Getty Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics might be surging up the conference standings, but their offense could still use some additional firepower next season.
There’s no argument that the version of the Celtics we’re currently witnessing is vastly improved from the iteration we saw to begin the season. But, most of the improvements that have led to Boston’s sudden success have come on the defensive end of the floor, that’s why Brad Stevens moved to add so many shooters to the roster after the February 14 trade deadline.
Those shooters are highly unlikely to feature in any meaningful games this season, which means the Celtics are still shy on offensive players beyond Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Robert Williams. Maybe you can throw Grant Williams into the offensive section too because he’s currently one of the best sharpshooters in the league, but beyond those three or four players, everybody is primarily a defensive specialist.
One thing is clear though, the Celtics need an extra scorer if they want to challenge the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks for a conference championship next season.
Celtics need to get Terry Rozier back fr
That’s why one NBA executive, who spoke to Heavy.com under the condition of anonymity, believes the Celtic should pursue a reunion with their former point guard Terry Rozier.
“I think Boston would definitely welcome him back, you can play him with Marcus Smart. There were people in the organization who did not want to trade him for Kemba (Walker) in the first place. Jaylen and Jayson, they like the guy,” the executive said.
The Charlotte Hornets Would be Interested In a Trade
With LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, the Charlotte Hornets have an offensively charged backcourt. But, with Terry Rozier coming off the bench, the team has no perimeter defense and currently ranks 23rd in the NBA for defensive rating. If the Hornets want to continue improving their roster and climbing up the Eastern Conference standings, trading for some defensive versatility should be high on their list.
“The Hornets did poke around to see what they might get for Terry Rozier. They like him obviously, they are not going to give him away, but it is also a situation where he is at his personal peak right now, he is playing great, he is 27, he has had two really good years back-to-back. If you are going to sell, sell high and he is at a high point.
But they’re playing him at shooting guard and he is 6-1 — that is a problem for their defense. And their defense is bad, they’re bottom-10. They know they can’t get better, they will just stay a .500-ish team until they improve the defense and that is probably going to mean moving Rozier,” the executive told Heavy.com.
Rozier🤙🏽
By adding Rozier to their roster the Celtics would have another player capable of providing instant offense from the bench. A partnership between Rozier and Payton Pritchard would allow Ime Udoka to stagger some of his guard rotation to ensure there are always multiple offensive players on the floor to lighten the load for Tatum and Brown.
What Would a Package Look Like?
As the executive noted, Rozier has performed well for the last two seasons and wouldn’t come cheap. But, the Hornets are in a position where they need to alter their roster a little so they can convince Ball they’re serious about building a contending team around him. Otherwise, it will become increasingly difficult to keep one of the more talented guard prospects in the NBA around long term.
“If you sent out Derrick White and (Aaron) Nesmith, that is a starting point. Charlotte would want a pick, I am sure. A protected first-rounder would do it,” the executive told Heavy when discussing a potential package that could see the Celtics land their former guard, “But the Celtics like White. They like that defensive backcourt, him and Marcus. But they need more offense going forward, and that is where having Terry back, that could change things for them, raise their ceiling.”
When Rozier left the Celtics back in 2019, he went out in a blaze of glory after calling out the front office and coaching staff on ESPN. However, the recent organizational changes in the Celtics front office mean that Rozier would likely return to friendly faces, and those changes also mean there’s a better opportunity for Boston looking to bring their former draft pick back to the TD Garden.
Of course, Stevens has spoken glowingly of Derrick White since trading for him at the February 14 trade deadline, so he might not want to move on from somebody he has chased for multiple years so quickly after acquiring him.
But Rozier fits with what the Celtics need, his offense is reliable and multi-faceted and he already has a relationship with the team’s best players. The only question left is if Stevens is willing to enter negotiations on bringing Rozier back to Boston for the next few years, and what he’s willing to give up to get a deal done.