Boston Celtics: 3 ideal trade targets to address C’s biggest needs

A “third star” for the Boston Celtics: Ben Simmons

So just the other day, we responded to a trade proposed by ESPN writer, Bobby Marks, that landed Ben Simmons with the Boston Celtics and, in the end, stated that we feel as though the front offie should pass on such an exchange.

However, our reasoning was not because of Simmons himself but because of the fact that the concocted exchange would see the likes of Jaylen Brown being sent out to Philadelphia in return.

Now, while we still stand by our reasoning for not wanting to see the All-Star swap take place, when it comes to the point guard joining forces with both of Boston’s current centerpieces, then we find ourselves delving into something that could prove to be unbelievably special.

As B/R’s Zach Buckley stated in his article, “do-it-all wings work with any play type” so perhaps finding another star that could fit in with the Jays would prove to be an easier task than some may expect for there are several roads they could wind up taking assuming they’d be willing to cough up anything other than their All-Stars in the process.

That said, there may not be all that many other stars out there that could complement them as well as Simmons theoretically could.

For his career the sixth-year pro boasts stellar averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and just shy of a block per game on 56 percent shooting from the field while also having notched three All-Star appearances, two All-Defensive selections, and an All-NBA nod along the way.

Built like a modern-day center at 6-11, 240-pounds with the game of a traditional floor general, Simmons is a do-it-all type of talent who could help this struggling Boston Celtics team that simply could use a little bit of everything.

A Big-3 consisting of Tatum, Brown, and Simmons would easily be able to help all aforementioned parties, specifically on offense, for the two wings would have a much easier time finding open looks at a score with an elite set-up artist on their side while, for the point guard, his shooting woes likely would be less on display what with the fact that he has two absolutely lethal scorers already on his team, thus opening the lanes even more for him to go and attack the rim and feast down in the paint.

Sure, we understand that the concept of seeing Ben Simmon being traded to the Boston Celtics without someone like Jaylen Brown being sent back in exchange seems a bit unrealistic, but with every passing day the All-Star’s value seems to drop, thus leaving open a sliver of hope that such a deal may be able to get done.

Either way, be it believable or not, there’s no denying that Ben Simmons would be the ideal third star to pair with the C’s current dynamic duo and would even be able to perfectly address need No. 1 as well.