Just 24 hours after getting bounced out of the NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics have already made major moves. It started with Celtics basketball operations president Danny Ainge stepping down and being replaced by coach Brad Stevens.
So the obvious question is: What’s next for the Celtics? How do they build around All-Star Jayson Tatum who had such a spectacular season? Here are a couple of decisions Stevens will handle in his first few days in his new role.
Get Jayson Tatum more help
Are the days of Tatum-Kemba Walker-Jaylen Brown-Marcus Smart over? It’s been three years and it doesn’t seem like it’s working. It also doesn’t help that the Celtics went from the Eastern Conference Finals to a first-round exit. This just shows that a roster upgrade is necessary. Whether that’s trading one of the assets besides Tatum, the Celtics need another go-to guy that can help him and even Brown on offense.
Shoutout to Jayson Tatum on a great season !
26.4 PPG
7.4 RPG
4.3 APG
45.9% FG
38.6% 3PT
86.8% FT(4 games with 50+ PTS )
Young superstar 🔥 pic.twitter.com/oX0ZIl6vS0
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 2, 2021
Get the right coach
With Stevens now running the front office, obviously, the Celtics have to find the right coach. Not just any coach but someone who can work with the pieces the Celtics have. Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes reported that Jayson Kidd and Lloyd Pierce are top candidates for the job. The Celtics can’t mess this job vacancy up. It can either make or break them, especially if they want to succeed in what is now a competitive Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd and former Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce are expected to be head-coaching candidates for the Boston Celtics, league sources tell @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 2, 2021
Make trades
Ainge had a reputation of preserving his draft picks and young core instead of trading for superstars. He got known on NBA Twitter as someone who’d back out or get cold feet every time a trade was in the works. It clearly hasn’t helped the Celtics. Sure, several outliers such as COVID-19, injuries, and the shortened offseason have affected this year’s team, but the Celtics badly need a roster shakeup. And to do that, trades must happen this offseason.
Trade for Kemba Walker
Speaking of trades, Walker has been on the hot seat ever since the Celtics grabbed him from the Charlotte Hornets. The Celtics were hoping that he could be a top scorer, but he hasn’t delivered much especially given how heavy his contract is. Walker has been derailed by injuries as well so that will definitely weigh in on what the Celtics decide to do with him.
A former #NBA exec told @HoopAnalysisNet that he thinks the #Celtics will trade Kemba Walker this offseason.
"They tried in the offseason. Had a few offers on the table and almost pulled the trigger. Kemba is very likely to be on the move this coming offseason."
— Evan Massey (@massey_evan) March 30, 2021
Walker averaged almost 20 points per game this season on 42 percent shooting. While these are acceptable numbers, they aren't what's expected out of Walker. He was just too inconsistent at times. Now is the best time to ship Walker out, especially since he’s still young and could attract other vital pieces that’s better suited for the Celtics.
Ultimately, what the Celtics need is retooling from the top of the office to the bottom of their roster. They have found a franchise player in Jayson Tatum and have witnessed the growth of Jaylen Brown. What they need to do is surround these two with an elite coach and a bunch of role players that can contribute. Build around the two All-Stars and perhaps court major names in free agency to once again be relevant.
The Celtics have done it before and with a bright mind like Brad Stevens leading the way, surprises may be in store this offseason.
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