The Boston Celtics should consider this one-for-one big man trade

Back-to-back losses to the Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets (easy to swallow) and the previously four-win San Antonio Spurs (uh…) have the Boston Celtics sitting at .500 and needing to win two NBA Play-in games to even qualify for the NBA postseason if the 2021-22 season ended today.

Luckily, it doesn’t. There will be ample time for Ime Udoka to rally his guys and right the ship, even if we are already a quarter of a way through the season.

Tomorrow’s opponent, the Toronto Raptors, represents an interesting option for Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens to go into business with. They sport plenty of frontcourt depth and may be willing to part with some of it considering their trajectory as a probable non-playoff, and even non-NBA Play-in team.

If things remain that way for the next two and a half months leading into the NBA Trade Deadline, perhaps a simple big man swap (with extras heading Toronto’s way) could be the antidote to their problems:

Why the Boston Celtics do it

Boston has two highly-paid superstars and also a well-compensated super-role player that define this squad as a win-now outfit. Maximizing every slot on the current roster by any means is a necessity if they want to avoid the drama that would ensue in this market if the 2021-22 Cs fell way short of expectations.

If it means adding a draft pick to the expiring contract of Juan Hernangomez to acquire another player on an expiring deal, then so be it. Chris Boucher is a legitimate stretch-5 that is athletic enough to play in two big lineups and would add terrific size at six-foot-nine and a nine-foot-two wingspan.

Winning an NBA Championship in his second season, Boucher is coming off a 2020-21 season in which he proved he was starter material, scoring 30+ points twice in a few of his starts during the season’s stretch run.

Why the Toronto Raptors do it

Toronto had Chris Boucher on a non-guaranteed deal this season, and have Pascal Siakam, Khem Birch, and Precious Achiuwa ahead of him on the dpeth chart. If they continue on their track to the draft lottery, shedding a talented sweet shooting big man that can win you a game you want to lose down the stretch for a draft pick is a prudent move in Hardwood Houdini’s eyes.