Potential Trade Options for the Celtics’ 2020 Picks
I’ve written a few articles surrounding the Celitcs’ next offseason, and more specifically what they are going to do with their multiple draft picks. However, the one piece I have neglected to write is the one where I disclose my opinion on what they should do.
The way I see it, the Celtics have a great opportunity to package their picks this year and turn it into more depth that can help them in their quest for banner 18. The only issue with that idea is finding a team who is open to giving up a valuable asset for draft capital. Then comes the problem of releasing a player, or simply not resigning one from the current Boston roster. Before getting to that, though, let me run you through a few teams I could see giving up assets for picks.
I think the perfect team to trade with is the Detroit Pistons. The only issue there is that Ainge already tried trading for the most enticing player on their roster and got denied. Christian Wood would be the perfect fit on the Celtics roster, and there were rumors around the trade deadline that the Celtics GM attempted to give up a couple picks for the young big man and was denied. I don’t blame the Pistons for wanting to keep Wood, but it would be nice to snag him for the C’s bench. Another player that could be an interesting trade piece is Derrick Rose who’s in the midst of a career revival of sorts. The problem there is salary, as Rose makes just over 7 million dollars a year. This would be hard for the Celtics to match unless they wanted to give up Marcus Smart which I do not see happening anytime soon.
Another team that could work is the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’re a team who I think is in a very weird place in terms of talent. On the one hand they have players like Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love - veteran guys looking to move to a contending team. On the other hand, you have guys like Drummond, Sexton, and Garland - younger guys who still have time to develop. Well, in the middle of all that mess sits Cedi Osman. I know the Cavs like him, but if the Celtics offered a couple of late first round picks in exchange, I think there’s a chance they would accept. Osman would bring super valuable bench scoring. The real draw here is the 38.3% he shot from 3 this season, which is exactly the efficient shooting Boston’s bench needs.
The third team I could see the Celtics realistically trading their picks to is the San Antonio Spurs. Now, this deal would be contingent on the Spurs finally realizing that they need to begin the rebuild portion of their franchise. DeRozan and Aldridge are getting older, and the rest of their roster just isn’t ready to compete for a playoff spot in the immediate future. One piece that I think the Celtics could really benefit from trading for is Bryn Forbes. The guard/wing is shooting very efficiently this season, and as I have stated many times before, this is something that the Celtics’ bench desperately needs. Giving up a couple late first rounders, a similar package as the one I would project for Osman, would be well worth the upgrade to their bench.
Despite all my opinions and wishes for the Celtics to make a trade like this, the reality is that Ainge may just elect to trade the picks for future firsts. With the jam packed roster the Celtics currently have, I find it hard to believe that they could free up enough space for multiple rookies like they did last season. Guys like Javonte Green and even Brad Wanamaker have their roster spots in danger simply because of the lack of room on the 15-man roster next year. We’ll just have to wait and see what Lord Ainge decides to do on draft day.
