We all know that the Boston Celtics have been in desperate need of an upgrade in the frontcourt, and the latest NBA trade report indicates they might have a perfect scenario to acquire Brook Lopez from the Los Angeles Clippers.
According to NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan, the Clippers may look to shed salary as we approach the trade deadline given their salary cap situation. LA is currently $6.8 million above the luxury tax, and Gozlan says that they may look to make trades to get below that number. “This will be a priority since ducking the tax this year would reset their repeater clock for the next three seasons," he says.
The Clippers came into this season expecting to contend and be among the top four to six teams in the Western Conference. They made a lot of offseason additions, but their season has quickly begun to fall apart. Injuries to Bradley Beal and Kawhi Leonard and other struggles have put them in a tough situation where it looks like it's going to be very hard for them to be a serious contender before next summer. With that in mind, it's the perfect scenario for the Celtics to take advantage.
Brook Lopez could be a perfect target for Boston
It's no secret that Boston has been lacking when it comes to the center position this season. They've found some ways to make things work given their personnel, but no one in their right mind would say they're in a position to be content and not make any forward moves. Losing Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis this past offseason is still stinging this organization, and making up for those losses has to be of the utmost priority.
This is especially true when we consider that the Celtics are still fighting and winning a lot of basketball games this year. They've won six of their last eight as of this writing, and there's no way they're going to fall off or opt to tank anytime soon. Boston is playing above .500 basketball right now, and the opportunity to level up is sitting right in front of them.
Brook Lopez would be a tremendous help to this group with his interior defense and shooting prowess. He would replace a lot of the same skill Porzingis and Horford brought to this roster, and make the Celtics a much more viable team in a postseason setting.
It's easy to see why many would consider Lopez as the ideal frontcourt option in Boston. He checks every box this roster has been missing and gives them a path to stay competitive deep into the spring. If the Celtics can pull a deal off for the right price, they'd be foolish not to pounce on the opportunity.