Why The Boston Celtics Do The Deal 

There was a temptation to go with an Ingram/Brown straight-up swap here. 

Ultimately, we didn’t think New Orleans would bite. In terms of talent, it’s a roughly lateral move. Why would the Pelicans give up a player who’s already comfortable in their system if they’re making a win-now push? 

All told, this is still a fantastic return for Boston. McCollum remains a very productive offensive player – by adding him, the Celtics don’t have to altogether bottom out. 

At the same time, they’re adding three first-round picks. In all likelihood, they’d flip them in a separate trade for another win-now player.

NBA NEWS & TRADE NEWS RUMORS Jaylen Brown, New Orleans Pelicans & Boston Celtics Updates

If they can get somebody good enough, they could improve by flipping Brown for McCollum and another quality player. 

After all, the stakes aren’t likely to get much lower for this team for the foreseeable future.