One NBA writer has come up with a way for the Boston Celtics to acquire Chris Paul from the Phoenix Suns.
Cal Durrett of Fansided proposed that the Celtics send Marcus Smart and Danilo Gallinari to the Suns for Paul, who will get traded, waived or stretched by Phoenix this offseason.
“A Paul for Smart trade, in theory, could be beneficial for both teams, though it would need some tweaking to make it viable, Durrett wrote. “By moving on from Paul, the Suns would have a big question mark at point guard for next season, but Smart could fill that role. “Meanwhile, Gallinari, who missed all of this past season following an ACL tear, would need to opt into the final year of his contract and be included in the deal to help match salaries. Were he to be included, he could give Phoenix another shooter and provide some much-needed depth.
“The Celtics, assuming they re-sign Jaylen Brown to a supermax, face added pressure to build a winner around their two best players, and that would be made harder by the new CBA. Paul, who has two years remaining on his contract, may only play one more year, which could be his last chance to win an elusive championship.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Paul, Boston Celtics & Phoenix Suns Updates
Paul has a partially guaranteed contract for next season. He averaged 13.9 points and 8.9 assists this past season while shooting 44.0% from the field, 37.5% from beyond the arc and 83.1% from the free-throw line.
Smart has won a Defensive Player of the Year Award with the Celtics, but Boston hasn’t won a title with Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Maybe the team needs a floor general like Paul to get over the top.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Paul, Boston Celtics & Phoenix Suns Updates
The motivation for the Celtics would be to gain a facilitator in the backcourt to help bring balance to an offense led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“Both Paul and the Celtics find themselves in a similar position,” Durrett wrote. “Although he isn’t nearly the same player as he once was, he is still an above-average point guard who is also more than capable of creating offense for others.
“The Celtics already have two big-time offensive players in Jayson Tatum and Brown, but both struggled to create against the Heat at times, contributing to the team’s downfall in the East Finals. Changing things up by adding Paul to the mix could make their lives easier and help the Celtics get over the hump in the playoffs.”
Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
