The Boston Celtics are well on their way to raising the Larry O’Brien trophy for a second consecutive season, although some key pieces of their championship-winning core may be up for grabs in this summer’s trade market.
Boston boasts a wonderful 55-19 record, good for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but recent reports have indicated that their 6-time All-Defensive Team selection guard Jrue Holiday and sharpshooting center Kristaps Porzingis might be traded this offseason.
The Celtics’ general manager Brad Stevens would surely find it tough to pull the trigger on deals to move the important veteran pair, but impending tax apron doom will likely spell their departure.
“While it is understandable that the organization would not be looking to completely blow up the team by trading away either of its pillars in (Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown, and would want to keep a player in White who they believed would be important enough to their long-term championship aspirations to ink him for another four years, the team would be right to explore potential deals for Porziņģis and/or Holiday if the team fails to go back-to-back,” Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston wrote Saturday.
“Both are quality veterans with championship experience who contending teams would love to bring on board and pair with their budding superstars or core players to make a run at a title.”
Due to his shorter contract length, It’s possible that the former All-Star big man may be easier to deal. One scenario that may be put forth by Boston’s front office could have Porzingis land with the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for a package centered around their intimidating paint presence Ivica Zubac and high-flying two-way forward Derrick Jones Jr.
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If Boston were to reach out to the Clippers’ front office to discuss a hypothetical deal, Stevens could argue that Los Angeles should acquire a player of Porzingis’ caliber to make a real run at a top spot in the West alongside 2-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
On the other hand, the Celtics would be receiving both an incredibly solid pick-and-roll partner for Tatum at the center position and a versatile wing talent to boost their reserve unit.
At 28 years old, Zubac has contributed career-bests of 16.5 points and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 62.2% from the field in 71 appearances for Los Angeles this season.
After falling to the Celtics as a former member of the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024 NBA Finals last season, Jones Jr. has averaged 10.3 points on 52.6% accuracy from the floor in 68 contests for the Clippers.
Though Zubac does not offer much floor-spacing, his dominance in the painted area and in the rebounding department could be attractive to a Celtics team possibly looking to improve from their current No. 11 ranking in team rebounding in 2024-25 (44.9 rebounds).
As for Jones Jr., the leaping combo-forward with a 7-foot wingspan would likely slot into the Celtics’ lineup perfectly as an active defender and capable 36.5% three-point shooter.
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