Even without Kyrie Irving, the Boston Celtics are seen as a serious title contender. The team boasts of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown as more than able players and such core talents can surely serve as a ticket to an NBA Finals appearance. It would not hurt though to beef up even further.
That was the proposal made by Hardwood Houdini of Fansided. The Greens have to acquire two big men to increase their chance of advancing to the league and get a clearer shot at becoming NBA champions again. For this purpose, it's best to look at what the Cleveland Cavaliers have to offer.
The Cavs have already stated that Kevin Love is open for trade offers so Boston should work for a possible deal. And while at it, the Cleveland front office should check on the possibility of adding Tristan Thompson to the mix.
"Both Love and Thompson are, in fact, NBA Champions, helping the Cavaliers to their first title in franchise history back in 2016. As we've stated multiple times, Love is a sensational scoring and rebounding stretch big that would certainly help spread the floor on offense," the report said, and as quoted by Fadeaway World.
Boston will also reap the benefits of bringing in Thompson, whose imposing presence under the boards will easily make him the Celtics starting big man. It's almost sure as well that Thompson will be a significant boost on Boston's defensive efforts apart from pouring the needed points.
"Year nine is showing signs of potentially being Tristan Thompson's best year as a pro. In 31 minutes per game, the 28-year-old is averaging 13.6 points, 10 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 51% shooting from the floor," added the report.
For the Cavs to be tempted, Boston must be willing to offer packages that will be hard to ignore. The suggestion was to put the likes of Gordon Hayward, Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, and Semi Ojeleye, and sweeten the deal with first-round picks.
For these offerings, the Celtics are sure to gain firepower upgrades in the offense department and a more robust defensive wall, not to mention a greater rebounding possibility.
However, landing Love at this time might be a bad idea for the Celtics, according to Boston.com. For one, the power forward, while a certified winner and a superstar, is already over 30 and "will soon be advancing past [his] prime.
Also, Boston has to remember Love is expensive. Assuming his contract until Season 2022-23 will mean the Greens have to shell out $28.9 million in annual salary. This high price comes with no assurance that Love will still be able to play the same level over the next three to four years.
Which is not the case for Thompson, who is only 28. Per the same report, Thompson is the better fit for Boston. Love might have been but that was a few years ago.
