Boston Celtics: 4 possible trade ideas
3. New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis
Why the Celtics complete this trade:
The Celtics’ case for wanting Anthony Davis is easy: He’s simply the best player in his position. You could even make a case that he is the best player in the league, which obviously means the Pelicans wouldn’t be so quick to just give him away.
For the Pelicans to give up Davis, they would need their season to go downhill, DeMarcus Cousins to decide he’s not re-signing as a free agent, and a fortune in return. Many people are anticipating that the Pelicans will blow things up and start from scratch if Boogie walks, which may not be the case. But if any team has the assets to pry the Brow from New Orleans in the event of a full-scale rebuild, it’s the Celtics.
Snagging Davis will not be cheap whatsoever. For one, Davis is an all-around superstar who contributes on both sides of the floor:
| Season | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | 28.8 | 5.5 | 10.6 | .516 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 2.6 | 3.5 | .751 | 8.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 13.5 |
| 2013-14 | 35.2 | 7.8 | 15.0 | .519 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .222 | 5.2 | 6.6 | .791 | 10.0 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 20.8 |
| 2014-15 | 36.1 | 9.4 | 17.6 | .535 | 0.0 | 0.2 | .083 | 5.5 | 6.8 | .805 | 10.2 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 24.4 |
| 2015-16 | 35.5 | 9.2 | 18.6 | .493 | 0.6 | 1.8 | .324 | 5.3 | 7.0 | .758 | 10.3 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 24.3 |
| 2016-17 | 36.1 | 10.3 | 20.3 | .505 | 0.5 | 1.8 | .299 | 6.9 | 8.6 | .802 | 11.8 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 28.0 |
| 2017-18 | 35.1 | 9.2 | 16.2 | .570 | 0.7 | 2.0 | .359 | 6.5 | 8.1 | .796 | 11.0 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 25.6 |
| Career | 34.5 | 8.5 | 16.5 | .516 | 0.3 | 0.9 | .299 | 5.2 | 6.7 | .787 | 10.2 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 22.6 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/1/2017.
He’s nearly an unstoppable force on offense. His 25.6 points per game could be even higher, but he got ejected the other night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and was injured a few minutes into a game earlier this season. Not only can he score the ball with ease, but he can play great defense.
With his shot-blocking abilities and the luxury to steal the ball, the Celtics’ defense would improve even more than what it’s at now. In his six-year career thus far, Davis is averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. He would be the perfect piece for the Celtics to continue to be a force for years to come.
Oh, and did I mention that he’s still just 24 years old? He’s still very young and will easily be dominating the league for many years to come. Just imagine a lineup of Irving, Jaylen Brown and Davis. Then imagine that lineup when Brown continues to develop, and is around 25 years old. It’s terrifying. Irving and Davis would only be 28-29 by that time and still hitting the peak of their careers.
If the Celtics were able to run a lineup of those three players, that would spell championships for many years to come.
Obviously, it hurts losing a promising rookie like Jayson Tatum, but when if you can get a player like Davis, you can feel good knowing that you’re getting a possible MVP candidate.
The first round picks are nice to have, but those players might not even get any playing time when the team is dominating the league. Boston also takes on Alexis Ajinca for money purposes, as the contracts don’t line up without adding him in the trade.
Why the Pelicans complete this trade:
The Pelicans accept this offer because they know that sooner rather than later, they will lose both Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. It’s been an ongoing topic that they are probably going to go through a rebuild soon enough. If Cousins walks and Davis becomes frustrated with the front office to the point of demanding a trade, they’d need to sell high.
Receiving three first round picks will be a nice start to a rebuild, along with Tatum. More than likely, Tatum will continue to develop and show the NBA that he is a future All-Star. He could become the franchise player for the Pelicans for many years to come.
The other three first round picks will be a nice addition, as they could turn out to be gems too. Once they get rid of Davis, it would be assumed that they would clean house, possibly dealing Jrue Holiday.
So not only do they get three first round picks, and Tatum; but, they get a fresh start in which they can trade away all their other talented players. They could in turn acquire numerous first round picks and young talented players who could turn out to be All-Stars in a few years.