Boston Celtics: 3 trades team should make before deadline

1. Shipping off Scary Terry Rozier and the Clippers pick for Mikal Bridges

Everyone and their mother has a trade idea for Terry Rozier. Plotting out where he’ll go, what his worth is and his impact on other teams is tricky business. On one hand, teams had to be foaming at the mouth to get a piece of Terry Rozier after he buried the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs last year. On the other, this season has not been a delight to watch Rozier play.

He likes to shoot a lot of transition 3s, has never been the optimal passer out of the pick-and-roll, and has looked useless on defense for some stretches. He has some elite athleticism and can throw down crowd-pleasing dunks that have fans cheering his name the same game that he goes 1-for-6 from the field with three turnovers.

Last season, he outgrew his role for this year. The problem is, the Celtics will not be taking away minutes from Kyrie Irving. That leaves Rozier, in the midst of a contract year, trying to jam everything into short stretches on the floor and only 22.5 minutes a game.

To be the Terry Rozier of last year’s postseason, a full return to Scary Terry, he needs a change of scenery.

The Phoenix Suns could a great fit for him. He would be the starting point guard, even though De’Anthony Melton has shown really promising signs this season that he will be a quality player for years to come. Rozier would not be the first option, or even the second on offense, but his score-first mentality could create a 3-headed monster of Rozier, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton that would have defenses’ hands full at the point of attack, on the wing and in the paint.

If Danny Ainge’s moves over the past few years tell you anything, it should be that he will not move Terry Rozier unless he gets a great return for him. The Suns will have to give up one of their young wings, and I believe that Ainge would demand Mikal Bridges.

The Boston Celtics and Mikal Bridges would be an excellent fit. If Marcus Smart returns to the bench, seemingly inevitable with Jaylen Brown’s really solid play recently, Bridges’ size and shooting potential would make a great pairing in the backcourt.

It’s the same argument for Royce O’Neale that I made earlier, but Bridges has way more defensive upside and could be a higher-quality impact player for the Celtics. He’s also cost-controlled for the next three seasons.

The Suns would be taking a leap here. I believe, if they both live up to their potential, Rozier helps Phoenix more than Bridges could from the wing. They’re both young and fit in with the Suns’ timeline, but having a point guard to stick next to Devin Booker, as well as a run at the plethora of high-upside wings in the coming draft, may be the better long-term play for the Suns.

That, along with the Los Angeles Clippers’ lottery-protected pick, could be well worth the risk for Phoenix, and also helps Boston consolidate its young assets and draft picks. They simply do not have the roster spots available for all their upcoming picks.