This was a Western Conference swap, but Boston might still have something to learn from the dust settling
Kevin Durant is now a Houston Rocket, and Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and whoever the 10th overall pick winds up being are now Phoenix Suns. But those teams play in the Western Conference, so why on earth would any of this matter for the Boston Celtics?
Well, it doesn’t… directly. But there are a few things to note for Celtics fans micromanaging their team’s already-depressing offseason that will probably see both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday exit stage left. So what matters? Here’s three things.
1. The Rockets are no longer a Holiday suitor
Houston was one of the few teams with the cap space, assets, and proximity-to-winning that would get the most out of a Holiday deal. The 35-year-old is in the twilight of his career, but is still the dictionary definition of a winning player that the young Rockets need in the building. With Durant in the building, that’s probably no longer in the cards.
Durant is in the last year of his 194 million dollar contract he signed with… the Brooklyn Nets, but I can’t imagine the Rockets traded for the 36-year-old without having an inkling that he might sign his last big contract of his career with them. That will tie up the Rockets to an extent that Holiday’s deal with be prohibitively large. The Celtics shouldn’t look to Houston for young players and picks in exchange for their good (but too expensive) point guard.
2. It’s very unlikely the Celtics will be dealing Jaylen Brown, at least this summer
I’m not breaking any news here, but the Rockets felt like they were a superstar trade waiting to happen, and if it wasn’t Durant it would be Giannis Antetokounmpo. If it wasn’t either of them… it could have been Brown. Welp.
Not that I’m complaining, but I’m once again a bit unsure where the Brown landing spot is without Houston. The Celtics aren’t “selling” in the general sense of the word, but they’re shopping a few very specific items. Holiday and Porzingis complete the formula in the least painful way, but Brown completes it on his own. If there was actually a serious market for him, I’m sure the Celtics would have some meetings.
Now? I don’t know where that market is. San Antonio seems possible, but beyond that we’re talking the Miami Heat (gross), Brooklyn Nets (nope), or some weird pick explosion out of left field. The Rockets (like they did for every star) was the best spot with the best assets. And I guess they made their choice.
3. This is a bizarre trade market that might make it hard for the Celtics to get quality assets back
The NBA trade market used to be simple: give up good stuff to get good stuff. Then, more recently, the NBA trade market was stupid: give up all your draft picks to get good stuff. But this Durant trade included one first-round pick, so I’m not super sure where the league is at right now.
It’s possible we’re in a draft pick market crash, where picks are consolidated in so few teams that they don’t have the value they used to. With the second apron what it is, trading anyone to shed salary is already going to take some creative accounting. Now? The suitors are thinning, and the market is going crazy.
Nor will the Celtics be negotiating from a position of strength with either Porzingis or Holiday, and it’s possible that trying to make this roster cheaper will get awkward before it gets better. Does this Durant trade clear some things up? Yes, but it asks a lot more questions than it answers.