Boston Celtics: 3 possible trade ideas for Terry Rozier
2. Orlando Magic
Why the Celtics say yes:
Jerian Grant is a solid player, but is having a slightly worse season than his previous one with the Chicago Bulls. That’s not to say that he’s lost his edge, because he’s only 26 years old.
In Chicago he started in 26 games during the 2017-18 season. This year with the Magic, he’s averaging 4.7 points, 3.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Grant would be a cheap option for the Celtics and Rozier’s replacement off the bench.
Grant stands in at 6’4″ and 205 pounds, which would add some length and physicality to the bench. If Irving were to go down with another injury, Grant has had experience starting in games. That should be important for the Celtics because they’re set up to make a deep run in the playoffs.
The Magic would send a 2021 first round draft pick in this scenario. The team is likely to be a lottery team for the next few years, so 2021 would seem like the best bet for the team making a run toward the playoffs — pending the development of their young core. If they are still rebuilding, the draft pick would carry over next year since it’s lottery-protected
The Celtics don’t need to actually use their first-rounders in the here and now, so spreading this one out to 2021 while still adding another chip to the pile makes sense.
Why the Magic say yes:
It seems like all the Magic have on their roster is an abundance of big men. An area of need for the team is the guard position. D.J. Augustin is currently the starter, but would be a better option off the bench.
Adding Rozier would certainly mold the Magic in a better position. Before the injury to Jonathan Isaac, the team was running a lineup consisting of Augustin-Evan Fournier–Aaron Gordon-Isaac-Nikola Vucevic.
Swap Augustin for Rozier and that lineup has a brighter future. That leaves the Magic left to find a shooting guard as their long-term plan. Rozier has a lot of potential and if he plays the way he did in Boston as a starter, then Orlando is in a much better situation.