Boston Celtics: Complete grades for the 2019 NBA offseason
By Adam Taylor
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
After the tumultuous 2018-19 season came to an abrupt end against Milwaukee, the Boston Celtics have had a turbulent offseason and a retooled roster.
There was no doubt among fans and media alike that this would be a summer of change for the Boston Celtics. Some of the moves were expected and well-documented in the ramp-up to the beginning of free agency on June 30.
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Others, however, came as a complete surprise.
From as early as December there were rumors of discontent seeping into the media from Kyrie Irving‘s camp, well-documented disagreements between players on and off the court and don’t forget the infamous plane journey out west.
Then came the Anthony Davis trade request, almost perfectly timed to when Kyrie’s rumored (now confirmed) discontent in Boston was becoming public knowledge.
However, the Celtics could not trade for Davis without moving Irving, so nothing materialized and Davis remained a Pelican as the trade deadline came and passed. A team cannot have two players on a Designated Player Exception, or supermax, contract.
Adding fuel to the fire, social media was rife with speculation that Boston would end up concluding a mega trade to pair Kyrie and Davis in Celtics green .Again, nothing came of it, Davis eventually ending up on the Lakers for an insane return.
Next came the draft, where Boston used all but two of their draft picks, moving only Aron Baynes in a trade with the Phoenix Suns and a two-for-one pick swap with the Philadelphia 76ers.
From there, they moved into the uncertainty of free agency, where both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford could potentially leave.
As it turns out, they both did leave and here are the Celtics grades for every move they made during the offseason (including their draft picks) to potentially offset such losses.