Proposed 3-for-1 trade sends the Boston Celtics switchable wing duo

A proposed 3-for-1 trade from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey involving the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Clippers would accomplish multiple goals for the former: finding a resolution to the potential Malcolm Brogdon issues existing after his failed trade to L.A. and boosting the team’s defensive identity with more switchable forwards following the signings of Oshae Brissett and Lamar Stevens.

In Bailey’s proposal, the Celtics would land 2021 Clippers playoff hero Terance Mann, former Mike D’Antoni small-ball center with the Houston Rockets, Robert Covington, and former FanSider for PistonPowered, Jason Preston, Brogdon.

“For Boston, despite falling out of the Clippers’ rotation last season, Robert Covington could replace some of the multipositional defense it lost when Grant Williams went to the Dallas Mavericks,” Bailey said of why Boston would consider such a deal. “Terance Mann would give the Celtics a soon-to-be-27-year-old combo guard who can provide 70-75 percent of what Brogdon does. And Jason Preston is mostly here for salary-matching purposes, but the 24-year-old wing may have a hint of untapped potential Boston can get too.

“For a team that really poured a lot into the center position this summer and is reportedly thinking about giving Tatum some point guard minutes, a little more depth at the guard and wing spots makes sense.”

Jayson Tatum point guard discourse feels like a hedge for Malcolm Brogdon failing to report for Boston Celtics

Once the possibility of Brogdon protesting the Celtics’ near trade of the point guard over the offseason was raised, there was a subsequent rumor about Jayson Tatum taking on additional floor-general duties. That doesn’t seem coincidental.

Brogdon being a question mark has the Cs scrambling, and in many ways it’s telling that an expanded role for Payton Pritchard hasn’t been discussed. Between Tatum and Derrick White both being tabbed for point guard minutes during the 2023-24 season, it’s possible that Boston is moving towards fully position-less basketball.

Bailey’s proposal moves the team more toward that direction, while also adding a potential low-risk high-upside facilitator in Preston. Who says no?