Boston Celtics: 5 dream targets during 2018 NBA free agency

3. Paul George, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

As you may already know, the Celtics tried to make a trade for Paul George this past offseason. Their efforts came after they had signed Hayward, as they attempted to put together a super-team guaranteed to go all the way to the NBA Finals.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get the deal done. Instead, the Indiana Pacers dealt PG-13 to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a solid-yet-modest package that yielded them more talent than expected. It’s a bit surprising considering the Celtics allegedly offered three first round picks and two starters for George (via ESPN’s Jeff Goodman).

Still, maybe it was in Boston’s best interests that the trade never went through. Instead of giving up a boatload of picks for George, they can simply sign him since there’s no salary cap in the fantasy world we’re operating in.

With George in town, the Celtics are suddenly one of the best teams the NBA has seen in years. He immediately takes over as the starting 3, providing yet another outstanding offensive threat while upgrading a defense that already gets it done on a game-by-game basis.

A union between PG-13 and the Celtics nearly happened in 2017. Why not make it happen in 2018?