Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Boston Celtics
Trading away Marcus Smart would certainly be a big move, but getting Thaddeus Young and Denzel Valentine give the Celtics depth, which is something they do not have a lot of. As mentioned earlier, the Celtics bench is one of the worst in the league and at the end of the day, benches win championships.
Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker cannot play all 48-minutes every single night and need key players they can depend on for production when they are either struggling or out of the game. Boston does not currently have those kinds of players, which is why acquiring Thad Young and Denzel Valentine makes a lot of sense.
This season, Thaddeus Young is averaging 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 steals and is shooting 59.7% from the floor. His “do-it-all” approach to the game this season for the Bulls has made him a very valuable trade asset for numerous teams around the league and a frontcourt player who could vastly improve the Celtics overall.
Acquiring two key role players in Thaddeus Young and Denzel Valentine could be huge for the Celtics. Boston does not have much depth in their frontcourt and also do not have many reliable options to turn to outside of their three All-Stars. As a result, getting Thad Young could be huge for their frontcourt because of his overall playmaking abilities and experience playing in this NBA for as long as he has.
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Denzel Valentine is not a playmaker, nor is he a frontcourt player, but he has emerged as a very reliable three-point shooter this season, something the Celtics desperately need. Boston currently ranks 6th in the league in three-point shooting, which is why getting a player like Valentine makes a lot of sense and why he could fit their system quite well.
While they would take a hit defensively trading away Marcus Smart, this team really needs to add bench depth and bench scorers, which is what they would be doing in this trade. It is a tough decision to make for the Celtics, but they have to make the moves that will set them up to win a championship now and ultimately, keeping Marcus Smart may not be the best move for them.
