The Boston Celtics are a team that could try and make some moves during the offseason. Despite making the Eastern Conference Finals once again during the bubble last season, the Boston Celtics have been an inconsistent team this season, which has caused them to be the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference, despite finishing 3rd last season.
The Boston Celtics could potentially move for another star, one that could bring them over the top in the Eastern Conference. Someone that they should look at is DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs. While DeRozan is a free agent this offseason, a sign and trade is not out of the question. Here is a potential sign and trade deal that the Boston Celtics could execute for DeRozan:
Boston Celtics Receive: DeMar DeRozan (sign and trade)
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Marcus Smart, Aaron Nesmith, a future second-round pick
The San Antonio Spurs Get Assets In Return For DeMar DeRozan
It would make sense for the San Antonio Spurs to agree to a sign and trade if DeMar DeRozan were open to it. While those deals aren’t exactly pulled off often, there is a possibility that DeRozan would want to go to the Boston Celtics as they have two young stars which he could team up with. In that case, the San Antonio Spurs could receive a fair package from the Celtics to facilitate their help with getting DeRozan on the team.
Marcus Smart would be the centerpiece of the deal. He is a top 5 perimeter defender in the league and would fit the defensive identity of the Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs backcourt could be deadly on defense with Marcus Smart and Dejounte Murray, and perhaps coach Popovich would be able to unlock Smart’s inconsistent offensive game. Aaron Nesmith and the second-rounder would mostly be sweeteners in order for the deal to go through, though there is a chance that the San Antonio Spurs could develop Nesmith into a capable shooter.
The Boston Celtics Boost Their Offense
Getting DeMar DeRozan on the Boston Celtics could be beneficial for the franchise. DeMar DeRozan is an extremely adept playmaker while still being a 20 PPG scorer. That sort of skill set could be useful next to other stars, and perhaps DeRozan could give the Celtics the ability to compete in the Eastern Conference against powerhouses like the 76ers and the Nets.
When you have three good scorers on the team, you need a player who can facilitate for the rest of the team so they can get easy shots. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both talented scorers, but not many would say they’re among the best passers. Kemba Walker is often classified as a shoot-first guard. DeMar DeRozan could be the facilitator for the team and would take some offensive pressure off of Kemba Walker as well.
While DeRozan isn’t necessarily a “point guard” by classification, we’ve seen forwards like LeBron James and Ben Simmons play the point guard role on teams to great success. DeMar DeRozan could take over the duties of running the offense, which would allow the scorers on the team to thrive while taking the Celtics’ offense to new heights.
