An enticing blockbuster trade proposal has the Boston Celtics trading one of their core players for a young offensive star.
The Celtics are coming off another heartbreaking postseason exit, one that saw them fall to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Having fallen short of the ultimate goal once again, many expect the Celtics to make a blockbuster move or two in the offseason.
At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey proposed a blockbuster trade in which the Celtics would send All-Star Jaylen Brown to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for LaMelo Ball and old friend Gordon Hayward:
“We’ll say this much: over the course of these playoffs, the Celtics could have used a point guard.
This team’s offense often degraded into a “your turn, my turn” approach. It makes some intuitive sense. The Celtics are built around two score-first wings. Why wouldn’t they have a score-first offense?
From that perspective, this is a perfect deal. Ball is one of the best distributors in the NBA. He’d get everyone on the team involved with his ability to find the open man. He’d also save the Celtics a little cap room. Sure, he’ll be due for his rookie extension soon, but it will pale in comparison to Brown’s next deal.”
Brown’s name has popped up in trade rumors since the Celtics’ devastating Game 7 loss to Miami. The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible to enter free agency next year.
If the Celtics were to trade Brown, they would certainly need a quality scoring guard in return. So on paper, swapping Brown for Ball and Hayward — who played with the Celtics from 2017-18 to 2019-20 — makes sense in multiple ways.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
The 21-year-old Ball was drafted third overall by the Hornets in 2020. The 2022 All-Star is coming off a career year in which he averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and a whopping 8.4 assists per game.
Of course, there’s no indicator that the Hornets are looking to trade their young franchise guard this summer. But if the Celtics were to pick up the phone and offer Brown as part of a blockbuster, you have to think Charlotte would at least listen.
