Boston Celtics: 3 deals for the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline

3. Jonathon Simmons

Why the Celtics say yes:

Jonathon Simmons is a valuable player to have, especially for his two-way abilities. What makes him even more valuable is that he’s making just $6 million. He’s a solid defender, and would be even better playing under Brad Stevens’ top-ranked defense.

He brings a lot to the table on offense too, however. He’s averaging 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 46.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.9 percent shooting from deep. He’s not going to torture defenses from 3, but he can score the ball.

The Celtics can use a player who can come off the bench and become a top scorer for this team. He’s not going to be as expensive as players like Lou Williams, but Simmons is definitely worth it. He scores more points per game than Shane Larkin and Guerschon Yabusele combined. Simmons would be a huge revelation to a poor scoring bench unit.

Why the Magic say yes:

Much like the Atlanta Hawks, the Orlando Magic are not going anywhere anytime soon. They look to be in a full rebuild mode once again. Simmons is on the books for the next three years and letting him go will allow the team to have full flexibility to do so moving forward. Simmons would benefit greatly from a change of scenery in Boston.

In return, Orlando gets two young players on cheap contracts, plus a late first round pick. This will help this Magic club to restart once again. Receiving two contracts that are cheap, and receiving a first round pick would be a great addition to their rebuild. Larkin and Yabusele are in this trade for money purposes, but the Magic could find some use for them in the meantime.