One trade every NBA team needs to make

Boston Celtics

When those in the Kings organization are proposed ideas of DeMarcus Cousins trades, they seem to find the very suggestion of dealing their superstar laughable. Owner Vivek Ranadive has recently said they have zero percent interest in trading him, and despite the character issues they deal with at times, the Kings are gradually on the rise in the West and Cousins is absolutely dominating.

It’s hard to see them changing their minds, which means the Celtics will need to look elsewhere if they want to acquire a new franchise center.

One possibility could be in Miami, as the concern of whether Hassan Whiteside may leave in search for stardom and a max contract elsewhere isn’t going away. You’ll probably have heard that the Heat’s defensive rating is better when he’s on the bench, and while that number by no means defines his immense talent and potential, there are some problems with his game. Besides a limited offensive skill set outside of strong finishing and his pick-and-roll game, he can have a tendency to switch off defensively or attempt to bait players into driving so he can just soar in from behind for a block.

So, if the Heat (who also need to re-work a big contract for Dwyane Wade) don’t think they can re-sign Whiteside and want to get something in return, they could deal with the Celtics. In exchange for Whiteside, Josh McRoberts and Chris Andersen, the Heat get Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger and a 2016 first round pick (from the Mavericks, protected 1-7).

If the Heat think Whiteside is going, this allows them to get a solid role player with a diverse skill set in Sullinger, an extra pick to help their future plans, and, most importantly, a top perimeter defender and improved offensive threat and shooter in Bradley. As for the Celtics, they get to finally use some of their many assets to bring in a player with a high ceiling who can be their new franchise center.

Only those in the Heat organization know the likelihood of Whiteside leaving. The Celtics just need to make themselves a team that make a push to acquire him in order to have the best chance of keeping him in Boston long-term. If they trade for him now to avoid him hitting free agency with so many options, they have a chance to give him a sign of the team’s bright future and build his relationship with Brad Stevens — a head coach that anyone should want to play for.

Next: Washington Wizards