Dream Trade Scenario Sees Celtics Land Former No. 6 Overall Pick

Daniel Theis, Boston Celtics

Getty Daniel Theis, Boston Celtics

Hindsight is always twenty-twenty, and that’s especially true for the Boston Celtics, who acquired Daniel Theis at the February 10 trade deadline.

No one knew Robert Williams was going to get hurt so close to the playoffs, but Theis was a clear improvement on the team’s big man rotation over Enes Freedom. However, according to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, the Celtics may be ruing a missed opportunity to add a more defensively minded center to their rotation.

“It was impossible to predict that Robert Williams III would tear his meniscus and possibly miss the Celtics’ first-round playoff series (or more), but his absence should have Boston on the lookout for backup plans this summer should he suffer further knee issues.

Noel is built in the same model as Williams, a somewhat undersized shot-blocking center who can cover all areas of the court and make a major impact without having to score,” Swartz wrote.

In his article, Swartz is referencing New York Knicks big man Nerlens Noel, who Boston has been rumored to have been interested in over the years. The six-foot-eleven shot blocker is a Massachusetts native and is a low-cost asset who can provide solid backup minutes, both as a rim protector and lob threat in the half-court.


Trade Proposal Sees Theis Moved For Noel

In his piece, Swartz postulates making a move to add Noel to the Celtics roster in the upcoming off-season, regardless of how Boston’s post-season shapes up. Noel has just completed the first year of a three-year deal with the Knicks and is set to earn $9.2 million next season, with his final year’s salary of $6.6 million being under team-option control.

Brad Stevens has made a point of adding players with long-term contracts, at least when he envisions them being a core part of what the team is trying to achieve. Derrick White, who Boston acquired at the trade deadline, has three more years left on his $70 million deal. While Theis is under contract until 2024, with another year as a team option.

So, Swartz’s proposal of Daniel Theis and 2022 second-round pick in return for Noel makes sense – both as a deal that fills a need and in keeping with Stevens’ current roster-building plans. Sure, Theis provides more on the offensive side of the floor thanks to his 32.9% career three-point shooting, and due to his versatility in the pick-and-role.

Still, Noel fits into Ime Udoka’s vision of an unbreakable defense, and given Noel’s ability to finish lob-threats, would be a logical understudy for Williams moving forwards.


Noel is a Capable Robert Williams Understudy

During his time with the Knicks, Noel has been a valuable contributor off the bench, averaging 4.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in 23.7 minutes over 89 contests. Those numbers don’t jump off the page at you, but they do show a role player who can provide an important impact when a team’s starting big man goes to the bench.

Noel is an athletically gifted defender with good size and wingspan and would thrive in the free safety role that Udoka has been allowing Williams to occupy this season. Under Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau the journeyman center has become a viable rim protector who also holds value as a screen and roll man – both of which fill the void left by Williams when he’s not on the floor.

The Knicks have their own rim-protecting lob threat in Mitchell Robinson, who like Williams, has had injury battles, and Noel has done a fantastic job of deputizing for the young center.

“We learned that last year when Mitch (Robinson) was playing great prior to his injury and then Nerlens stepped in and he killed it the whole second half of the season, so we feel really strongly about both guys,” Thibodeau told the media following a December 21 – a game in which Noel started in place of Robinson.

With New York missing the post-season, and the media calling for changes to be made to their roster. Adding a versatile big man such as Theis, who can come off the bench and provide spacing, defensive switching, and three-point shooting might not be the flashiest of moves but could be a signal of a change of approach. And of course, Boston would benefit from adding Noel to their roster too, so this trade could be the rare occurrence where both teams come away from the deal as winners.

 

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