Brad Stevens has wasted no time in shaking up the roster as news broke this morning of the Celtics trading Kemba Walker as Al Horford returns to Boston.
It seemed clear that the Celtics roster would look different come next season but for a move to be made this early? That was a bit of a surprise.
With Walker out and Horford back in a Celtics uniform alongside Moses Brown, the question of which other Celtics will be on their way out the door begin to service.
Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe hinted on Twitter following the trade of potential roster moves going forward this offseason.
Celtics feel better about resigning Fournier
Himmelsbach’s hint that the Celtics feel better about resigning Fournier is a plus for the team. With the departure of Kemba Walker, that may open up more playing time and more of a set role for Evan Fournier. Fournier, who the Celtics acquired at the trade deadline, played only 16 regular season games, missing several games due to health and safety protocols. In those 16 games, Fournier averaged 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting an impressive 46.3% from 3-point range. Bringing Fournier back gives the Celtics a competent, versatile offensive playmaker, whether that’s as a starter or coming off the bench. Question is: what’s the price?
Adding Horford, Brown doesn’t mean Thompson is gone
With the additions of Al Horford and Moses Brown, you may wonder where minutes for Tristan Thompson in the rotation fit? According to Himmelsbach, Thompson may not be on the outs just quite yet. In 54 games this season, Thompson averaged 7.6 points and 8.1 rebounds as well as playing a veteran presence in the locker room. Looking forward, and Boston surely isn’t done making moves, it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to go into next season with all three of Al Horford, Moses Brown, and Tristan Thompson alongside Robert Williams and potentially Grant Williams. It may be one and done for Thompson in Beantown. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1405957275148238854?s=20
Though a salary match, Brown will get a ‘look’
Moses Brown found himself being a bit of a fantasy basketball gem this past season in stretches for Oklahoma City. In 43 games for the Thunder, Brown averaged 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, which included a dominant 21 point, 23 rebound performance against, guess who, the Celtics on March 27. After a productive stretch this season, Brown signed a four-year, $6.7M extension, which gives the Celtics every flexible asset, whether that’s to remain on their books or as a trade piece. Overall, Brown’s fit with the Celtics going forward is an intriguing one. Though he is still very raw as an overall prospect, he showed potential this season with his consistent activity on the boards and pure body length. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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