Fansided

5 stars the Boston Celtics should try to trade for

By Connor Learn

Jul 5, 2013; Waltham, MA, USA; New Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, right, shares a laugh with General Manager Danny Ainge during a news conference announcing Stevens new position. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 5, 2013; Waltham, MA, USA; New Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, right, shares a laugh with General Manager Danny Ainge during a news conference announcing Stevens new position. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz acquired Derrick Favors as the best asset they got when they unloaded Deron Williams to the Nets. He has played well enough and showed enough promise to comfortably argue that they won that trade. Favors, 25, averaged a career high 16.4 points per game last year to go with his 8.1 rebounds and is a promising young big man.

Derrick Favors has battled injuries this season and is yet to hit his stride. He has only been able to start 15 of 37 possible games so far and his statistics have suffered. Center Rudy Gobert has emerged as one of the NBA’s best centers in Favors’ absence and is one of the Jazz’s best players at this point. Partially as a result of all of this, Derrick Favors could prove to be expendable.

The combination of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors is enough to be one of the league’s best frontcourts. Offensively, spacing can be tight, but defensively they are great together. Both are plus athletes capable of switching on screens and they could give the Warriors trouble in a playoff match up. But the long-term financial restraints in Utah make Favors a candidate to be moved because of the presence of Trey Lyles.

Next: NBA: 2000s All-Decade First Team

The Celtics start Amir Johnson as a frontcourt pairing to Al Horford and Jae Crowder. Boston fans would like to see Gordon Hayward be traded from Utah, but Favors is more likely to be moved. He can step in for Johnson and mirror his role at a higher level and help them improve immediately. Danny Ainge should inquire about the 25-year-old big.

Home/Boston Celtics