Why the Trade Benefits the Boston Celtics
Kemba Walker signed a four-year, $140 million contract with the Celtics last year. He is through just one year of the contract and carries a massive cap hit moving forward. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the future in Boston which means they must build around them.
This trade lands Boston a veteran player in Conley. At 33-years old, Conley knows how to control an offense and is not going to dominate the ball. He would be able to setup Tatum and Brown well on the offensive end.
Also, Conley has just one year left on his deal. The Celtics would not have a long term commitment with a massive cap hit. It would help to keep Boston’s potential options open for next offseason, too.
Some might not like the fact that Boston would have to give up draft picks. If the team performs like they should, the draft picks would be late in the first round, which is not as impactful. This is a trade that allows the Celtics to get a player on a shorter deal and remain in the running for stars next offseason.