Fansided

5 trades the Boston Celtics should make

By Dan Schmelzer

Jan 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second half at United Center. The Bulls won 101-92. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second half at United Center. The Bulls won 101-92. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Serge Ibaka
May 10, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) reacts after a shot against the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Swap Marcus Smart and Picks for Serge Ibaka

Obviously, the Kevin Durant sweepstakes is going to be the center of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s off season no matter which way it goes. That being said, with the emergence of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter this season, I could see Serge Ibaka being expendable for the Thunder in the right deal.

They would not give him away for cheap, but I could see the Thunder moving Ibaka for a nice mix whether Durant comes back or not.

Ibaka is an elite-level defensive player who shows great shot blocking skills, fantastic rebounding ability and can hold his own against quicker guards on the perimeter. In today’s NBA where switching is becoming a huge part of defense, Ibaka is an incredibly valuable defensive player.

He would be the rim protector that the Celtics have been desperately needing. The Celtics already have a great defensive unit, but adding Ibaka to the mix would help take them to the next level.

Ibaka has a nice mid-range jumper and has actually shown the ability to step out and hit a three this season. However, he would not be as big of an impact on the offensive side of the court as others mentioned in this post. Instead, Ibaka would greatly improve an already great defensive Celtics’ unit.

In conjunction with this trade, the Celtics hold on to the third overall pick, with point guard Kris Dunn being a selection that would make a lot of sense for the team. Dunn is a big and physical point guard who is a similar player to Smart who they would be parting with.

However, Dunn is a much better offensive play-maker who would help the Celtics’ offense naturally grow. As a whole swapping Smart and two picks in exchange for Ibaka and Dunn would be a great move by the Celtics.

For more NBA coverage, check out our NBA hub page.

Home/Boston Celtics