There has been some angst around Boston recently due to the fact that the Celtics indirectly helped the 76ers sign LeBron James. Philly didn’t appear to be on the radar as a potential destination, but after landing Jaylen Brown, they became a feasible team for James, and obviously, he ended up going to the Sixers on a minimum.
And yes, it has been a fairly painful sequence of events for Boston fans, but on the Third Apron podcast earlier this week, salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan offered a fun theory that by sending Brown to the 76ers, they avoided giving the Warriors a path to contention, leaving them pretty much stuck as Stephen Curry’s career wastes away on a team that missed the playoffs last year and made no big moves.
He suggested that this was a 5D chess move by Brad Stevens and the Celtics to try and tank the Warriors’ hopes of improving the team to contend while Steph is still playing at an All-NBA level. That could cause Curry to grow more frustrated with the franchise, and perhaps, if they have another disappointing season, Steph finally decides to move on from the only team he’s ever known.
Stephen-Curry Celtics rumors aren't going away any time soon
And if that were to ever happen, the Celtics are suited about as well as anyone in the league to pounce. They’ve got a giant contract in Paul George to make most of the money work and could throw in a proven asset like Payton Pritchard, or any combination of their young wings and recent draft picks. They also have the picks acquired in the Brown trade, plus several more of their own to dangle.
But really, this would be about Steph and where he wants to go. At 38 years old, and after becoming an icon for the Warriors’ franchise, he’ll get to dictate how his career ends, and Boston seems like a perfect final chapter. He would fit brilliantly in Joe Mazzulla’s system and make an incredible tandem with his buddy, Jayson Tatum.
We already know that Curry has become frustrated with the organization recently and that he wants to win, while there have been reports that the owner is using his loyalty as leverage. We also know that Steph was in New England golfing with Tatum recently, and let’s face it, if he really wants to win, it’s not happening in Golden State.
The team is certainly close to contention (arguably even in the mix in the East), but not enough that he’d appear to be a frontrunner, and Curry could walk into a proven, well-respected franchise with plenty of championship equity and further his legacy as one of the all-time greats. Sure, this theory is a bit of a stretch, but since it’s already out there, I’m more than happy to keep on pushing for it.
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