From the moment the Boston Celtics acquired Paul George, he became their most tradable asset. The veteran forward has two years remaining on his four-year, $211.5 million contract. He’ll earn $54 million this season and $56 million next.
The final year of George’s contract is a player option, which he’s likely to exercise because of the money on offer. Therefore, any team acquiring George would be doing so knowing that his money would come off the books ahead of the 2029 free agency period.
Should the Celtics look to part ways with George, NESN’s Scott Rafferty believes the New Orleans Pelicans could be logical trade partners. In fact, Rafferty recently proposed a trade that would flip George for Jordan Poole and Trey Murphy III.
The full trade idea looks like this:
Celtics Get: Jordan Poole, Trey Murphy
Pelicans Get: Paul George, a 2032 first-round draft pick, a 2030 first-round pick swap, a 2031 first-round pick swap, a 2030 second-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick.
“Murphy, 26, is a 6-8 forward who can jump out of the gym and space the floor,” Rafferty wrote. “He’s averaged 21.4 points per game over the last two seasons while making 37.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. He’s the type of player who could fit on any team, and some believe he has the potential to develop into an All-Star.”
Rafferty continued.
“…Poole’s trade value has declined since winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors, but he only has one year remaining on his contract. Best-case scenario, he brings scoring and shooting off the bench. Worst-case scenario, he’s off Boston’s roster in 12 months.”
Celtics Should Not Part With That Many Draft Picks
Acquiring Murphy would certainly appease Celtics fans. The franchise was rumored to hold interest in the talented forward earlier this summer. However, no move came to fruition, and right now, it looks like Murphy will remain with the Pelicans.
Nevertheless, the deal Rafferty has proposed is not worth parting with such a large amount of draft capital. Brad Stevens would be better served by biding his time and putting a package together to land a bona fide superstar when one next hits the trade market.
The Celtics are well-positioned to be players in the trade market over the next few years. Jumping the gun to acquire Murphy and Poole would likely come back to haunt Boston in the not-so-distant future.
Stevens Happy With Paul George Addition
George landed with the Celtics as part of the controversial Jaylen Brown trade that sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers. When speaking on a recent episode of “Beneath The Banners,” Brad Stevens explained why he’s bullish on the impact George can have for the Celtics.
“Paul’s a really good player,” Stevens said. “He’s been a really good player for a long time. He’s one of the more impactful players with regard to winning, even as he’s aged in the NBA. We just think he’s a good fit for how we play. I think the other part about Paul is he’s very smart. He has a good feel for the game. He’s got a good savvy to him about the game. I think that fits in with the rest of our lineup.”
The biggest knock on George is that he’s struggled to stay healthy in recent years. However, if Boston can manage his minutes and keep him on the floor throughout the season, it’s not hard to envision him having an All-Star caliber year. At that point, trading him would certainly seem like a more difficult prospect.
Proposed Trade Sees Celtics Land $240 Million Duo