The Boston Celtics could be a piece away from Banner 18, considering they came within two games of winning the 2022 NBA Finals. Clearly, the Golden State Warriors and their switchable position-less wing-heavy lineup were too versatile for the Cs to score enough on and stop on the other side of the ball.
A savvy roster switch aimed at combating that would be welcomed and with Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens acquiring two contracts at the trade deadline that hold value on the open market, the Cs maintain roster flexibility if the right role player upgrade becomes available.
CelticsBlog writer Dr. Daniel fromSport, Esq. gave his choice for a wing upgrade for the second unit, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, a former NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers down in the 2020 Disney World postseason bubble.
Here was the CelticsBlog writer’s plea for the Cs to pursue the 26-year-old:
Am I down bad enough to want Kyle Kuzma on the Celtics? Yes, yes I am
— Dr. Daniel fromSport, Esq. (@DanielfromSport) June 18, 2022
(He'd unironically be a great fit)
Kuzma’s varied skillset were the justification for the choice when the Celtics blogger was pressed about it:
He just does a little bit of everything. He's turned into a quality defender and rebounder, can get hot as a scorer but doesn't need to be a focal point. Very solid third wing, would be helpful behind the Jays
— Dr. Daniel fromSport, Esq. (@DanielfromSport) June 19, 2022
The Boston Celtics could attach a draft pick to Daniel Theis to pursue a wing
The Kyle Kuzma suggestion is one that matches up well with a recent proposal by CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn on the C’s side of a trade package when shopping Daniel Theis and a draft pick:
"“At a bare minimum, the Celtics should be doing everything in their power to attach future draft capital to Daniel Theis for someone who can give them playoff minutes. Theis will make $8.7 million, and with a first-round pick or two, could probably get the Celtics another starting-caliber wing.”"
Having proven complimentary to a star duo before (LeBron James, Anthony Davis) and matching up well with the timeline of the ‘Jays’, Kuzma makes a ton of sense as a target if the Wizards don’t feel comfortable rolling with Daniel Gafford and Vernon Carey Jr. as a backup center for Kristaps Porzingis, the current projected Wizards starting center and would accept Theis + draft capital as a suitable Kuzma return.
A Kuzma trade should only be considered a realistic possibility if Bradley Beal is also on the move this offseason. Perhaps Kuzma can even be included in the same deal as the 2021 All-NBA Third Team guard.