The Boston Celtics were forced to sever ties with a few massively important talents this past offseason due in large part to the NBA's new tax apron rules and subsequent penalties.
Following their 2024 NBA championship victory, Boston dealt Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porziņģis to the Atlanta Hawks while also losing out on Al Horford and Luke Kornet as free agents this past summer. As a result, the storied franchise has been stripped of its once-fearsome defensive core.
While the immediate future might look bleak as the team prepares for a potential 'gap year,' one NBA writer has suggested that the Celtics could look to acquire a former 3-time All-Star, 2-time All-Defensive First Team selection and 2018 Rookie of the Year winner to gain more of a chance to offset their tragic loss of defensive stalwarts.
"Playable depth is going to be a concern for the Boston Celtics throughout the season with Jayson Tatum sidelined by an Achilles injury and the combination of Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis no longer on the team," Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek wrote Wednesday.
"Adding someone like (Ben) Simmons, who can play as a ball-handling guard or a big in a small-ball lineup, for cheap would give head coach Joe Mazzulla some much-needed options when mixing and matching his lineups and rotation."
"Backcourt depth is somewhat thin behind Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons, so Simmons could be an additional ball-handler and facilitator off the bench even if he doesn't stretch the floor."
"He could also take some of the defensive pressure off Jaylen Brown with his ability to defend wings. That will, in turn, further allow Brown to be the surefire top option on the offensive end."
Though he's dealt with his fair share of injuries and off-court struggles, to say the least, ex-Philadelphia 76ers draft pick Ben Simmons could offer the Celtics a semblance of hope for a productive defensive season.
At this juncture, Boston is positioned to take fliers on players of Simmons' caliber, especially if the franchise internally believes that they are not set up properly to compete for another title in 2025-26.
The 29-year-old former two-way star appeared in 51 contests while splitting time with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers in 2024-25, averaging 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 steals while shooting 52.0% from the field and registering an impressive 1.8 defensive box plus-minus.
His play-making feel and overall defensive impact still remain present, and the Celtics might figure that if he can have a resurgent season, it would then line up perfectly with a possible late-campaign return from their 6-time All-Star Jayson Tatum.
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