Proposed deal would send NBA Champ to Boston Celtics

It’s been a rough month or so for the Boston Celtics and their fans. Since dominating the Phoenix Suns on a Dec. 8 matchup, Boston has dropped seven of their last 12 games. The recent skid has caused some panic amongst supporters of the 17-time NBA Champions.

It sounds silly after last season’s Celtics team got off to a 18-21 start before making a run to the NBA Finals, but it’s tough not to get frustrated when they lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder by 33 points.

Boston has struggled to shoot the ball during their recent slump. As a team, they’re shooting just 31.1% from beyond the arc over the last 12 games. That’s quite the drop off compared to the 40% clip they shot the 3-ball at through their first 26 games. There are other things that have contributed to recent losses, but shooting has been the most consistent issue.

Proposed trade sends Boston Celtics an NBA Champ to supply some shooting

Let’s be honest, there’s nothing that frustrated fans love more than trades, or at least fantasizing about them. In recent article on Heavy.com, Jack Simone, co-host of the How ‘Bout Them Celtics podcast, proposed a trade that would land the Boston Celtics Otto Porter Jr.

The deal would see the Celtics sending the Portland Trailblazers’ 2023 second round pick to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for the 29-year-old wing. The deal would work financially because Porter Jr. fits into Boston’s $6.9 million trade exception.

The 2022 NBA Champion has played just eight games for the Raptors this season after signing a two-year contract over the summer. He’s been sidelined with a toe injury since November 15. Raptors head coach Nick Nurse gave an update on Porter Jr.’s injury on January 3, explaining that he hadn’t made any progress towards making a return to the floor.

If Porter Jr. was to get healthy and land on the Celtics, he’d be a useful addition to the bench. For his career, he’s averaged 10.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 47.8% from the field and 39.7% from deep.

Earlier this week, NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg hinted that Boston could be aggressive in looking to add a shooter as the February 9 NBA Trade Deadline approaches. Porter Jr. would certainly fit the bill, but his health could throw a wrench into things for the Celtics.

As the deadline grows closer, expect to see more and more names thrown around as potential targets for the Cs — with many of them fitting the need for shooting the front office has let known.