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The Boston Celtics made a shrewd, under-the-radar trade in 2011. They traded long-time fan favorite Glen Davis to the Orlando Magic for Brandon Bass, a talented yet underutilized forward during his tenure in the NBA. Celtics GM Danny Ainge felt that the team needed to go in a different direction from Davis and felt that Bass would be a stronger fit for the future of the organization.
Davis is a solid player who has put up some nice statistics on some truly awful teams during his time in Orlando. He is not the type of guy who makes his teammates better and often seems to just be looking out for himself and his personal numbers.
Bass was and is still a better fit for the Celtics. He is a much better outside shooter than Davis and is also much more athletic. He is capable of playing above the rim, something Davis simply can’t do. Davis relies on his strength to out muscle opponents, not by out-jumping them.
This trade was a decent move by the Celtics, but the only problem is the extension Bass signed last season for four years and over $20 million. That is too long of a contract for a guy like Bass, who is a good player but doesn’t deserve that type of lucrative contract. He has now become a tough player for the Celtics franchise to trade if they feel they need to upgrade the roster.
The Davis-Bass trade, though, was one of those under-the-radar moves that worked out well for both teams.
Rob Lunder covers the Boston Celtics for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @rlunder18
