Trade Proposal Sees Celtics Make Deal With East Rival For More Shooting

The Celtics could make a deal to ensure that they have the best roster in the Eastern Conference.

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The Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA. As defending NBA Champions, their expectations are extremely high for this season. They brought back most of their core from last year to run it back and try to become the first back-to-back champs in a decade.

Just because they have a really good roster right now doesn't mean that they are guaranteed to win an NBA title this season. Other teams in the East have made roster upgrades. There are some other teams that are playing hot basketball right now as well, like the Pacers and the Bucks.

Boston is still behind Cleveland for the top seed in the East. Home-court advantage matters for them. That crowd is a massive boost when they play in the playoffs, especially when they take on other teams who are equal or close to equal in talent.

The Celtics can use some help off the bench. Their starting lineup is one of the best lineups in the NBA, but their depth is a little questionable. They launch more threes than anyone else in the league, so they can use some more shooting from guys coming off the bench.

In this proposal, the Celtics receive: Josh Richardson

The Heat receive: Jaden Springer and a 2025-second-round pick

The Heat look like they're in a position where they are about to blow it up. Jimmy Butler is on the trade block. If they trade him, they are clearly headed towards the lottery. They would then start to sell off other assets to try to get as much back in return as possible.

Richardson has only played eight games this season because of injury. When he is out there, he's a pretty good shooter. He's also someone who is able to get a lot of steals and deflections, so he adds value to both sides of the court. In return, the Heat get a young player and a draft pick.

Springer is someone who the Celtics like, but he doesn't get any minutes right now. He doesn't have a path to getting playing time, either. If he goes somewhere else that will give him minutes, he can start to develop. This would be a solid trade for both teams.

Boston is likely to wait until closer to the trade deadline to make a move. That's when they will strike.

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