Boston Celtics Preparing for Future With Brandan Wright Trade
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The Boston Celtics reached an agreement with the Phoenix Suns to trade power forward Brandan Wright on Friday afternoon. In exchange, the Suns will send Boston the 2015 first-round draft pick they own from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The pick is protected from Nos. 1-12 in the 2015 and 2016 drafts, meaning if the Timberwolves are slotted to draft in those spots, they will retain the pick. If that is the case, which is the most likely scenario, Minnesota will instead send their second-round picks in 2016 and 2017 to Boston.
Boston acquired Wright as part of the December’s Rajon Rondo trade with the Dallas Mavericks and it comes as no surprise to see the Celtics flip Wright for picks. The team is clearly in rebuild and reload mode, with little prospect of contending in the East for the next couple seasons.
In addition to this afternoon’s trade with Phoenix, Boston is reportedly close to shipping small forward Jeff Green to the Memphis Grizzlies. While the deal has not yet been finalized, General Manager Danny Ainge and the Celtics are expected to receive the expiring contract of Tayshaun Prince and a future first-round pick.
If the Green trade is finalized as expected, the Celtics would own 11 first-round picks over the next four NBA Drafts. The NBA is a league where you want to either be at the top of the standings or at the very bottom, as mediocrity makes it hardest to load up on young talent from the draft and subsequently make a run at the title.
Today’s trade signals the Celtics are serious about sacrificing the present for the future, a wise decision considering the franchise’s current place in the standings.
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