Boston Celtics: This multi-player trade with the Thunder swaps youth for veterans

Do the 2021-22 Boston Celtics have enough veterans?

Well, ‘enough’ is arbitrary. But it’s an undisputed fact that role-playing veterans are essential for any NBA Championship run. The Milwaukee Bucks (P.J. Tucker), Los Angeles Lakers (Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard), Toronto Raptors (Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka), and Golden State Warriors (JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia) all featured a wily long-time baller to put the cherry on top of a title Sunday over the last half-decade.

At the moment, the Cs rely on plenty of youth off the pine for complementary minutes alongside the ‘Jays’. And while the likes of 2020 first-round picks Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith have obvious scoring upside, their growing pains could seriously hinder the team in the postseason.

If they were even given minutes in such a situation, that is. Josh Richardson is starting to lead the second unit in minutes played with Romeo Langford right behind them and Dennis Schroder has played his way into bigger minutes as well. That should remain when Jaylen Brown returns, which doesn’t bode well for the aforementioned second-year pair.

Hardwood Houdini has come up with a trade that adds veterans to the roster for the pair, and Saturday’s opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder, is the perfect trade partner to make something happen given their diverging 2021-22 season goals:

Why the Boston Celtics do it

This blockbuster (by sheer player volume at least) seriously fortifies the frontcourt behind Robert Williams and Al Horford while simultaneously adding a scoring threat in the backcourt and on the perimeter.

Derrick Favors and Lu Dort are the headline names here, but Mike Muscala and Ty Jerome are 3-point sharpshooters that would fit in well in green.

Why the OKC Thunder do it

Eventually, the Thunder’s surprising start should turn into futility with an eye on the 2022 NBA Draft. This move simply accelerates that timeline while adding a future first-round pick and two 2020 first-round picks to aid in their rebuild.