At the start of the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Celtics have once again shaken things up in hopes of making another deep run for what would be their 18th NBA Championship, and it show in the Boston Celtics odds. The Celtics finished the 2022-2023 NBA season with a disappointing home loss in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the hands of the Miami Heat. Over the course of the off-season, Boston has made a few moves to beef up their roster.
In one of the biggest moves of the NBA offseason, the Boston Celtics traded guard Marcus Smart in exchange for draft consideration and acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards. In exchange, Boston shipped out Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari on June 23, 2023.
In another unexpected move, on October 1, 2023, the Celtics traded Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams to the Portland Trailblazers for defensive savvy point guard, Jrue Holiday. While Porzingis and Holiday aren’t expected to make any all-star teams this season, Boston won’t really need them to. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the respective leaders of this team and will be expected to average big stats while helping the Celtics have even more success.
Why the Boston Celtics Made the Trades
As already mentioned, last season Boston lost in the Eastern Conference finals to the Miami Heat. Making it to the Eastern Conference Finals is no small feat, however, it’s also safe to say it was an underwhelming performance for quite a few reasons. First, the Celtics were the favorite to be crowned NBA champs entering the 22-23 season and additionally, they lost at home last season after losing in the NBA Finals in 21-22 to the Golden State Warriors.
Boston needed a bit of a mixup, especially in the frontcourt as Al Horford, who remains on the team for the upcoming season, enters into his 18th season at age 37. Losing a rim protector like Robert Williams, whose impact during the 21-22 NBA Finals run cannot go understated, does make the defense more vulnerable. However, given his injury history and availability to the team, it validates Boston’s desire to move on to a center that adds value to this team in other ways more consistently.
Marcus Smart is the other key player that the Celtics decided to move on from. After 9 seasons in Boston, Smart will now play for the Memphis Grizzlies. This move took the NBA world by surprise given Smart’s intangibles and leadership that he’s brought to the team. Smart was the # 6 pick in the 14-15 draft by the Celtics and has always embodied the gritty mentality needed to get the job done by playing excellent defense, taking charges and making big shots when needed.
Although his assists per season had increased each of the last 5 seasons, the Celtics felt it was time to shake things up at the point guard position. When Jrue Holiday was traded to the Portland Trailblazers in a deal that included Damian Lillard landing in Milwaukee, the Boston Celtics immediately expressed interest in having Holiday play in green. Holiday was a Trailblazer for less than a week before Boston acquired him in the deal that sent Marcus Smart to Memphis.
Impacts of the Boston Celtics’ Trades
Replacing Robert Williams’ defensive tenacity will be no easy accomplishment for the Boston Celtics and will most likely require better team defense from each individual player. When healthy, Robert Williams changes the opposing team’s game plans of attacking downhill and getting any easy buckets in the paint. Porzingis isn’t as stout on defense but does provide a level of resistance at the center position. For the past 3 seasons, he’s averaged at least 1.5 blocks per game and over the past 7 regular seasons, he’s posted a positive +/- in his team’s net rating category when on the floor.
While losing a former defensive player of the year in Marcus Smart doesn’t tend to positively correlate with the team’s success moving forward, Jrue Holiday is one player that can fill those shoes instantly. Holiday has strung together 8 consecutive years of having a positive +/- in his team’s defensive rating while on the floor. The defensive-minded point guard has also averaged at least 6 assists or more in 11 straight NBA seasons, proving he’s able to provide some leadership and contribute outside of his defensive grit.
What to Expect from the Boston Celtics’ Most Recent Trades
The Celtics made the trades to bring in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis because they want to continuously improve their roster and complement the superstar talents of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Only time will tell what impact the two trades will have on the franchise. Entering the 23-24 season, the Celtics have some of the shortest odds when looking at BetVictor’s basketball betting markets behind only the Milwaukee Bucks of winning the NBA Championship this season. While we may not know if Boston’s off-season trades will bring them a championship immediately, one thing of certainty is that fans and bettors around the world will be watching to see how things shift in the NBA odds.
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