As February 7 gets close that only means one thing, NBA trade rumors galore! Next, to playoff basketball and free agency, it's one of my favorite times of the year. There have been plenty of rumors with the Celtics such as when to use the Designated Player Exception (which we recently did for Greg Monore), and what backup scoring depth is out there. In this article, I will take a look at a couple players the Celtics have been linked to and one non-Celtics trade rumor and give my take on whether to do the deal or not.
Tyreke Evans:
First on my list is Tyreke Evans. The Memphis Grizzlies are clearly in rebuild mode for this year and one of the bright spots has been Tyreke Evans. Ever since winning his rookie of the year award with the Kings in 2009, he has not been the same since. However, this year he's found a fountain of youth or something, Evans is currently averaging 19.5 ppg (points per game), 5rpg (rebound per game), and 5 apg (assists per game) and 46/39 percent splits (2's and 3's). Currently, the Grizzlies are seeking at least a first-round pick for Evans and luckily for the Celtics, they have a few they can spare. This is a deal I would do for the Celtics because Evans can add a scoring punch to the Celtics unit and give Kyrie some extra rest if needed. Evans would most likely split playing time with Smart and Rozier and while both are very good players, I trust Brad will find a way to work him into the fold. If you would want a more offensive lineup, then you can have Evans and Rozier on the floor together or more balance, you can have Evans and Smart on the floor. An offer I'd give the Grizzlies is Nader and Yabusele along with either the Clippers 2019 protected 1st or the Grizzlies 2019 top 8 protected pick.
Lou Williams
Second on the Celtics rumor mill is Lou Williams of the LA Clippers. After last week's shocking trade of Blake Griffin to the Pistons, the Clippers are officially in tank mode and they have assets they need to move. Lou Williams is a perfect fit for the Celtics because like Evans, he's been a walking bucket this year. Williams is having an absolute career year averaging 23.5 ppg, 5.2 apg, and 2.5 rpg with 44 and 39 percent splits. The Clippers are seeking packages of young players and picks for the scoring guard and what do you know, the Celtics yet again have plenty of each. However, this is a tougher deal to try and make because the team had already used their DPE on Greg Monore and if they had not, I would say make a deal of giving the Clippers their 2019 first round pick back and maybe a meaningless second round pick, and you have a deal thanks to the $8.4 million DPE. However, Williams makes $7 million this year so getting creative with salaries is difficult since this team has crazy depth. A deal I would make (not sure the Clippers would) would be Baynes along with Yabusele and maybe a draft pick and you have something while making salaries work too. Unfortunately, though, Williams is a free agent after this year so giving up at least one asset for a rental may be difficult to do that benefits both sides.
Wow, what a mess the Cavs are this year and I love it! Literally, a walking soap opera and it just gets better and better each day. This year is Lebron's walk year and he is most definitely walking if not running away from Cleveland but that does not mean the Cavs can try to get someone to maybe have the king change his mind. One name I think they should look into is Deandre Jordan. By no means do I think Jordan is the missing piece to the Cavs taking down the almighty Golden State Warriors, but hey if he can be someone to make Lebron stay, then why not make the move. 'Lob City' suffered a premature death when Chris Paul worked a trade to Houston, and the coffin was slammed shut with Griffin’s deal with Detroit. Now, it’s time to bury the casket and ship elsewhere the last remaining piece of those glory-ish days. Jordan is 29 years old and is still in the prime of his career. He’s averaging 11.8 ppg, 14.9 rpg, and 1 bpg (block per game). Teams (especially the Cavs) that need help defending the paint and controlling the glass would be smart to try and snag Jordan if they are in pursuit of a deep playoff push, or even a championship. A deal I would do is Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert along with a Cavs 1st round pick and a protect first and that should get the deal done. The Clippers would get a pick in the mid-20s along with Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert. Thompson has two years worth $36 million left on his contract following this season, but he’s a workhorse who will always provide value on the glass. And something about Shumpert screams Los Angeles.
