Blockbuster 3-Team Proposal Lands Celtics $90 Million Blazers Shooter

Norman Powell, Boston Celtics

Getty Norman Powell, Boston Celtics

Getting under the luxury tax has been a prominent discussion point for the Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations in recent weeks.

Brad Stevens’ insistence on financial flexibility has been at the forefront of the deals he’s made since entering his front-office role during the off-season. We can also expect that any future deals before the February 10 trade deadline follow a similar train of thought, which many believe will limit Boston’s chances of landing a legitimate upgrade.

However, NBA cap guru and insider Keith Smith recently proposed a trade that would not only get Boston below the luxury tax line but also drastically improve the team’s shooting. Smith’s trade proposal features three teams, the Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, and Chicago Bulls, and looks like this:

  • Boston acquires: Norman Powell (from Portland) and Troy Brown Jr. (from Chicago)
  • Chicago acquires: Dennis Schroder (from Boston) and Tony Snell (from Portland)
  • Portland acquires: Josh Richardson (from Boston) and Matt Thomas (from Chicago)

For the Celtics, making this trade would provide three desirable outcomes in one move. Firstly, Boston would sneak below the luxury tax line, secondly, the team would be vastly improved in the shooting department and wouldn’t lose too much defense from Josh Richardson’s departure. Finally, the Celtics would enter the second half of the season with an open roster spot, should an impactful player hit waivers.


Norman Powell is a Legitimate Shooting Upgrade

Powell, 28, is a career 38.2% three-point shooter on an average of 3.7 shots per game and is currently hitting 40.6% of his 5.7 attempts for the Trail Blazers. Unlike most shooters that have found themselves linked with the Celtics in recent weeks, the eight-year veteran is more than just a catch-and-shoot threat too.

Powell is a capable movement shooter who can hurt you curling off screens or stopping and popping in transition but is also a dangerous threat when spotting up beyond the perimeter. Furthermore, the California native is capable of beating close-outs and punishing defenses due to his reliable mid-range game.

According to Cleaning The Glass, Powell is shooting 46% from the mid-range this season, with most of those attempts coming above the free-throw line extended. The reason the former Toronto Raptors wing’s mid-range shooting is important, is because that is an area that would otherwise be significantly weakened by Josh Richardson’s departure.

Finally, for a team that has lost some of its better players to free agency in recent seasons, the Celtics would be smart to add a shooter who is tied down on a reasonable contract for the next four and a half seasons. For reference, Spotrac has Powell earning an average salary of $18 million throughout the duration of his deal, with his salary incrementally increasing each season.

Still, Heavy.com NBA insider Sean Deveney said recently on a Facebook Live that Powell’s contract would be too hefty for Boston.

“He has had a pretty good year, averaging about 18 points, shooting 40% from the 3-point line, however, just signed a five-year, $90 million contract that I don’t think the Celtics are interested in dabbling there,” Deveney said.


Boston Needs a Shooting Upgrade

The Celtics are currently 22nd in three-point percentage despite taking 36.4 deep shots per game. Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard, two of the team’s better shooters, have both been unable to crack the rotation under Ime Udoka, while Tatum and Brown have both struggled with consistency from deep this season.

In fact, beyond Grant Williams, who is vastly improved from deep, Boston doesn’t project as a reliable three-point shooting team. Yet, if they added Powell, that would change immediately. Powell would also create additional driving lanes for Boston’s slashers due to his shooting gravity, with defenses forced to stay home on him.

Unfortunately, the number of available shooters heading into the trade deadline is minimal, which makes the notion of Powell an exciting one. Unlike the other players rumored to be of interest to the Celtics, the Trail Blazers’ wing is a reliable defender and capable ball-handler – which fits Udoka’s preferred system.

The February 10 trade deadline is approaching quickly, and numerous teams are yet to make a move for players they’ve been rumored to be targeting. So, there’s still time for the Celtics to find some additional help for the remainder of the season, and hopefully, that will see them go on to make a deep playoff push.

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