This offseason has been a challenging one for the Boston Celtics. After effectively undergoing a roster overhaul, the Celtics still found themselves in luxury tax territory, forcing them to make more moves.
Boston has aimed to shed salary by acquiring draft capital and high-value players through trades. Most of these players are on low-cost or short-term deals, giving the Celtics more cap flexibility.
While this has helped the franchise reduce luxury tax payments, it has also weakened the roster considerably. Regardless, the Celtics will continue with their efforts, with Anfernee Simons being mentioned in current trade rumors.
The prospects for next season aren’t very promising, especially with Jayson Tatum also on the mend. However, to help Boston retain some degree of competitiveness, Bleacher Reports’ Eric Pincus presented a trade idea that would allow them to acquire Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz. Let’s take a look at the proposal.
Proposed Trade Details
Boston Celtics Receive: Walker Kessler
Utah Jazz Receive: Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Neemias Queta, 2026 first-round pick (BOS), 2026 second-round pick (BOS), 2029 first-round pick swap (MIA), $5.5 million from Boston
Miami Heat Receive: Anfernee Simons, draft rights to 2025 No. 53 overall pick John Tonje
Apart from the Celtics, this deal also has significant implications for the other teams involved. With the Jazz and the Heat also seeing some major changes to their roster outlook, we examine the finer details of this deal.
The Celtics Land Their Starting Big Man
Boston’s offseason salary-shedding efforts saw them part ways with their primary center, Kristaps Porzingis. While this was a huge blow to the team, things only got worse after Al Horford decided to walk away from the team in free agency.
This debilitated the Celtics’ big man rotation, presenting an outlook where Neemias Queta would become the team’s starting center. But with this trade, Boston acquires a legitimate starter-quality center.
Walker Kessler has garnered a lot of interest from teams in trade talks this offseason, and for valid reasons. As a legitimate seven-footer, Kessler offers rebounding and defensive upside, qualities that several teams in the league are vying for.
Last season, Kessler recorded an average of 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Although he isn’t a major threat on the offensive end, he could be a defensive anchor for the team.
The Jazz big man possesses a solid frame, which is complemented by his athleticism. This allows him to run the floor but also hold his ground in the paint. The versatility of these attributes in a traditional big man’s role would be of great benefit to the Celtics.
With a cap hit of only $4.9 million, the Celtics would be shedding an enormous amount of salary by acquiring him after trading Simons. When also considering that Kessler is on an expiring contract, Boston could look to re-sign him to a more favorable deal or let him walk as a free agent.
The Jazz Walk Away With A Haul Of Draft Capital
The Utah Jazz have prioritized acquiring young players, expiring contracts, and draft capital this offseason. This trade scenario helps the Jazz do all of these things while also gaining some cash from the Celtics in the process.
Pincus mentioned that the first-round draft picks coming over from the Celtics and the Heat in this deal would be protected, with Boston’s being lottery-protected and Miami’s being top-5 protected. Given Utah’s current approach to tanking, there is a decent chance that both picks carry over to the next season.
In this trade, the Jazz acquire Terry Rozier and his $26.6 million expiring contract. Although Rozier is a capable scorer, he hasn’t been consistent since joining the Heat. While this could be attributed to his betting scandal, the Jazz may not have much use for him when considering their current outlook.
The noteworthy additions in this scenario would be Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Neemias Queta.
Jaquez Jr. has shown a lot of potential to develop into a rotation player. Unfortunately, his stats haven’t supported this thus far. With an average of 8.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game last season, the 24-year-old may not stand out on the stat sheet, but the Heat have shown a lot of faith in him.
He has shown sparks of offensive brilliance and capability. In a situation like Utah’s, the young guard could find himself cultivating his talents as a part of the team’s young core.
Meanwhile, Queta has also shown some upside. In very limited playing time, the big man has displayed productivity, notching an average of 5.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. With Kessler out of the rotation, Queta could be due to receive more playing time and eventually become a valuable contributor for the team as well.
While the Jazz may look to cultivate Jaquez Jr. and Queta, they would likely build them as bench players. This would also be in their best interests if building overall roster strength becomes a priority.
The Heat Upgrade Their Backcourt Offense
This deal could be immensely beneficial for the Miami Heat, especially in light of their recent offseason moves. When considering how the Heat have boosted their roster strength, acquiring a player like Simons could be of benefit in upgrading their backcourt offense.
Simons has been mentioned in several trade rumors, primarily due to Boston’s need to shed salary. While this has seen him linked to many teams, a move to the Heat could be favorable for him.
Last season, the guard recorded an average of 19.3 points and 4.8 assists per game on shooting splits of 42.6% from the field and 36.3% from three-point range.
Alongside Tyler Herro, the 26-year-old could become a part of a very dynamic starting backcourt. His versatile style of offense does require him to have the ball in his hands. This could create some initial fit issues with Herro, but his ability to create shots for himself still sees him emerge as a reliable offensive threat.
Acquiring Simons would allow the Heat to experiment with different offensive strategies, especially with him and Herro both being reliable while handling the ball. With playoff aspirations in mind, this move could be effective in transforming them into a top-6 team in the East.
Aside from Simons, the Heat would also acquire the No. 53 overall pick from the 2025 draft, John Tonje. The guard showcased tremendous potential as an off-ball shooter and scorer. Miami could look to cultivate his talents to replace Jaquez Jr.
The Celtics May Not Need To Do This Trade
While this trade certainly has merit for all the teams involved, the Celtics may not need to do this trade at all.
Recently, Boston completed a trade to send Georges Niang to the Utah Jazz. With Niang’s $8.2 million contract coming off the books, the Celtics are $7.8 million below the second apron. This saves them $42.7 million in luxury tax bills.
In addition to this, Boston also signed Raptors forward Chris Boucher to a one-year, $3.3 million deal. Although this doesn’t completely address their needs for a big man, it certainly acts as a solution in the current situation.
The Celtics have a long way to go before being considered a competitive team. But with additional trades in mind, they may not opt to trade Simons in a package like this.
