The Boston Celtics might be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference right now, but it would only take one major trade to swing the tables of fortune against them.
At least, that’s the belief of Heavy Sports NBA Insider Steve Bulpett, who recently discussed the notion of LeBron James joining a Celtics rival such as the Philadelphia 76ers or Toronto Raptors during a recent episode of Heavy’s The Celtics Collective Podcast.
“In terms of the East, I mean, it would be fun to be a fly on the wall to see and be James Harden and LeBron sitting at lunch at Chick-Fil-A and discussing their basketball world. But look, if Philadelphia gets its head together. And now that Maxey is back, that’s an interesting team. Yeah, you’ve got three legit major players – Embiid, Harden, Maxey, and you’ve got some really interesting pieces to go around them, you know, Tobias Harris; this could be a team to keep an eye on,” Bulpett said when discussing potential Eastern Conference landing spots for LeBron.
Luckily for Boston, LeBron will not be going anywhere until the current season reaches its conclusion, which ensures the Celtics will have the opportunity to fight their way back to the NBA Finals and make a push for an NBA Championship. However, it is worth noting that LeBron is growing increasingly frustrated with the Lakers’ front office and could potentially seek a move away from the franchise in the summer.
Celtics Could Dangle Payton Pritchard In Trade Talks
While it’s incredibly unlikely that Boston gets involved in any potential LeBron sweepstakes, there is still a chance that Brad Stevens looks to improve the Celtics’ current rotation to help solidify the bench unit for the second half of the season.
According to Bobby Krivitsky of Sports Illustrated, Boston could set their sights on former three-and-d wing Jae Crowder, who is currently under contract with the Phoenix Suns but is not currently with the team.
The latest on Marcus Smart’s injury. Plus, an evaluation of whether it’s best for the #Celtics to keep Payton Pritchard as an insurance policy or trade him to upgrade their rotation, including assessing two of Boston’s most intriguing options.
“Another intriguing potential reunion would be with Jae Crowder, who remains separated from a Suns team that could use him in their rotation. Barring an unlikely resolution that keeps Crowder in the desert, expect him to get dealt by the Feb. 9 trade deadline…However, along with Pritchard, Crowder figures to cost the Celtics a future first-round pick,” Krivitsky wrote.
Pritchard, 24, has played in 25 of the Celtics’ games so far this season, averaging 4.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and an assist per game while shooting 42% from the field and 36.4% from deep.
Danilo Gallinari Could Create Potential Trade Avenues
If the Celtics are against the idea of trading away Payton Pritchard due to the high-level insurance he provides at the guard position, they could be tempted to explore moving on from veteran forward Danilo Gallinari.
According to a January 6 article by NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg, it would make sense for Stevens to explore potential trades in an attempt to increase the production of Boston’s bench.
Stray Celtics thoughts from @ChrisForsberg_ – Jayson Tatum’s MVP path, Kemba Walker, and a Danilo Gallinari conundrum:
“It might be somewhat cold to trade him as he rehabs without having never played a minute in a Celtics jersey. Alas, it goes back to the bottom line: The Celtics are on a quest for a title, and you have to use every asset available. Gallinari’s $6.5 million salary creates avenues for adding talent that might preserve a diminished draft stash and potentially keeps from adding to a stiff luxury tax bill,” Forsberg wrote.
However, there is a chance that Boston will choose to stand pat at the February 9 trade deadline and trust in the rotation they currently have in place. Still, it would be interesting to see how they responded if one of their rivals did land LeBron this summer, but there is plenty of time to see how that unfolds.
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Celtics Should Be Concerned over LeBron James Joining East Rival [WATCH]