Crazy Trades That Won’t Happen… But Don’t Seem Too Bad
Disclaimer: I love Gordon Hayward, Kemba Walker, Romeo Langford, and everybody on the Celtics. I do not think the Celtics need to make a trade to get better. I think this team is great the way it is. This is all in the name of fun. Please do not take it so seriously. Thank you.
I got this idea when one of my friends messaged me on Twitter with an interesting trade idea that I didn’t actually hate. It involved Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker, and Victor Oladipo, so it was a pretty complex idea. That being said, I didn’t actually hate the trade as a whole. While it was way too much of a blockbuster to realistically happen in the real world, as a theoretical idea I kind of liked it. It gave me the idea to bring up a few trades that would never happen, but if they did, I wouldn’t hate it.
Trade 1
Celtics Receive: Ben Simmons, Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, Doug McDermott
76ers Receive: Kemba Walker, Victor Oladipo, Daniel Theis, IND 2020 2RP
Pacers Receive: Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Matisse Thybulle, Romeo Langford, Shake Milton, BOS 2020 1RP (via MEM), BOS 2021 1PR
Shoutout to my friend Dante for bringing this one to my attention, because as I mentioned earlier it’s the whole reason behind this article. Another shoutout has to go to the original creator of this trade idea, Mark Nilon. You can find that article on Hardwood Houdini here.
Starting off with the point of view of the Sixers, I think this would benefit them monumentally. They already rushed the so-called “process” they were trying to use as their mantra, so might as well trade their young star for more pieces that could help them win right now. The biggest issue in Philadelphia is their lack of shooting, as well as a complete clog of big men in the paint. Getting rid of Simmons and Horford would clear up the paint while adding Walker, Oladipo, and Theis would help mend this issue by bringing in more shooting. Yes, the team gets older, but the composition of the roster would make life so much easier for Embiid, and mean that the Sixers could actually be a threat from three-point range.
Looking at it from the Pacers side of things, I think this is some amazing value for the four players they are giving up. Oladipo and Turner have already expressed interest in leaving Indiana, Lamb is coming off of a huge injury, and though McDermott is a sharpshooter, he’s not exactly untradeable. For those four players, they get back Horford (who can play his natural position again), Milton (a young shooter), Thybulle and Langford (two young, wing defenders with room to improve), Hayward (who can help them win right now), and two first-round picks. Those assets can not only help them rebuild but allow them to continue to compete for a playoff spot right now, as they still will have Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis.
Finally, the perspective you’ve been waiting for, we have the Celtics. First and foremost, this would clear over 11 million dollars in cap space for the C’s. Second of all, I actually like Simmons, and I think his game would fit well with the shooters Boston has in Tatum, Brown, and the addition of Lamb, McDermott, and Turner. Finally, if you look at it from a perspective of strictly one-for-one trades, this is a solid value. Walker for Simmons is a downgrade in shooting, but Simmons is an immensely better defender and also makes the team younger. Theis for Turner is a similar situation where the talent is similar, but Turner is just a better infusion of youth. Then Hayward for Lamb and McDermott may lose some talent overall but does improve the depth on the team. Langford leaving in this deal is probably the worst part in terms of giving up for what you get, but I’d make the sacrifice in this scenario. Also, the two first-round picks may hurt, but the amount of youth the C’s are gaining with Simmons and Turner offsets that well.
Trade 2
Celtics Receive: Donte DiVincenzo, Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet, Ersan Ilyasova
Clippers Receive: Gordon Hayward, Eric Bledsoe, Wesley Matthews, MIL 2020 1RP (via IND), BOS 2020 1RP, MIL 2023 1RP (Top 5 Prot.)
This trade is out there, and I haven’t seen anyone discuss the possibility at all, so I figured I may as well throw it out there. Paul George played terrible in the playoffs, so this way he gets out of LA, and Milwaukee gets their third star. The Clippers get the point guard Kawhi Leonard asked for, as well as some pretty solid value for the assets their giving up (including some firsts which they desperately need back). Then the Celtics get some much-needed depth and get off of Hayward’s giant contract. Let’s break it down even further.
