John Wall (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics could be among the surprise teams attempting a deal to land Washington Wizards point guard John Wall.
Wall has been linked to several trade talks due to the reported gap between him and backcourt mate Bradley Beal. Following Wall and Beal's discussion about their apparently conflicted relationship, the former cleared the air over how he feels about the latter's Five-year $128 million contract with the Wizards. But it still remains a possibility the Wizards would consider trading either of them, especially if Wall and Beal's on-court relationship won't yield them any good results this season.
According to Jonathan Reisman of 12UP, one of the teams that could explore trading for Wall is the Celtics, whose plan of adding an All-Star caliber remains upfront.
"While the Celtics have solid guard depth, they would certainly be willing to make room for Wall, who is an unbelievable talent on both sides of the ball. If the Celtics continue to strike out on other targets, don't be surprised if they give the Wizards a king's ransom for this perennial All-Star," Reisman wrote.
Wall, who has career averages of 18.0 points, 9.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds, would instantly turn the Celtics into strong title contenders. With Wall in their lineup, the Celtics would have another All-Star to pair with Al Horford, creating a formidable tandem to challenge powerhouse teams in the league.
Trading for Wall would likely force the Celtics to give up future draft picks, but a deal that works on ESPN's trade machine would see Boston sending Isaiah Thomas, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart to Washington for Wall.
Thomas and Smart would be an assurance for the Wizards to remain deep at the backcourt area. Thomas, who posted a career-high 22.2 points a game last season, along with 6.2 assists, would provide the Wizards a pass-first point guard to complement Beal's game and the team's other key players, while Smart would serve as a solid backup PG.
Brown would add depth at the small forward position for the Wizards, and should be a valuable piece if Washington decides to press the reset button.
It remains to be seen whether the Wizards would consider such deal. But should the Wizards decide to move on from Wall, the Celtics could be ready to explore a trade, with several assets in their possession.
