Boston Celtics: This mock trade brings back starting PG and rebuilds bench

Even Boston Celtics news and analysis sites that tend to want the team to avoid making trades are starting to change their ways.

The 2021-22 Cs are simply not good enough to win consistently. It simply doesn’t matter who their opponent is on any given night. They’re not good enough to win with the roster as it is currently constructed.

With that becoming a commonplace theme among Celtics pundits, Hardwood Houdini is back with the trade fireworks. Today, we’re focusing on the C’s Wednesday night opponent, the Los Angeles Clippers, as their trade counterpart.

Why the Boston Celtics do it

Eric Bledsoe has had just three games this season of 20+ points, but he’s been flirting with that bench mark in recent weeks. He had been pulled from the Clippers’ starting lineup for nine games before that, but the NBA’s league-wide COVID-19 surge has given him the chance to be featured once more.

In that time, he has proven to the league that he can still contribute, perhaps to the point of many seeing his 2022-23 non-guaranteed deal as one worth keeping on the books.

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens could use Al Horford’s deal, which is also non-guaranteed next season, as well as the expiring deal (and lack of bird rights) of Dennis Schroder as the means to land Bledsoe. With all that said, it’s Luke Kennard that could turn out to be the steal of the deal.

Kennard has nailed 90 of his 205 3-point attempts already on the year and is on his way to a career-high in both takes and makes from beyond the arc. In a complementary role, he is perfect alongside the ‘Jays’ if he can continue to knock down so many of his deep-balls.

As for the youth swap, Keon Johnson and Jason Preston would be a breath of fresh air for the C’s second unit, who just may never get consistency from Aaron Nesmith. Nesmith’s shooting numbers have dipped significantly in 2021-22 and the competition on the wing in front of him in Boston may be too much to overcome to ever become a contributor.

Johnson could use more immediate minutes, while Preston would provide a higher ceiling than either Tremont Waters or Carsen Edwards of the last several seasons’ Celtics.

Why the Los Angeles Clippers do it

Since Paul George and Kawhi Leonard came to town, the Clippers have been a win-now franchise. This move adds two expiring veterans, with Dennis Schroder perhaps being the most impactful player moving in the swap.

Meanwhile, Al Horford could be what Los Angeles was hoping to get out of Serge Ibaka, who has had a dip in production across the board in 2021-22.