Boston Celtics: “Pass or Pursue” on 3 proposed blockbuster trades
By Mark Nilon
Boston Celtics trade No. 2) C’s formulate a new Big-3 by adding Bradley Beal
Arguably the biggest name that could find himself swapping zip codes this offseason is Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal who, dating back to 2018, has been rumored to be interested in departing from the franchise.
Perhaps we could finally see such an ordeal take place this summer, and, if he were to move on by means of trade, many are under the impression that the Boston Celtics should be highly interested in entering negotiations.
Due to his well-documented relationship with Jayson Tatum that dates back to their upbringing in St Louis, Beal has been a name oft linked as being a popular target for the C’s to pursue, and Buckley proposes a deal that would not only bring the star guard to Massachusetts but would form the league’s next Big-3 along the way.
Usually when we see an outlet concocting a scheme to send Beal to Boston, Jaylen Brown is the big name being shipped out in exchange to make the money work and to simply pique the interest of Washington.
However, here we see the club keeping hold of the wing and, instead, sending Robert Williams III back to the Wizards as the top-billed talent which, to Buckley, is a move that could prove to be well worth it:
"Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal both hail from St. Louis. Their paths crossed more than once on their way to the Association. “We grew up five minutes from each other,” Beal told reporters last summer. “… Jayson and I have a special relationship.” Imagine if that special relationship had a chance to grow within the same offense. If the Celtics could land Beal without losing Jaylen Brown—sacrificing Robert Williams III would sting a lot, but it might be the only way to get Beal without splitting up the Jays—they might roll into next season as the favorites to lead the league in offensive efficiency. Oh, and the favorites to win it all, too."
On the surface, it’s easy to see how this proposal could be of serious intrigue for the Boston Celtics, for the pairing of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Bradley Beal would be one of the most feared Big-3’s in the association and would have the makings of becoming one of the most lethal scoring trios we’ve seen in quite some time.
However, as has been seen with the Brooklyn Nets who went the talented trio route, it takes an entire team to make it to the promised land, and it especially takes a few strong defensive presences as well, and, by giving up someone as vital to their core as Time Lord, the C’s would find themselves leaning towards becoming a similar squad to the borough boys.
Already we’ve seen the negative impacts that come with having Williams out of the rotation, as Boston is simply less explosive on offense and far less menacing on defense when he’s not manning the middle.
Now look, is Bradley Beal a better talent than Robert Williams? Of course, and there’s no denying that.
However, if acquired, there’s no guarantee that the guard’s game will even mesh with the Jays.
Already we hear people talking down about how Tatum and Brown struggle to coexist, for both are players who like the ball in their hands and who patrol virtually the same exact areas of the floor when on offense, so explain how adding Beal, someone who also is a ball-dominant player on offense, wouldn’t manage to complicate things even more!
On top of this, if Boston loses Williams, then who do we have patrolling the paint as our starting five?
Al Horford? Maybe, but at his age coupled with his mileage, we shouldn’t put all our faith in him staying completely healthy for an entire season, especially if he’s taking on such a grueling task of serving as the team’s defensive anchor down low.
Daniel Theis? While we love the veteran big, he should not be the starting pivot for a championship-aspiring team.
Grant Williams? Though he’s proven capable of excelling at times when slotted in at center, at 6-6, he’d wind up being taken advantage of far too often by the taller and, frankly, better bigs out in the Eastern Conference, let alone across the league.
To some, it may be foolish, but in any deal that brings Bradley Beal to Boston, we at HH are not keen on the idea of Brown or Rob Williams being sent packing in return.
If that means they can’t get him, then so be it.