Could Draymond Green be a true difference-maker for the Boston Celtics? Unquestionably, yes.
Now obviously, it depends at what price. But in general, Green would provide interior defense, leadership and championship experience to a Cs team that’s right on the cusp of taking over the mantle of the NBA’s overlord.
Green would provide insurance in the frontcourt. Right now, if Al Horford or Robert Williams goes down with an injury, the Boston Celtics would not make the finals, let alone win the whole thing. With Draymond on the team, a Horford injury wouldn’t be nearly as devastating.
What would a trade for Draymond Green look like? Here’s a few iterations of a potential deal:
The Boston Celtics trade Derrick White, Robert Williams III and Payton Pritchard for Draymond Green and Donte DiVincenzo
Sure, Derrick White is important piece and does a lot of valuable things for the Boston Celtics, but Donte DiVincenzo could pull of at least 75% of what White does. DiVincenzo is a good rebounder for his position, can initiate the offense and is a fine defender. This year, he’s struggling offensively and shooting only 38% from the field, but Boston does have players that can put the ball in the basket to offset that.
Will it be a problem should he, Draymond and Marcus Smart on the court? It’s hard to say, because DiVincenzo has proven before that he can shoot. Even this year, he’s making 37.3% of his threes, so maybe problem wouldn’t be as exposed. He may just in a shooting slump right now.
Robert Williams III would be missed, but Draymond could fill his shoes and then some. They would need to change things a little bit, but the Cs are playing well without Williams this year. Rim protection might be a bit of an issue, but their defense overall would improve, because Green is a better defender than Williams. Can you imagine defensive line up with Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Green and Horford? It immediately would be the best defensive five in the league.
The Boston Celtics trade Malcolm Brogdon and Grant Williams for Draymond Green
This one is probably least likely to happen, because Golden State wouldn’t necessarily covet Malcolm Brogdon since they already have Jordan Poole initiating the offense for the second unit. At this point, they’re basically same players: their best attribute is scoring. They both need the ball in their hands, and defensively they’re good, but not great, so why would you want two players, that basically mirrors each other?
For Boston, it would deplete the bench and remove the spark. It means that Jaylen Brown and/or Jayson Tatum would need to carry even more. They are carrying a lot of load anyway. On the other hand, Derrick White could shift to the bench. Yeah, his not the same scorer as Brogdon, but he can carry second unit for small stretches.