An action packed 24 hours saw the departure of two Celtics Champions, signalling the end of an era for a team that achieved the ultimate goal in 2024. Jrue Holiday was shipped to Portland for Anfernee Simons, whilst Kristaps Porzingis’ contract was offloaded to Atlanta via Brooklyn. Huge changes are imminent for this Celtics roster ahead of a difficult season of NBA basketball for the club.
Holiday Deal:
Late on Monday night we learnt of the news that Jrue Holiday had been traded to the Portland Trailblazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two future second-round picks. The Blazers intend on keeping Holiday around as they view him as the ideal candidate to mentor the youngest roster in the NBA. His presence will be pivotal in helping third year point guard Scoot Henderson develop into hopefully the franchise’s next big star. On the other hand, the addition of Simons is intriguing for Boston as he fits in excellently to Joe Mazzulla’s three-point heavy offence. The former Portland Combo guard averaged just shy of 20 points per game last season on 55% true shooting whilst attempting over eight three-pointers a game. However, his elite offensive production is offset by his short comings on defence. It is yet to be confirmed if Simons will ever actually feature for the Celtics and may be moved tonight, with Boston looking to move up in the draft and potentially shed more salary. Simons is also on an expiring deal that could be used by the Celtics at the deadline as a valuable trade asset.
Porzingis Deal:
Despite moving Holiday Boston remained significantly above the second apron, but just 24 hours later they have worked their way back under. Kristaps Porzingis was dealt to Atlanta via Brooklyn in a trade that saw Boston receive George Niang and a second rounder in return. This trade does exactly what Brad Stevens and the new ownership group needed which was to reduce the Celtics tax bill. The two trades combined will save the team around $180 million in luxury taxes. Boston’s return for Porzingis left a little to be desired but wasn’t unexpected given his injury and health history over his tenure in Boston. Niang will likely be flipped again to continue to reduce the salary bill and provide the Celtics with the funds required to potentially bring back free agent centers Al Horford and Luke Kornet.
Draft Night Expectations:
After a couple of hectic days, the attention of Boston’s front office will now switch to draft night. Boston currently possesses picks number 28 and 32, but according to many sources they have interest in moving into the lottery tonight. However, for now my focus remains on pick 28 were Boston are desperately in need of some frontcourt help. ESPN currently predicts Brad Steven’s second first round pick selection will be Maxime Raynaud a power forward/center from France. Raynaud played all four years at Stanford but broke out this season averaging 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds, Boston will also like his willingness to stretch the floor which is an area of his game he has developed throughout his time in college basketball. They also mention Ryan Kalkbrenner and Yanic Konan Niederhauser as other potential selections for Boston if they do look to address their needs at the center position during the draft. With reports of interest in both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, it could be another eventful evening for Celtics fans.
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