Starting off with the Clippers, Leonard has expressed his desire to bring a point guard onto the team. Now I’m not saying that George isn’t good anymore, because he’s still an All-Star caliber player, but by pulling this trade-off the Clippers get Hayward, a suitable replacement for George in terms of a secondary option, Bledsoe, the sought after point guard, along with Matthews for depth and some picks to replenish their stock. This would create a team that honestly looks similar to the Raptors team Leonard took to the Finals in 2019. Bledsoe in place of Lowry, Hayward in place of Siakam, and a bench of Matthews, Harrell, Williams, and Morris looks real solid.
Moving on to the Bucks, they are in a very interesting place. Antetokounmpo has said he wants to stay in Milwaukee, but maybe ownership wants to get him a third star just to make sure he doesn’t bail. Bringing in George would fit pretty well, so long as they could manage to sign a serviceable point guard in free agency. They’re giving up Bledsoe, Matthews, Ilyasova, and DiVincenzo in this deal, along with a couple of firsts, but bringing in George creates a super team in Milwaukee, taking some of the pressure off of Antetokounmpo.
Finally, the Celtics’ focus in this deal is to bring in some depth. Losing Hayward would for sure weaken the starting lineup a bit, but when you consider the amount of depth they are bringing in, it may just be worth it. The starters would most likely consist of Walker, DiVincenzo, Brown, Tatum, and Theis, which is still a great starting five. However, instead of having Smart, Robert Williams, and Grant Williams off the bench, they would be able to run out Beverley, Smart, Shamet, Ilyasova, Robert Williams, Grant Williams, and the rest of their young guys. That’s a huge improvement to what the bench looked like last season. It also adds a bunch of shooting with Shamet, Ilyasova, and DiVincenzo, which the Celtics desperately needed last season.
Trade 3
Celtics Receive: Caris Levert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Tim Hardaway Jr., Seth Curry, DAL 2022 1RP
Nets Receive: Gordon Hayward, Daniel Theis, Delon Wright, Jalen Brunson
Mavericks Receive: Kemba Walker, Taurean Prince
This one’s a bit more underwhelming since the Celtics don’t get a star back in the process, but as a whole, I think this could make the Celtics better short-term and long-term. The C’s are giving up Walker, Hayward, and Theis in this deal, but they get a massive return that not only improves their depth, but also their youth and shooting as well. The Nets get that third option in Hayward, while also bringing in a backup big man that can shoot, and two backup guards for their bench. Lastly, the Mavericks lose some depth in this deal, but they create a big three with Walker, Doncic, Porzingis.
Starting with the Nets, as I mentioned this would provide them with a third option behind Irving and Durant. Hayward has proven his ability to score efficiently, as well as be a primary playmaker on the floor. Theis would give them some shooting at the center position, something they currently don’t have on the roster. Then Brunson and Wright make up for what they are losing at the guard position. The loss of Dinwiddie, LeVert, and Allen does sting a little, but as we’ve seen with teams involving Durant and Irving in the past, they don’t always require much depth. Take a look at those Cavs and Warriors teams, it was starters versus starters most of the time, and this trade would definitely improve their starters, in my opinion, by bringing in Hayward.
The Mavs are a young team, but bringing in Walker would not only provide them with some veteran leadership but give them another All-Star to insert into their starting lineup. They lose a bunch of shooting with Hardaway and Curry, but what they get back forms a big three in Dallas. Doncic is still only 21 years old, and Porzingis is 25, so there’s no need to rush things, but if Mark Cuban wants to start competing now, Walker would 100% help that goal.
Last, of all, the Celtics are definitely giving up the most in this deal. They lose their starting center, their All-Star point guard, as well as an All-Star caliber forward. However, this deal not only makes them younger and increases their depth, but it also frees up over 15 million in cap space for moves in free agency. After this deal, their lineup would look like Dinwiddie, LeVert, Brown, Tatum, Allen, with Smart, Curry, Hardaway, Robert Williams, Grant Williams, and Langford off the bench. I don’t know about you, but for a team that had one of the worst benches in the league last season, that sounds pretty good to me. I mean the drop off from Walker to Dinwiddie is pretty significant, and the drop off from Hayward to LeVert is there, too, but the added depth is huge for this team. They also get one of the best shooters in NBA history in Curry and a nice young center for the future in Allen.
As mentioned at the start of the article, please don’t take this too seriously. It’s all for fun, and I really do love this Celtics squad. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
