Why Boston Celtics Do This Trade
Brad Stevens has done a good job shaking up and retooling the roster this offseason. They held onto their core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, but have upgraded the pieces around them.
But, the power-forward spot remains a little iffy. With news this offseason that Smart will likely be taking over point guard duties, Brown and Tatum can be left on the wing. If Tatum is going to be playing the 3 more than the 4, that leaves an uninspiring mix of Al Horford, Grant Williams and Jabari Parker for the starting power forward spot.
Boston would be smart to add another established veteran such as Thaddeus Young to the mix that can handle starter’s minutes at the power forward spot. Having Horford as a combo big man off the bench will strengthen the second unit and Williams could be used in a similar fashion filling in at both forward spots.
Young would provide Boston with the versatile frontcourt player they have been seeking. He can play both spots in the frontcourt. He is a jack-of-all-trades, turning into a bit of a point forward for the Chicago Bulls last season, averaging a career-high 4.3 assists per game. Steady scoring production can also be expected, as Young has averaged double-figure points per game in 13 consecutive seasons.
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The Georgia Tech product is also a steady strong rebounder and versatile defender. It is exactly what the Celtics’ frontcourt is missing currently.
Trading another first-round pick away in his first year as general manager may take some convincing of management to allow, but there is no denying that Young would help elevate this roster and get them closer to contending once again in the Eastern Conference.
