Boston Celtics: This Dennis Schroder Bulls trade returns sixth man PG and young wing

The NBA’s worst kept secret is the eventual parting of ways between the Boston Celtics and Dennis Schroder.

Simply put, the Cs are not good enough to have a player like Schroder sticking around given the likelihood that a team with cap space/a team willing to create cap space will give the German floor general a similar (or at least far more similar) deal to what he was looking for last summer.

Could they change that with a stellar second half of January? Well, I suppose if they turned on a switch that has seldom been anything but dormant this season, then sure.

Let’s just assume that Boston continues to yo-yo between over, at, and below .500 until February 10th, though. In that case, Schroder is likely on the move to a contender with expiring deals they don’t plan on re-signing themselves to offer Brad Stevens and co.

The Chicago Bulls are a great match given their standing at the top of the Eastern Conference heap this season. They also have one of the aforementioned expiring deals of a player unlikely to re-sign.

Here’s Hardwood Houdini’s response to those two facts:

Why the Boston Celtics do it

Coby White is up for grabs according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer:

"In Chicago, Coby White is believed to be available ahead of his impending rookie extension conversations this offseason. Drafted No. 7 in 2019, White is a holdover from the Bulls’ previous front office regime."

White as taken a step back in the facilitating department this season, but the ball has been taken out of his hands with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso around. With a young Cs bench (Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams) along his timeline, White would have a definitive role in Boston that he doesn’t currently have in Chicago.

Tony Bradley and Alfonzo McKinnie could be useful depth pieces and are cost-controlled for the next few seasons.

Why the Chicago Bulls do it

Dennis Schroder has been able to play off the ball this season with Marcus Smart in the Cs lineup, which would suit him well in the Windy City. The Bulls have plenty of dynamic offensive talents (Ball, Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic) that need the ball in their hands, so Schroder’s presence as another threat and as a facilitator would be welcome skills in Chicago.

Romeo Langford replaces Alfonzo McKinnie’s spot on the depth chart and gives the Bulls their own cost-controlled young talent assuming Schroder gets priced out of Chi-town in the offseason.