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The Boston Celtics currently find themselves trailing the Miami Heat 0-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Whatever happens in the remainder of the series and beyond, the likelihood is that Brad Stevens will continue to look for ways to give the Celtics a competitive edge. According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, one way Stevens could do that is by trading for veteran playmaker Chris Paul.
Buckley’s trade proposal looks like this:
Boston receives: Chris Paul, and three future second-round draft picks
Phoenix Suns receive: Marcus Smart and Grant Williams via sign-and-trade
“The Suns need depth in the worst kind of way, which could propel them to flip Paul for a few plug-and-play contributors,” Buckley wrote. “Smart would be an easy fit as a point-of-attack stopper who keeps feeding Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, while Grant Williams would help offset some of the defense and shooting lost with the subtractions of Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson in the Durant deal at the trade deadline.”
Smart has been a reliable facilitator for the Celtics since becoming the team’s starting guard last season, while Paul has struggled with injury and continues to show signs of age-related decline. As such, it would likely be a short-sighted move if Boston were to trade for the future Hall of Fame guard.
Joe Mazzulla Discusses Grant Williams Current Role
The other player in Buckley’s trade proposal is impending restricted free-agent Grant Williams, who has lost his role within Boston’s core rotation over the past few months.
When speaking with the media on May 18, following a Celtics practice session, head coach Joe Mazzulla discussed why Williams has struggled for consistent minutes during the playoffs.
“Obviously, in the playoffs when minutes are expanding, you look to play seven or eight guys, which we’ve kind of done throughout,” Mazzulla said. “I think, in the start, I think Payton gave us an opportunity with his shooting, with his playmaking, and his pick-and-roll defense. Like we said before, Grant is always going to be ready and we’ve built a lot of versatility and depth in our lineup to where we can go a lot of different ways. We trust that anybody we call will be ready.”
Williams participated in 79 regular-season games for Boston this season, averaging 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 45.4% from the field and 39.5% from deep.
Marcus Smart Praises Jimmy Butler
When speaking to Jay King of The Athletic, Smart discussed his respect for Jimmy Butler, noting how the Heat star is among the best players in the NBA.
“Much respect to Jimmy for sure,” Smart said. “He’s been doing this for a very long time and we all know what he’s capable of. And he’s one of the best players in this league for a reason. Me and Jimmy have had our battles over the years, but that’s respect right there.”
The Celtics and Heat will do battle in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday, May 19, at the TD Garden, with both teams searching for a win, for Boston, it’s to tie their series up at 1-1, while Miami will want to take full control of their own destiny.
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