The Boston Celtics lost Game 6 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, ending their playoff run and title hopes. Now what will be the Celtics next move?
In the season after Kyrie Irving and Al Horford left, the Boston Celtics looked to re-construct a contending team around newly-signed point guard, Kemba Walker. It seemed like the Celtics, who lost in the second round last year, lost more than they gained in the offseason, and few observers had them reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020.
The team started the season 10-1 and stayed in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings for most of the season, but with some injuries, and thanks to a great Bucks team, the Celtics finished third in the conference.
Having the delayed playoffs in September seemed beneficial for the Celtics, who were able to get a fully healthy roster, including Robert Williams, who was slowly trying to come back when the season took a break, and Kemba Walker battling knee injuries.
And after figuring things out in the bubble as they finished the regular season, the Celtics had a tough first-round matchup against Joel Embiid and the Ben Simmons-less Philadelphia 76ers.
Even though Gordon Hayward got hurt, the Celtics were able to run past Philadelphia in just four games. Then continued their win streak against the Toronto Raptors., going up 2-0. But, they struggled to close out the series, thanks to Kyle Lowry for the Raptors. The Celtics were able to barely get through Toronto in seven long games, moving on to the Miami Heat.
As previously noted, the Celtics were able to take the series to seven games, but were ultimately defeated by the Heat. The Celtics had a number of big leads that they gave away through mistake after mistake. Almost solely due to the turnover differential, the Celtics may have missed their best NBA Finals opportunity.
The Celtics are very young, but the Eastern Conference next year will be more competitive than it has been in recent history. The Brooklyn Nets duo of Kevin Durant and Irving will be together, the 76ers will have a better coach with a more experienced team, and the Milwaukee Bucks will look to do whatever they can to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Boston Celtics will likely continue to develop like they have the last four years with their young core, but it is going to be tough to fill the gaps in their rotation.
The Celtics have basically a six and a half playoff rotation, with only three guards, and only one reliable bench scorer – if everyone is healthy. But the Celtics have very limited cap room and not many “tradable contracts” to move around, making general manager Danny Ainge’s job tough.
These are a few potential moves that Ainge may make if given the opportunity. As it stands, the only two core players that Ainge may be able to trade are Hayward and Smart. But will any of the potential moves improve their roster?