The Boston Celtics need to make a drastic change of some sort prior to February’s NBA Trade Deadline.
Currently, this group sits at 25-24 on the year and ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
Over the past week whispers have intensified about a big potential trade with the Dallas Mavericks. Whether it ultimately comes to fruition or not, an intriguing new option has emerged for the Celtics.
That option: Houston Rockets guard John Wall.
According to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, a Wall-to-Boston deal could make sense for all parties involved.
In this swap, the Celtics would walk away with Wall, Jae’Sean Tate and a 2023 first-rounder that Houston has via the Milwaukee Bucks. The Rockets, meanwhile, would get Al Horford, Romeo Langford and Josh Richardson.
By any objective measure, this deal is a win-win.
Wall is obviously getting a little long in the tooth for his playing style and is extremely injury prone, but he’s also fresh off a 2020-21 NBA season that saw him average 20.6 points, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Dennis Schroder is a goner next year, so this is a need area for Boston.
And yes, Wall’s contract is awful. But that’s why Houston is throwing in a first round pick.
The Rockets, meanwhile, finally get to dump Wall and his baggage and begin anew. Richardson would immediately take Tate’s place in the lineup and everything will proceed as it has up to this point.
To date, the Celtics have been a mess. Role players loathe the team’s stars. The stars feel the same way about the role players. Boston’s legends are calling out this current version of the team for shaming a storied legacy.
Now that’s how you get over a tough loss. https://t.co/4KQZNvnLyA
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 26, 2022
It’s a mess.
Would Wall fix it? It’s hard to say for certain. But it’s also difficult to envision a scenario where he could make things any worse.
Related: Steve Nash Gets Blunt About Nets Trading James Harden (Video)
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
