Boston Celtics: 3 offseason trades that could shake up Eastern Conference
The Boston Celtics had it all going on, winning 29 of their last 36 games and delivering win streak after win streak.
With Robert Williams down with a torn meniscus, the vibes are most certainly subdued. Banner 18 seems like a more distant and less tangible thought.
No worries. Anyone praying on the downfall of the current Cs–led by two legitimate All-NBA talents in Jayson Tatum (a potential first-teamer) and Jaylen Brown (whose time will come)–anytime soon may be wasting their energy.
This Boston Celtics team as currently constructed is a contender in the present, immediate future, and perhaps even distant future.
The Eastern Conference is undoubtedly benefitting from the Celtics being a top team again. There are more teams at the top, though.
2020’s bubble Eastern Conference champions, the Miami Heat, are right with the Cs at the top of the bracket. The defending 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks deserve their flowers as well. Joel Embiid and James Harden have a ton to prove on a loaded Philadelphia 76ers roster themselves.
Even the youth is rising in the east too, though. Cleveland has emerged as a postseason contender despite their second-half slowdown. The Chicago Bulls also slowed down but look like a solid mid-seed for years to come. 2019’s NBA Champions, the Toronto Raptors, are well past their own slow start and are once again a team you don’t want to face in the postseason.
A lot of pieces could move this offseason too. Both New York franchises aren’t where they want to be, and in general, no team is ahead of the pack.
Enter the trade market. If player movement happens, stars could be on the move to teams looking to improve their standing in a conference that no team has a firm grasp on.
If these 3 offseason moves happened, it would shake up the Eastern Conference as we know it:
Why the Cleveland Cavaliers do it
With LeBron James committing to playing with his son Bronny when he is draft eligible in 2023 before the ‘king’, the Los Angeles Lakers know he won’t be returning and could look to trade him and move past an era that seemed destined for far more greatness than the current purple and gold core has accomplished.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have the most to gain of anyone landing the hometown hero from Akron. Figuring out a sign-and-trade for Collin Sexton’s cap-hold and swapping Lauri Markkanen for the only NBA Finals MVP for three different teams, along with picks, makes sense for a team who is good, but not good enough, to compete in the Eastern Conference currently.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers do it
Whatever grand ambitions were had for the Russell Westbrook-LeBron James-Anthony Davis troika have been torched twice over.
Getting whatever assets possible and beginning a teardown is necessary for the second most recent NBA Champions.