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NBA: The 5 ripple effects of the Anthony Davis Trade

By Adam Tayabali

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 27: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 27, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 27: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 27, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /

4. Boston needs to embrace the youth movement

Reports surfaced that the Boston Celtics refused to trade young star Jayson Tatum to the New Orleans Pelicans according to the New York Times‘ Marc Stein. This ultimately opened the door for the Lakers to offer a better deal and acquire Anthony Davis.

Now without Anthony Davis on the team, the Celtics likely will not be able to convince Kyrie Irving to re-sign. Irving has been heavily linked to the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, as it seems the former is the most likely to sign him. Although the AD trade might cause Irving to change his mind and either choose to regroup with the Celtics or to join a superteam in LA.

For the time being, this allows the Celtics some easy decisions. For one, the team should re-signed point guard Terry Rozier, who stated he would likely leave if Boston brought Irving back. Rozier had a smaller role as Boston saw the return of both Irving and Gordon Hayward from season-ending injuries in the 2017-18 season.

Rozier averaged only 9.0 points and 2.9  assists per game while shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from the 3-point line. This contrasted his impressive averages during the 2017-18 playoffs, where Scary Terry averaged 16.5 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Rozier, 25, was not the only young player on Boston to suffer. During that same playoff run, Jaylen Brown average 18.3 points on 39.3 percent shooting from 3-point range. Brown, 22, saw his numbers dip to 13.0 points per game this past season. Tatum, the Celtics lone untouchable, saw a similar drop off from the 2018 postseason to the 2018-19 regular season.

The Celtics have some tough decisions to face in term of their veterans. Should the team let Al Horford walk in free agency for more salary cap space down the line? Should the Celtics trade Gordon Hayward if he continues to show he is not the same player he was prior to his injury?

Regardless, it’s clear that Boston should see what their young trio of Tatum, Brown and Rozier can do and avoid impeding their growth any further.