Dallas Mavericks Receive: G Kemba Walker
Boston Celtics Receive: G Josh Richardson, G Jalen Brunson, DAL 2022 1st Round Pick (Top-5 Protected)
In order to free up some cap space to acquire Kemba Walker from the Boston Celtics, the Dallas Mavericks would have to be willing to part ways with either Josh Richardson or Dwight Powell, and it seems like the Celtics would be more interested in a versatile “3-and-D” wing in Richardson rather than another mid-tier center in Powell.
Trading Kemba Walker may very well be what is best for the Celtics, especially since they would be getting Josh Richardson, Jalen Brunson and a first-round pick. Richardson is a proven scorer on the wing and Jalen Brunson is having a sensational third season as the Mavs’ backup point guard, averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and shooting 39.2% from three-point range.
The biggest weakness of the Boston Celtics is their overall depth and their lack of depth on their bench. This season, the Celtics’ bench ranks 25th in the league in bench points per game and their best secondary option off the bench is rookie Payton Pritchard.
This team has no reliable players to turn to in the second-unit, which is why they have struggled a lot this year. Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum cannot play all 48 minutes in a game every single night, which is why having key rotational guys is vital for the Celtics’ success moving forward.
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Making this deal with the Mavericks ensures that they have some options to turn to off the bench and they could use the remainder of their salary space to fill out their roster with low cost, productive players to bring into the game off-the-bench.
Even though the Mavericks have plans for Richardson and Brunson moving forward, players like Kemba Walker do not become available too often and if the Mavericks want to capitalize on their championship chances immediately, then making this move is a “no-brainer” for them. Now, let’s take a look at how this trade could shape up to affect both the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics.
