Getty Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Since the start of the new NBA season, there has been an ongoing discussion regarding the Boston Celtics‘ need to upgrade their frontcourt depth.
According to Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd, the Celtics should pick up the phone and enquire about the availability of the Los Angeles Lakers star forward, Anthony Davis, offering Robert Williams as a potential makeweight in any deal.
“This is precisely the time that you trade him.”
@ColinCowherd explains why right now is the perfect storm for the Lakers to move Anthony Davis
“Are the Lakers close to a championship team? No. They need like three more B+ guys, they gotta get more dudes. And ask yourself a second question, will Anthony Davis remain healthy the rest of the year…you know the answer to that…This is the time. Buy low, sell high…There are a lot of teams out East. And, they’re looking at their roster thinking how do we stop Giannis?… Just sayin’, the Celtics get Anthony Davis, the Lakers get Robert Williams, maybe a player…I’m just throwing it out there,’ Cowherd said.
It’s worth noting that Cowherd’s idea is implausible, as Williams earns $12 million per year, while Davis takes home $37.9 million. Of course, the Celtics could look to put a package of players together, but it’s doubtful they would be willing to split up a core that boasts the best record in the NBA. Or, Brad Stevens could look to include other teams in a larger-scale trade, however, again, the Celtics don’t really have the assets to make that happen.
As such, Cowherd’s idea falls flat out of the gate, but, if Boston were willing to include Al Horford and some future draft picks in the deal, then it’s entirely possible the Lakers would consider cashing in on Davis while his value is so high.
Williams is Nearing His Return From Injury
According to a November 23 report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, on an episode of NBA Countdown, Williams is closing in on his return to the court, having missed the opening few months of the season as he recovered from a second surgery on a torn meniscus.
“Robert Williams, who had surgery on his left knee two months ago today. His agent, Kevin Bradbury told me tonight that he expects Robert Williams will be back by Christmas. That gives him another month here, he’s progressing well on his rehab. And listen, this is a player who had two surgery’s in the last calendar year, they certainly want to take their time. Even without him, this is a team with the best record in the NBA, but they expect him to be back by Christmas,” Wojnarowski said.
The Celtics will be hoping that once Williams is back to full fitness, his presence within the rotation will help them re-discover their commanding defense and further improve their chances of returning to the NBA Finals at the first time of asking.
Williams Reveals Boston is Being Cautious
On November 5, Williams spoke with The Atheltic’s Jay King regarding his rehab from injury and shared his belief that Boston was taking a cautious approach to his recovery by limiting his explosiveness during training, ensuring that he ramps his workouts back up slowly.
Robert Williams said he’s been “stepping it up” in workouts. Said he can do “really anything.”
“They just try to hold me (back from) being a little too explosive sometimes, take my time with it. But pick and rolls, running the court, really doing a lot.”
“They just try to hold me [back from] being a little too explosive sometimes, take my time with it. But pick and rolls, running the court, really doing a lot,” Williams told King.
Given Williams’ injury history, it makes sense that Boston would make his recovery a priority, especially given his importance to the team’s overall defensive upside, and his long-term value to the roster as the starting center on their championship-level core. And that’s another reason why Cowherd’s idea of an Anthony Davis trade is unlikely to happen.