Charlotte Hornets
CHA gets: Jae Crowder, James Young
BOS gets: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
As a Celtics fan, this trade pains me to do, but it’s a necessary evil in this cold, cold fantasy world we live in.
Jae Crowder was viewed by myself and many others as a throw-in in the Rajon Rondo trade, but developed into a solid starter and 3-and-D player in Boston, earning a 5-year, $35 million extension. Despite all this, his name has surfaced in trade rumors, and so he’s been dealt.
While it doesn’t make much sense for Boston to trade for an injury-riddled forward in exchange for two healthy ones, a closer look is needed.
James Young has gotten bounced from the Maine Red Claws (the Celtics D-League team) and back to the Celtics who knows how many times. After being a first-round selection in 2013, Young hasn’t been able to carve out any continual minutes for himself.
While not all his fault, it’s time to move on and let another team see if they can tap into his 3-and-D potential.
Crowder is a solid player and is durable. This is more about Boston betting on MKG’s potential returning from another injury while his value is low, and condensing their roster.
Next: Miami Heat