The Boston Celtics are one of the teams in the NBA that need to make a move before the March 25th NBA Trade Deadline. The team fell just short in the Eastern Conference Finals in the Orlando Bubble, but this season has not gone well thus far. One potential target could be Chicago Bulls veteran forward Thaddeus Young.
Boston is in the thick of the Eastern Conference in fourth place. However, fourth place is as close to 14th as it it to first, so to say they haven’t differentiated themselves this season would be fair.
The team has battled injuries to key players such as Marcus Smart and a COVID pause. Danny Ainge has taken responsibility for the team’s shortcomings and has said they’ve been close on some trades.
Well, if he is going to help get them back into contention for the Eastern Conference, something he admitted they are not good enough to do as currently situated, he will have to make a deal.
There are several ways the Celtics could go to help get the team on track. One of those directions would be targeting Thaddeus Young of the Bulls. In a straw poll taken by executives, Young was the unanimous choice as the player that can swing the playoff landscape not named Bradley Beal.
The Bulls are in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, but the offers for Young may be too good to pass up. In this hypothetical trade, the Bulls would send Young, Denzel Valentine, their 2023 first-round pick, and 2024 second-round pick to Boston. In exchange, the Celtics would send Smart, Romeo Langford, and their 2021 second-round pick to Chicago.
A team that is rebuilding, such as the Bulls, sending out a first-round pick is surprising. However, Langford was a first-round pick in 2019 and could flourish for a team with a less crowded wing position. Smart would help improve Chicago’s perimeter defense, something they are in dire need of.
For Boston, Smart is an integral part of their rotation and someone they like a lot. Alas, landing multiple future draft assets, along with Young, could be enough to convince them to part ways with Smart. The Celtics have other back-court options in Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard, and Jeff Teague that could help offset the loss of Smart in this trade.
This is a trade both teams would seriously consider if it were on the table. Ultimately, it would probably be Chicago that declined, as it is hard to imagine them sending out picks, along with Thaddeus Young, not receiving multiple picks in exchange for him.
