The Boston Celtics have their work cut out for them this offseason as they look to remain competitive amid the absence of Jayson Tatum. That won't be easy considering the team has one of the highest payrolls in professional sports.
The Celtics figure to enter the offseason more than $73 million over the projected salary cap, and $20 million over the second apron. That could force the front office's hand and lead to the team parting ways with one of its top players in order to free up some cap space.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Bill Simmons suggested a radical trade between the Celtics and the Houston Rockets as a means of getting the team under the second apron.
Speaking with Ryan Russillo, Simmons boldly floated a trade idea that would send Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday to Houston while returning Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft to Boston. He pitches the trade at the 44-minute mark of the video below:
Simmons made clear that he absolutely does not want the Celtics to trade Brown, but if the franchise felt they had no other choice, it may end up offloading Brown as a "last resort." The trade concept from Simmons was floated in the scenario that the team had reached the conclusion that keeping Brown was simply not an option.
The deal would net Boston some serviceable assets. VanVleet is a proven veteran capable of making a significant impact on the offensive end, while Smith and Eason have plenty of upside and are just 22 and 24, respectively. That trade would also get Brown's $53.1 million salary and Holiday's $34.8 million salary off the books, giving the team much more financial freedom.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Simmons Floats Bold Celtics Trade Idea That Would Send Jaylen Brown to Rockets .
