After trading away Jaylen Brown earlier this summer, the Boston Celtics are in a state of flux.
Joe Mazzulla’s team doesn’t project to be a championship team in the coming season. In truth, Boston is a couple of moves away from being at the talent level of the New York Knicks or Philadelphia 76ers.
Fortunately for the Celtics, they have multiple tradable contracts, including that of the recently-acquired Paul George. With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has proposed a trade that would instantly reposition the Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Buckley’s trade proposal looks like this:
Boston Celtics get: Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors get: Paul George, Chris Cenac Jr., a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2031 first-round draft pick and a 2032 first-round pick swap.
“Curry’s gravitational pull could be just what Tatum needs to unleash the full powers of his potent isolation game,” Buckley wrote. “Conversely, Tatum’s scoring punch and secondary playmaking could give Curry the kind of offensive support and relief Golden State has failed to provide him for years.”
Buckley continued.
“…The Celtics surely want to maximize Tatum’s prime years. And even if they love a lot of their support pieces, they also have to know it’ll take something special to conquer this version of the Eastern Conference. Capturing Curry just might meet that threshold.”
Talks of a Curry trade have been prominent over the past week or so. Boston has been floated as a potential destination due to having solid salary-matching ability and the draft picks that would be necessary to entice the Warriors to the negotiating table.
Curry Wants To Continue Contending For A Title
In a recent article from The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson, it was noted that Curry continues to covet the opportunity to contend for at least one more championship. As such, the 12-time All-Star is yet to sign a contract extension with Golden State.
“He wants a chance, a real chance, for a deep playoff run,” Thompson wrote. “The longer it takes for him to sign a contract extension, the more you can bet Curry’s using potential free agency as a tool to keep the Warriors pushing toward that end.”
Currently, the Warriors don’t look anywhere near the level needed to be a contender in the Western Conference. Outside of their latest draft picks, the front office hasn’t added any new faces. Therefore, Curry may come to believe that his best path at a championship lies away from the Bay Area.
Warriors Focus Could Open Door For The Celtics
According to Tim Kawakami, speaking via ‘The TK Show,’ the Warriors’ front office is focused on building toward the post-Curry era.
“What (team governor Joe) Lacob wants to do, and this might get Warriors fans mad. He wants to build the next team after Steph Curry,” Kawakami said. “I don’t know how possible that is, but Lacob has a very keen interest in… this organization’s going to show what it can do with Steph Curry and then after Steph Curry.”
Adding multiple first-round picks, an explosive talent like Cenac, and a potentially expiring contract in George would certainly put the Warriors onto a rebuilding path. Of course, it’s unlikely they’d entertain losing a franchise legend unless Curry explicitly asked for a trade, which currently seems highly unlikely.
Still, if the sharpshooting superstar does become available at some point in the near future, his fit next to Jayson Tatum makes perfect sense and would instantly tip the balance of power in the Eastern Conference.
Blockbuster Trade Proposal Lands 12-Time All-Star With Celtics