese Maxey, 2023 Boston Celtics first-round draft pick, 2023 Philadelphia 76ers first-round pick, 2024 Brooklyn Nets first-round pick (from HOU), 2024 Boston Celtics second-round pick"

In this deal, Boston slides in and grabs the best value contract in the whole deal in Christian Wood, while probably grabbing the second best value contract in Danuel House. Losing Josh Richardson hurts, but House offers similar defensive chops and comes at a heavily discounted value.

Elsewhere, Philadelphia gets a much better fit at PG to form a deadly 1-5 pick-and-roll combo with Embiid and Irving while Houston gets a pseudo-star in Simmons that could elevate their young core’s ceiling this year and beyond. Meanwhile, Brooklyn gets a ton of role-playing talent that makes their second unit one of the league’s most prolific.

This certainly makes more sense than Irving for Simmons straight up, at least.