How much is a “lot of things” worth for the Boston Celtics? Is it a fair price to pay to increase your chances in the NBA finals?
Yahoo! On Friday, Sports Keith Smith asked the Celtics to offer a combination of three or four young players and draft choices in a proposed exchange for John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are reportedly willing to “hear offers” from Collins, who has established himself as one of the stars of this struggling team. Smith names Robert Williams, Grant Williams, Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford as the young men Boston should consider switching to Collins.
However, Smith did not stop there. He also suggests that Boston send Jeff Teague back to Atlanta, where he played between 2009 and 2016 and also in 2020, in exchange for former Celtics star Rajon Rondo.
“Boston should throw a lot of things in Atlanta for Collins,” Smith wrote in a tweet. “Choose a combination of 3-4 of the children (Williamses, Langford, Nesmith) and choices. And then also switch from Rondo to Teague.
“Teague looks good in Atlanta and Rondo is able to get back to the full circle with Boston.”
Before discussing the possible arrival of Collins, let’s focus on Rondo. His return to Boston after more than six years in exile would be some story. The 34-year-old would bring balance and leadership to a young Celtics team, and he could outperform Teague, who has struggled in his early months in Boston.
Collins would be the headline of any Hawks-Celtics deal. His game averages of 18.5 and 7.8 rebounds fell from last year, as well as his percentage of 0.559 goals. It can also benefit from a change of scenery.
The NBA’s negotiation deadline is March 25, and Celtics basketball operations president Danny Ainge said Boston will target “kick size” before the deadline. These are two accounts that Collins would fit.
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