The Boston Celtics made the 2022 NBA Finals this season. Despite falling to the Golden State Warriors, they are still a squad that bright hopes for the futur.
Both of their franchise players are young, as Jaylen Brown is 25 and Jayson Tatum is 24. The rest of their core is good, if a bit old, with Al Horford being 35 right now. However, the NBA is a league where teams routinely overreact to single-season results, and Boston surely has a foul taste in its mouth after losing the last three games of the Finals. With multiple superstars potentially on the move, could the Celtics look to enter the trade market?
Here are two unrealistic trades Boston must try to make in the 2022 NBA offseason.
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Unrealistic Celtics Trades In 2022 NBA Offseason
Celtics trade Jaylen Brown and Daniel Theis to Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant
If the rumors about the Nets are true, losing Kyrie Irving will likely mean Kevin Durant is also gone. The Durant-Irving era would thus end as a huge failure, but the Boston Celtics could be the unlikely winners of the entire situation—at least apart from the Houston Rockets, who are due multiple future first-round picks from the Nets.
If Durant were to leave Brooklyn, the Celtics could be the best option for all actors involved. It is doubtful that the Nets could get a better player than Brown in any other trade around the league, while the Celtics would be getting one of the best players in the history of the NBA. However, let's look at the details of the trade for all sides.
The Celtics do this because it's Kevin Durant. Durant is a two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, one-time MVP, 12-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion, which is just a small part of his accomplishments. He did miss time due to injuries but last season, but averaged close to 30 points on 51.8% shooting from the field. Despite being unable to get the Nets past the first round of the playoffs, it was hardly his fault. The Celtics would get basketball's preeminent bucket-getter next to Tatum, helping the latter take his game to new heights. Unfortunately, it would cost them Brown, who is eight years younger, a tough loss that would be worth it for a singular talent like Durant.
The Nets will be low-balled in initial trade conversations for Durant. Due to the fact the Celtics would likely be at the top of Durant's wish list, they might look to just offer Brown (with Theis as salary filler) and finish the job right there. With Brown and Ben Simmons, the Nets would be able to stay somewhat competitive, at least in terms of making the playoffs. Losing Irving and Durant is a disaster, obviously, but getting Irving's salary off the books and then getting Brown as a rising star would set them up well to recover.
Unlikely as it may be, this trade would absolutely work for everyone involved.
Celtics trade Al Horford and Aaron Nesmith to Indiana Pacers for Malcolm Brogdon
This might look like a deal that heavily favors the Celtics on the surface. They are getting rid of Horford and his massive contract in exchange for a former Rookie of the Year who averaged nearly 20 points per game last season and is a plus defender.
However, there is serious value in this deal for both teams involved. The Pacers get even more flexibility, while the Celtics fulfill one huge need, finding a stable playmaker who can hit open threes and pressure the rim.
Boston's issues at point guard have been well documented. While Marcus Smart is a great, gritty player, he is not an elite table-setter. Brown and Tatum are improving as facilitators, but shouldn't tasked with bringing the ball up the floor for the entire game. It only seems logical to bring in Brogdon, a proven playmaker who is available for the right price. The Pacers are rebuilding and could look to unlock Tyrese Haliburton completely by trading away Brogdon, an opportunity the Celtics must look to exploit.
For the Pacers, they do this trade mostly for cap flexibility. Horford only has one year left on his deal and even that is not fully guaranteed. Even if they were to fully guarantee his deal, the Pacers would free up a ton of space long-term. If they were to do this deal and not give out any contract extensions, they could have in excess of $60 million to work with going forward—an amount of cap space that will should hasten the state of Indiana's rebuild.
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