The Boston Celtics had a down season in 2020-21, but options could be on the table if they want to build this team into a championship contender.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe theorizes that the Celtics could have interest in either Bradley Beal or Zach LaVine if either were to become available.
Beal has been perpetually in trade rumors for the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. In nine seasons with the Washington Wizards, Beal has averaged 22.0 points, 4.0 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, and in 2020-21 Beal upped his scoring average to 31.3 points per game.
Similarly, LaVine is another big-time scorer who could help add some points to this Celtics roster. LaVine is coming off his best season ever in the NBA, averaging 27.4 points, 4.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three.
The issue with LaVine and Beal is not with their talent but rather their availability. Beal has been a rumored trade target for years now, but all the communication from the Wizards is that he is not actually for sale.
The Bulls are clearly looking to compete this season, as evident by the acquisitions of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball, but LaVine notably will be an unrestricted free agent. If things don’t go well for the Bulls early on this year and LaVine doesn’t want to stay in Chicago, that could theoretically make him available, as noted by Washburn.
The Celtics finished seventh in the Eastern Conference last year with a record of 36-36.
