What the Boston Celtics’ (Realistic) Dream Offseason Looks Like

A bitter first-round exit from the NBA playoffs stung the Boston Celtics, but a fruitful offseason could mend the wounds. Geared with plenty of assets, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge should swing for the fences.

Boston couldn’t possibly ask for a better starting point—its core players are locked up on either rookie or below-market deals, and it also has plenty of draft picks and a ton of cap space. If Ainge plays his cards right, the feisty Celtics that won 48 games could immediately morph into title contenders.

If a player like Blake Griffin or DeMarcus Cousins becomes available, the Celtics would have sufficient assets to concoct an enticing package. However, Doc Rivers has already made it clear he isn’t breaking up his core, while Sacramento Kings GM Vlade Divac wants to keep his star center (for this year at least).

Boston will also chase Kevin Durant, per ESPN.com’s Chris Forsberg, but so will the rest of the league, and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s playoff success makes signing him a pipe dream.

The Celtics could potentially land multiple big names, but there has to be a touch of realism attached even when constructing a dream scenario. Failing to land a true superstar won’t necessarily signify a failed offseason, and there are plenty of other avenues to explore.

Trade Draft Picks for Established Players

Ainge has three first-round picks in this year’s draft (Nos. 3, 16 and 23) and five second-rounders (31, 35, 45, 51, 58). Many of those selections should be on the market.

Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are the consensus top talents among draft experts. There are some intriguing guards further down the board, but Boston is set with a backcourt trio of Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley. Ainge could roll the dice on a foreign talent like Dragan Bender, but letting another team take the gamble would be preferable.

“What Boston does with that No. 3 pick now becomes the most interesting predraft question in the league,” ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe wrote following the draft lottery.

A potential trade target could be Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor. CSN New England’s Tim Welsh laid out the logistics (via CSNPhilly.com’s Enrico Campitelli):

If I’m the Celtics I would get on the phone with the Colangelos in Philadelphia daily. It’s well known that they love Kris Dunn. They need a great guard. Kris Dunn is going to be that. Maybe a Dwyane Wade, maybe a John Wall. Maybe not that good but I think he’s going to be an All-Star guard, especially if he learns how to shoot. He’s gotten better over the years. They have a plethora of bigs. They can get Simmons at No. 1 and send Okafor to Boston for No. 3 and take Dunn.

Boston should also throw in James Young (who it may be time to give up on) or even R.J. Hunter to make the deal more enticing. The internal backcourt logjam likely wouldn’t have either guy contributing much next season in Boston anyway.

Okafor’s defense and off-court incidents are valid concerns, but he is just 20 years old. He can already manufacture offense in the post, something the Celtics sorely lack, and there is plenty of room to grow. There is no reason he can’t one day develop into a star under the guidance of head coach Brad Stevens.

With no clear-cut talent who could immediately help available at No. 3, getting a surer thing in Okafor would be terrific. He is still on his rookie contract, …

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