Domantas Sabonis traded to Boston Celtics in Hoops Habit’s latest piece

Above anything else so far through 2021-22, the Boston Celtics have proven to be one of the most unpredictable teams in the association.

From their sluggish start to a semi-hot streak and now back to a somewhat low point, the shamrocks are barely staying afloat in the Eastern Conference standings with their just north of a .500 record of 13-12.

Their level of play thus far has certainly not been what many predicted it would be coming into the season and now, at the quarter mark of the year, fans and media alike are under the impression that in order for this team to get to where they truly wish to be (i.e. legitimate playoff contenders) they must consider making a few moves between now and February’s trade deadline.

Though there are some who believe smaller, more petite transactions are what Brad Stevens and co. should be looking for, others are under the impression that Boston must strongly consider making a sizeable move, perhaps even at the magnitude of a blockbuster, in order to turn this season into a true success story.

Recently, the folks at Hoops Habit suggested a deal that certainly would fall into the latter category as writer, Michael Shearer, thought up a deal that would give the Boston Celtics a fresh new Big-3.

The specific deal reads as follows:

Citing the team’s offensive woes this year, coupled with their need for more impactful talents outside of the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Shearer believes bringing on a guy like Domantas Sabonis could make this Boston Celtics team truly lethal:

"The Celtics, like the Pacers, need a shake-up. Their offense often feels mechanical, guys going through the motions half-heartedly until it’s their turn to shoot the ball. Sabonis is an unselfish player with an excellent high-post passing game who also has more old-school bully-ball in him than Al Horford.Adding Sabonis would give a fresh wrinkle to the Celtics offense and let star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown find new ways to score. Sabonis can hit cutters with ease or screen (and re-screen, and re-screen) for either player in the pick-and-roll. He also alleviates some of the offensive pressure on Marcus Smart by putting another plus passer on the floor.Although Sabonis wouldn’t necessarily help their defense, a team with Horford, Smart, Tatum, and Brown should easily be able to cover up any deficiencies."

Now, for those of you who follow us here at the Houdini — we love you all — you’re likely already aware that we’ve discussed the concept of the Cs potentially pursuing the likes of Sabonis in the past, and even stated that, though it may be a tough decision to come to, the front office should consider numerous trade ideas to land him, even if it perhaps meant offloading Brown in the process.

Our own reasoning behind this read as follows:

"One of the best offensive-minded bigs in the game today, Sabonis has the makings of being a great fit next to a guy like Tatum, for, unlike Brown, their specific skill-sets would not clash when on the floor together.An inside-outside tandem, Tatum would be able to patrol the perimeter and drive the lane whenever he desires (similar to how he operates now) while Sabonis would man the interior and, with his sound bag of tricks, could either feast in the paint, step out and knock-down a mid to long-range jumper, or look to dish it to one of his teammates for a cleaner score (has averaged 5.7 assists per game over the last three seasons while dishing out nearly seven a night last year).Still just 25 and under contract through 2024 at an average salary of $18.7 million per year (nearly $8 million per year cheaper than Browns’ deal), not only could trading for Domantas Sabonis benefit the team’s production on the hardwood, but it would also help clear up some salary space along the way."

In Hoops Habit’s proposed deal, however, we see the Boston Celtics landing the 2x All-Star without having to give up Jaylen Brown which, obviously, is the ideal scenario for Stevens (though, at this point, perhaps a bit unrealistic and would have to include a 2023 first or one further down the road, for the Celtics traded their 2021 first and the league prohibits teams from dealing such capital in back to back years).

Currently on the year, Domantas Sabonis is once again producing admirably for the Indiana Pacers, posting solid per-game averages of 17.8 points, 12 boards, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals on 57 percent shooting from the floor.

In our humble opinion, the big man would be a tremendous fit in Boston running alongside the Jays and a deal similar to the one Shearer has proposed would be an absolute steal.