Things happen at a quick pace in the NBA — so here’s a simplified recap of the Boston Celtics trades that occurred over the weekend, and what the moves mean for the future of the franchise.
Rebuilding can be a long, frustrating process in the NBA.
Unless you are a premier landing spot for free agents like New York or Los Angeles, it is hard to convince veterans to commit to a rebuild when there are better options elsewhere. Why commit to a team with no guarantee of ever making the playoffs, when you can join a contender and win a championship?
If a team can’t attract stars, the only other option is to tank. That means being as bad as possible in order to get a high draft pick. It also includes selling any talent the team has in order to acquire assets that will help in the rebuilding process, such as expiring contracts or draft picks.
Entering this season, it was no secret Boston was in rebuilding mode. When the team traded All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo to Dallas in December, it reiterated that fact.
So it should come as no surprise that Boston went into “fire sale” mode this weekend, trading newly acquired forward Brandan Wright to the Phoenix Suns for a protected first-round pick, and agreeing to send forward Jeff Green to the Memphis Grizzlies.
With everything moving at such a quick pace, it is hard to keep up with everything going on. But don’t worry, the following is a simplified recap of all the action from the weekend. Hopefully, it will help you better understand what’s going on.
Trade No. 1: Celtics trade Brandan Wright to Phoenix Suns
Reports surfaced Friday evening of Boston’s first trade of the weekend in an Adrain Wojnarowski tweet:
Boston is finalizing a trade to send forward Brandan Wright to the Phoenix Suns, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 9, 2015
The Celtics soon confirmed the trade, announcing Wright had been traded to the Suns for a first-round pick. As it turns out, the pick is Minnesota’s 2015 pick that the Suns received in a previous trade and is top-12 protected.
What that means is if Minnesota’s first-round picks fall in the No. 1-12 range in the 2015 and 2016 drafts (which is the most likely scenario), Boston will instead receive two second-round picks in the 2015 and 2016 drafts. The Celtics also created a trade exception in the deal worth $5 million.
Wright was never in Boston’s rebuilding plans, and was acquired in the Rondo trade as a piece to flip for more draft picks. Comcast SportsNet Washington reported Friday morning that Celtics GM Danny Ainge informed Wright he was on the trading block and should expect to be on a new team.
After Ainge talked to Wright, it didn’t take long for the Celtics to find a suitor for the forward.
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However, the real story here is what Boston received for trading Rondo. By trading Wright, the Celtics ultimately received two first-round (one protected) draft picks, more than $17 million in trade exceptions, a promising role player in Jae Crowder, and Jameer Nelson in exchange for their star point guard.
In a league where the Cleveland Cavaliers gave up two first-rounders for Timofey Mozgov, it still seems like Boston could have received more for Rondo if it had waited. However, all of that is water under the bridge now, and the Celtics must turn their attention to rebuilding with the roster and picks they have.
The bottom line is simple. With the Wright trade, Boston continues to stockpile draft picks for upcoming drafts. While it will likely be two second-round picks instead of a first-round pick, those picks will be valuable assets that can be packaged together with other assets to either move up in a draft or land a proven player that will help the team.
The trade exception will also be useful in bringing in talented players via more trades. If that was the goal by trading Wright, then Boston achieved what it wanted to do.
Trade No. 2: Celtics trade Jeff Green to Memphis Grizzlies
Although the deal cannot be finalized until the league offices open Monday morning, Boston and Memphis have agreed in principle to a deal that will send Green to the Grizzlies. The trade involves three teams, with Boston receiving the expiring $7.7 million contract of Tayshaun Prince, Austin Rivers (from the Pelicans) and a first-round pick.
Rivers will then likely be dealt to the Clippers for additional assets.
It was no secret the Celtics were shopping Green for a first-round draft pick, so this deal makes perfect sense. Boston will receive the first-rounder it covets so much, as well as earn additional cap space to use this offseason to sign free agents.
More importantly, the move allows the Celtics to play rookie James Young extended minutes. Young was the No. 17 pick in last year’s draft and is loaded with potential, but so far he has been buried on Boston’s bench. By trading Green, head coach Brad Stevens will have a better chance to take a long look at Young and evaluate his potential.
Young can score from anywhere on the court, and has the potential to develop into a big-time scorer for the Celtics. But don’t take my word for it, check out this highlight video from his 31-point performance in a D-League game from earlier this season:
In addition to more minutes for Young, the Celtics will also be able to give Jae Crowder a larger role. Crowder started in Green’s spot in Friday night’s game in Indianapolis, and Stevens hinted that he will remain a starter.
Crowder is a high-energy prospect that was acquired in the Rondo trade, and the Celtics will now have a chance to examine him and decide it they want him to be apart of their future.
By netting a first-round pick, freeing up cap space and giving more playing time to prospects, the Green trade should prove to be a win-win-win situation for the Celtics.
Following trades, what’s next for the Celtics?
Even with the recent moves, Boston still isn’t finished.
Now that Green and Wright are traded, veteran forward Brandon Bass will likely be the next to go. Bass is on an expiring $6.9 million deal, but the Celtics would not hesitate to trade him to a playoff team in need of his services if the right offer came along.
As with the other trades Boston has agreed to so far this season, any potential deal would have to include some combination of draft picks, expiring contracts and young talent.
While Bass’s trade value isn’t very much, it would not be surprising to see a team in need of help in the post — like the Cavaliers, Pelicans or Thunder — to make a push for him before the trade deadline.
In addition to Bass, Comcast SportsNet Washington reported that the Celtics are likely to negotiate a buyout with Nelson, and that the Wizards would have strong interest in the veteran guard. This move would not be surprising, as Boston is trying to find as much playing time as possible to develop its young players.
Once Nelson is gone, the only bad contract left on Boston’s books would be Gerald Wallace, who is owed a cool $10 million this year and the next. Unfortunately, no other team would want to take on Wallace’s contract until next season, so the Celtics are stuck with his salary.
With all that cap space, expect Boston to be major players in this offseason’s free agent market, especially with big names like Marc Gasol and Lamarcus Aldridge available. The Celtics will have enough cap space to go after multiple big-name free agents, and will try to convince a couple of stars to join forces on a team loaded with talent and running over with draft picks.
The Celtics may look like one of the worst teams in the league right now, but if fans in Boston are patient, the rebuilding process may lead to a championship contender in just a few years.