The Boston Celtics were the oddsmakers’ favorites to make it to the NBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference. However, they couldn’t get the job done vs. the No. 8 seed Miami Heat.
Jayson Tatum’s stellar play wasn’t enough to uplift his team this time. Jaylen Brown underperformed, and some believe it’s time to break up that duo and maybe even part ways with Marcus Smart as well.
Obviously, that would only happen if they could get an All-Star-caliber player in return. And while there may not be a lot of those available, we’ll take a look at three realistic options they could target.
NBA Rumors: 3 All-Star Targets For The Boston Celtics
3. Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns missed a big stretch of the season with an injury. The Minnesota Timberwolves tried to pair him with Rudy Gobert, which obviously was a dubious experiment.
The early results weren’t encouraging, and it doesn’t feel like they’ll ever figure things out. The Celtics lack size and could use another shooter, so the fit is more than obvious.
2. Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard — Getty Images
Most analysts predict the Portland Trail Blazers to either blow it up and trade Damian Lillard or trade their No. 3 pick to build around him. There’s a third scenario in which they trade Lillard and rebuild around someone else.
With that in mind, the Blazers could look to complete a sign-and-trade with Jaylen Brown, keeping him as their franchise player and sending their aging star away.
1. Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine — Getty Images
The Chicago Bulls reportedly fear Lonzo Ball won’t ever play again. They need a point guard and a gritty defender, and Marcus Smart checks out both boxes. They’d need to add fillers and picks, but they could get it done.
Zach LaVine’s relationship with Billy Donovan is far from ideal, and the Bulls might need to retool and rebuild rather than run it back with this mediocre core. It’s a long shot, but LaVine has been tied with multiple teams over the past two years.
