NBA Offseason Preview: 1 trade for the New York Knicks and each team

Boston Celtics

For the Boston Celtics, they are entering an interesting transition. Jayson Tatum will be weighing the option of a maximum extension. Jaylen Brown is no longer a cheap young player either. Kemba Walker is effective but steadily getting older. And the Eastern Conference is getting stronger.

As young as they are the window to contend may be shorter than previously thought. This season is the last with potential lottery selections and while they may not have a ton of room left on the roster they do need to improve.

Swapping Gordon Hayward for Andre Drummond does that quickly. Hayward’s time in Boston has been snake bitten from the start. The team has plenty of wings and while Hayward is still a positive impact when he is on the floor Drummond fills a need.

This year’s NBA Finals showed that while big men are not in vogue in the modern NBA they do still serve a purpose. Andre Drummond has made strides as a defensive player, albeit not as a traditional rim-protector. He finds a way to nab a couple steals per game and is the best rebounder in his generation, leading the league four of the last five season and has averaged at least 13.2 rebounds per game in every season since his rookie year.

Finally, he would add to a dynamic offense by thriving in the pick-and-roll with Kemba Walker. This would be the best guard Drummond has ever played with and it would be to Boston’s great benefit.