The Boston Celtics wing rotations still looked incredibly deep with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward expected to battle out for the lion’s share of minutes at the three spot.
However, the off-season shuffles made by Celtics GM Danny Ainge have significantly weakened their frontline. Al Horford’s decision to join division rivals Sixers proved to be a bigger loss than Kyrie Irving’s defect to the Nets. Serviceable veteran big Aron Baynes is also gone after he was traded to the Suns for the purpose of creating space to sign Walker.
It looks like the Celtics are going to pin their hopes on Enes Kanter to become a reliable double-double man and defensive lynchpin. But then again, the Turk isn’t much known for protecting the rim. The jury is out for Daniel Theis, Vincent Poirer, and Robert Williams.
In a recent interview at WBUR’s CitySpace, Ainge said that he’s aware of his team’s thin frontline rotation. Still, the Celtics GM is hopeful their current set of bigs can hold their ground throughout the season. If not, then he could be forced to explore potential trades that would address that problem, perhaps at the expense of one of their talented wings.
“So the question is, do you trade for need or do you trade for talent?” Ainge told WBUR’s via NBC Sports. “Because I think we have some really talented wings. And we have some uncertainty at the 4 [power forward] and the 5 [center]. So, let’s hope our fours and fives can play as well as we hope they can and we can keep our talented wings because we need a lot of them.”
So let’s assume the Celtics make the trade call. Which potential trade target will have the biggest impact on Boston’s frontline. For that, here are five intriguing candidates to fill that gaping hole in the middle.
Serge Ibaka
He’s been one of the truly elite shotblockers in the league, averaging 2.2 blocks over a 10-year career. While Raptors president Masai Ujiri has insisted he has no plans trading his veterans, many analysts still believe Toronto will make a move if presented with an enticing trade offer. Ibaka would provide the Celtics the interior presence they direly need. Moreover, a move for him won’t compromise their salary flexibility since he’s on a $23.2 million expiring contract.
Marc Gasol
Again, a Raptors’ fire sale must happen first before the Celtics can ever get a chance at snatching this battle-tested veteran. Gasol is having the best summer for any basketball player, helping the Raptors clinch their first NBA title and on the verge of leading Spain to a gold medal at FIBA World Cup. Getting Gasol would be vital for the Celtics, especially if they play Joel Embiid and the Sixers in the playoffs.
Kevin Love
Now, this is a wild card scenario. The oft-injured forward only played 141 games over the last three seasons, but that doesn’t take away the fact that he’s still an All-Star caliber player. The 31-year-old Love will continue to be a walking double-double man and an above-average stretch four (career 37 percent 3-point shooting). The other downside with Love is his huge four-year, $120 million extension, which will start to kick in this coming season.
Nerlens Noel
The former lottery pick has turned into an NBA journeyman ever since he got traded by the Sixers. He’s just 25-years-old though, so there’s still plenty of basketball left in him. The question now is where he’ll finally find home? The Celtics tried several times in the past to get Noel, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they pursue the lanky defensive specialist once again. The Thunder would love to get a second-rounder for a fee.
Steven Adams
Speaking of the Thunder, they most definitely want to get rid of Adams contract next after selling both Paul George and Russell Westbrook this offseason. Ironically, the Celtics also tried to get Adams via trade, but negotiations did not materialize at that time. The situation is obviously different now. With OKC on a fire sale, getting the hulking big would be much easier now, albeit it would still depend on Sam Presti’s asking price.
