Blockbuster trades are a staple of the NBA offseason, and the Boston Celtics have been unafraid to get involved.
While free agency has quieted and Summer League has become the main attention-getter of July, there are still plenty of dominoes left to fall before the regular season begins. Among the dominoes could be Boston’s potential trading of Anfernee Simons.
Simons came over to Boston in the Jrue Holiday trade, but his status as a Celtic has been uncertain since his arrival. Reports have pointed to Brad Stevens looking to move the high-volume scoring guard, but no deal has materialized yet.
However, Celtics Blog’s Jason Issenberg has one potential deal that could solve some of Boston’s problems. In his four-team trade proposal, Issenberg concocted what could be the most intriguing trade of the offseason: Celtics receive Rui Hachimura and John Konchar, Los Angeles Lakers receive Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Georges Niang, Memphis Grizzlies receive Simons and Utah Jazz receive Jarred Vanderbilt and two second-round picks.
While it’s difficult to make a trade with so many moving parts, this deal could be ideal for Boston. With Simons on the way out, Boston would help its financial situation a bit more, and Hachimura could fill the void at the four while Jayson Tatum recovers from a torn Achilles.
No move with Simons will be perfect, especially considering he is on an expiring deal, but there could still be some moves that help Boston move in the right direction. Boston likely won’t be in the contender conversation next season, but any deals that can help get it back in the title picture when Tatum returns could be a smart move.