Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens is sticking to the script that led to success for him as a head coach.
Yet another return is being had in the form of Daniel Theis, who was acquired in a deal that sent out three players on expiring contracts to the Houston Rockets. None are expected to stick in the Space City, but Theis is back where he belongs in Boston, at least at the price they got him for. He follows Al Horford’s Cs comeback and Enes Kanter Freedom’s, which ends in this deal. Freedom has already been waived in by Houston.
The highest-profile move was landing Derrick White for Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and a lottery-protected 2022 first-round draft pick. Whether a starter or on the bench, White adds the most scoring, and replaces it as well, in the Cs lineup.
Then there was yet another roster-clearing move involving two injured players. We’ll get to that in a second and go into detail about our grades for each move at the 2022 NBA trade deadline:
The Boston Celtics send Bol Bol, P.J. Dozier to Orlando and swap second-round picks
The first trade executed by Brad Stevens today was one that simply got rid of two players that weren’t going to play this season anyway.
It was rumored earlier this season that Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier could be rerouted to the OKC Thunder, but the Orlando Magic were the rebuilding suitor instead. Heavily protected picks were also involved in this one.
Ultimately, it was a sly move from a sly guy.
Grade: B+
Brad Stevens hits home run by bringing Derrick White to the Boston Celtics
Brad Stevens simply can’t be lauded enough for bringing on Derrick White to the Cs. White could be a game-changing addition that puts the Celtics in a position to finish the 2021-22 season with homecourt advantage in the postseason.
The Eastern Conference is packed like sardines, and White could be the second unit slide-in that sets up the Cs for a finish for the ages after a nightmarish start.
Ime Udoka has had the team humming, and with an infusion of talent like White that seemingly fits so well alongside the team’s core, it might not be the most ridiculous thought to think that Boston could return to the Eastern Conference finals.
Optimism is high for the green right now, and adding a Team USA talent from the Celtics-heavy 2019 Team USA squad could only be good for the prospect of White fitting the mold alongside the ‘Jays’ and Marcus Smart.
Josh Richardson’s loss stings, and it seems likely that he’d be rerouted in the offseason as the San Antonio Spurs figure out what their future is going to look like. Romeo Langford has a better chance to stick with the Spurs than the Cs.
This was a slam dunk for Brad Stevens, though, even with a draft pick included.
Grade: A
Boston Celtics PBO Brad Stevens shocks with Daniel Theis reunion
Brad Stevens started Daniel Theis for two straight seasons, and had varied results in each. He reached the 2019-20 Eastern Conference finals with Theis at the 5 and then tried to deploy him alongside Tristan Thompson at the 4.
The latter arrangement didn’t work and later led to a trade to the Chicago Bulls during last year’s NBA trade deadline. It was one of Danny Ainge’s last acts as the general manager of the Boston Celtics. Of course, Theis was representative of a free agent archetype Ainge used to target as an undrafted international free agent.
The Brad Stevens era is all about bringing the boys back to town, though, and now Theis is returning to his most successful professional stop.
That the deal also sent out Enes Kanter Freedom and Bruno Fernando is a major victory in and of itself. Dennis Schroder will likely find a new home after a very likely buyout from a Rockets team that has no sensible role for him.
This team is much better now, and is a realistic option for free agents looking to achieve something in the 2022 postseason. Landing Theis and bringing him back to seal for the ‘Jays’, Marcus Smart, and co. was the cherry on top of a successful 2022 NBA trade deadline.