The Boston Celtics seem to have finally decided on the roster they will use on opening night, having made some cuts to wrap up their training camp roster decisions. So, what better time for a trade, right? Probably not in all honesty, but on the off chance Boston did want to continue crafting their roster makeup, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has a deal in mind.
Luke Kornet, Svi Mykhailiuk, Dalano Banton, and 2024 first-round pick (top-20 protected) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Kenrich Williams is his proposal, and the reasoning behind the deal, you ask? “Unless an Oshae Brissett breakout is in the works, Grant Williams’ absence could loom large over this team,” posits Buckley. “That’s what could draw Boston toward another Williams, as Kenrich possesses similar strengths as a multi-purpose defender and capable shot-maker.”
“He has never shot the 3-ball with a ton of volume (career 2.5 attempts per game), but some of his splash rates—37.3% this past season, 44.4 in 2020-21—suggest he could.”
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“The Celtics may have some reservations about parting with a first-round pick for a 28-year-old role player, but if forward depth looks like the final missing piece of their championship puzzle, that should be a relatively easy concession to make,” adds the B/R analyst.
Standing at just 6-foot-6, this new Williams would face some rotational limitations as did Grant for Boston’s frontcourt. But he brings many of the same strengths on a team-friendly deal at just $6.1 million for 2023-24, with a modest bump each season to wrap at $7.1 million for the 2026-27 season.
With the protections described above, we’d venture this is a move worth burning a first on if he were really available, though we think it would make more sense to use the traded player exception and another second-rounder rather than burn through Boston’s already thin depth.
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