Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Terry Rozier have done a great job in the 2017-18 NBA season, leading the Boston Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals despite the absence of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Based on their performance, there is no doubt that they are taking the right path to becoming superstars in the league. However, with the Celtics’ goal to immediately return to title contention, Boston may consider moving one of their young players in the upcoming offseason to address the areas they need to improve.
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News , the Celtics are interested in selecting Texas center Mo Bamba in the 2018 NBA Draft. Bamba is a quality rim protector who could pair with Al Horford in the Celtics’ frontcourt. Unfortunately, Boston is not the only team who wants to add Bamba to their team.
To strengthen their chance of acquiring the 20-year-old center, they will be needing to move up in the upcoming draft, which could be possible if they trade Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, or Terry Rozier. As Deveney noted, the Celtics are unlikely to move Tatum, but Brown and Rozier could be used as trade chips. According to Dallas News , the Dallas Mavericks, who hold the No. 5 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, will be an ideal trade partner for the Celtics.
“With last year’s No. 9 pick overall being used on point guard Dennis Smith Jr., the swingman Brown could be the centerpiece of a package Boston could offer Dallas for their No. 5 pick.”
Jaylen Brown: https://t.co/LOeffFmCNf
— Greg Brueck-Cassoli (@GregCassoli) June 3, 2018
Dallas News suggested that the Celtics could include Jaylen Brown in a trade package to acquire the No. 5 pick from the Mavericks. In most mock drafts, Mo Bamba is expected to be the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, giving the Celtics a major reason to push through with the deal. Trading Brown is undeniably a tough decision for Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge, but it is a sacrifice they need to make in order to improve their current roster.
With the return of Gordon Hayward next season, it is highly likely that Brown will receive a diminished role, which will slow down his development into a legitimate superstar. In Dallas, Brown will be assured of a starting role. He will be teaming up with another young and talented player in Dennis Smith, Jr. If the Mavericks really decide to trade the No. 5 pick to Boston, there is a high possibility that they will go after DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan, or Julius Randle in the upcoming free agency period to address their frontcourt issues.
