Getty Josh Richardson, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are yet to pick a lane heading into the February 10 trade deadline.
While Brad Stevens has been steadfast in his mission to get the team under the luxury tax, he’s yet to make the final trade required to get there. However, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Utah Jazz could be interested in helping Stevens achieve his goal, as long as Boston is willing to part with veteran wing Josh Richardson.
“The effort or the ability just isn’t there in the perimeter and unless the Jazz can find something on the trade market a la Josh Richardson from Boston, somebody like that I’ve heard they have interest in — that was prior to the Ingles injury — I just like that for the Utah Jazz,” O’Connor said on a recent episode of the Bill Simmons podcast.
For Boston, this deal would get them under the luxury tax line, while allowing them to free up development minutes for young wings Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford. Furthermore, it removes the pressure on Stevens to find a suitable trade partner for Dennis Schroder, who has found himself linked with multiple teams in recent weeks.
Richardson is best at clamping guards, and Covington is a lengthy helpside defender. Utah needs help on both fronts. Playing with Rudy could amplify their strengths and collectively improve Utah’s D.
The move would also make sense for Utah, who currently sit first in offensive rating, but due to their defensive struggles, find themselves 14th in defensive rating, per NBA Stats. Adding an experienced wing stopper such as Richardson would go a long way to shoring up the Jazz’s perimeter defense, and would make them a far sterner opponent once the post-season inevitably rolls around.
Richardson Has Rebuilt Value in Boston
When Richardson left the Miami Heat at the end of the 2018-19 NBA season, everyone believed the Philadelphia 76ers had pulled off a coup. The 6-foot-5 wing was coming off two solid seasons on South Beach and projected as a valuable contributor to a Sixers team who were keen to build upon the duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
However, Richardson never managed to replicate his stellar performances in Philadelphia, and quickly became found himself heading West to the Dallas Mavericks. Again, the Oklahoma native failed to display his talent to the level we saw in Miami, making him an expendable member of a disjointed Mavericks roster.
Josh Richardson tough and-1 🔥
Yet, since joining the Celtics, Richardson has been a vital cog in the team’s bench rotation. Blending excellent defense with some playmaking and mid-range scoring, Richardson’s value has started to trend in the right direction. Sure, the 28-year-old isn’t performing to the level we witnessed for those two seasons with the Heat, but this is the best version we’ve seen since then.
As such, it makes sense that a contending team like Utah sees value in adding Richardson’s versatile skillset to their rotation. However, with Boston short on valuable trade chips, it would make sense if Stevens stood firm on what is currently an un-defined asking price, which could complicate any potential trade.
Young Wings Need Minutes
While every trade will have its pros and cons, moving on from Richardson would provide the Celtics with an opportunity to begin rebuilding some of their younger player’s value. Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford are both former lottery picks with differing skillsets, yet neither has taken a step forward with their development since entering the league, partially due to limited opportunities.
Should Richardson find a new team, Ime Udoka would be forced into playing one (or both) of the young wings, which in turn, would help rebuild their trade value. The issue isn’t that Boston drafted bad players, it’s that they drafted raw talent but haven’t provided the right environment for that talent to flourish.
The most realistic Celtics fake trades involve taking on a “name” bench player on a team that will obviously cut payroll to avoid the tax.
The main issue for a consolidation trade? All of the C’s young guys are negative value.
Until they get minutes and earn value, its trouble
For Boston, moving on from their summer acquisition could be their best bet in rebuilding some trade value from their recent draft picks, because, without it, the team is going to struggle in the trade market in the coming seasons.
The February 10 trade deadline is still over a week away, so there is plenty of time for deals to get done, either with the Jazz or another contending team. And with Richardson’s current level of play, it’s fair to assume he’s going to have multiple admiring glances cast his way during the build-up.