Celtics' Hypothetical Blockbuster Trades to Shake up NBA Offseason
With the Boston Celtics embarking on yet another deep NBA playoff run, the idea of them making any significant roster changes this summer sounds preposterous.
But what happens if this run ends like all the others have in recent years: without a championship punctuation? Would the Celtics, who made something close to an all-in push last offseason with Jaylen Brown's big extension and the trades for Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, conclude that it just isn't happening with this core?
Probably not, honestly, but if Boston really wanted to shake things up, the following three theoretical blockbusters would make that happen.
Prying Devin Booker out of Phoenix
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If the Celtics subtract a major piece, it feels like Brown could be the odd-man out. Porziņģis is too injury-prone to have much trade value, Holiday and Derrick White feel worth more to the Celtics than they'd be as trade chips and Jayson Tatum has long been Boston's best player. Brown, meanwhile, hasn't even begun to collect his five-year, $286.2 million extension, per Spotrac.
If Boston shopped Brown—and again, that's wildly unlikely—it would have the trade budget to chase virtually anyone.
Even in-prime, perennial All-Stars like Devin Booker might be gettable in a star-for-star swap.
Brown is the superior two-way talent, but Booker boasts a deeper offensive bag. Since perimeter players like Holiday and White do their best work defensively, that's a trade-off the Celtics could reasonably consider.
A Mega-Deal for Donovan Mitchell
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Before a calf injury forced him off the floor this postseason, Donovan Mitchell was showing the Celtics how big of a problem he can be for opposing defenses.
He not only popped for 29-plus points in each of their first three meetings, he did so while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from distance. And he quadrupled his four turnovers with 16 assists.
He is a special offensive talent and, for the purposes of this thought exercise, the caliber of player who could swap jerseys in a Brown deal. The Celtics could try keeping him out of Mitchell talks, but there likely isn't a trade to be had without him.
Mitchell would give Boston another go-to scoring option to pair with Tatum in a vicious, pick-your-poison pairing. The Celtics would lose some size in this swap, but luckily White and Holiday are able to play bigger than they actually are.
A Star-Wing Swap for Paul George
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Paul George could be in the market for a scenery change this offseason. Until he puts pen to pad on a new with the Los Angeles Clippers, teams on the hunt for an impact wing will have eyeballs on him.
He's an interesting trade target for the Shamrocks, because he's the one player listed here who'd probably need to be packaged with more to add a talent like Brown (assuming the latter would still be Boston's outgoing piece). The Clippers don't have much else to offer, but if they like Brown enough, maybe they'd part with a 2031 first-round pick.
George would be an effortless fit in Boston—partly because he's an easy fit anywhere, partly because he'd do a lot of what Brown already does. Brown might be the better scorer at this stage, but George has superior shooting touch from range and is a more consistent defender.
Neither team would emerge from this deal in a dramatically different place, but maybe each would want to see if the other's star swingman would fit them better.
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