10 Point guard trade targets for Boston Celtics after losing Marcus Smart

Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors

If the Boston Celtics are going to make a splash in free agency, they’re going to have to do it via a sign-and-trade. Looking at the point guard position, if they wanted to make huge waves, Fred VanVleet could be an option. Though, it could be costly. Depending on what VanVleet’s market would be, the Celtics could emerge as a potential dark horse landing spot for the veteran point guard.

That said, the Celtics could easily use Malcolm Brogdon’s contract (depending on what VanVleet’s new deal would look like) and a future first-round pick to make the Toronto Raptors willing to participate. Signing VanVleet, though, could be viewed as a big risk for the Celtics. VanVleet is coming off one of the most statistically inefficient seasons of his career thus far – averaging 19 points and seven assists on just 39 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent shooting from 3-point range.

Considering he would be likely looking for a long-term deal on the open market, that could make a team like the Celtics shy away from making a deal. However, if Boston believes in VanVleet’s fit on this team, perhaps they’d be willing to bite the bullet in exchange for a shot at an NBA Championship.