Brad Stevens’ First Big Trade

Early in the morning, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a major nuke. the Thunder have traded Moses Brown, Al Horford and a 2023 second round pick in exchange for Kemba Walker, the 16th overall pick and a 2025 second round pick. Both teams got what they were looking for but there are also negatives to this trade.

The Celtics Gave up too Much?

The Celtics gave OKC yet another first round pick and a second rounder in order to complete the trade. It may be a bit too much because of Horford’s age and another center in Brown (they already have Robert Williams and Tristan Thompson). Besides those bugaboos, the Celtics got more front court depth which they desperately needed. Acquiring Horford and Brown will hurt the development of Williams, but due to his consistent bout with injuries, it was a necessity to add more depth. Plus trading Walkergives the Celtics more financial flexibility. They’ll be able to re-sign Evan Fournier this offseason which is important.

The Thunder got what They Needed but Lost a Potential Star

For some reason, OKC traded two of their three centers. Brown looked like a Rudy Gobert-esque player and he was just oozing with potential. For some reason they didn’t see what everyone else saw and just threw him in as a salary filler piece. Trading Horford was OKC’s number one obligation this offseason but trading Brown was definitely eye opening. Thunder GM Sam Presti does know what he’s doing, though since he got yet another first round pick out of the Celtics. Not only that, he got his third first round pick in next year’s draft.

What Does This Mean for Moses Brown and Horford?

Brown could slot into the backup center role while Horford will be the unquestioned starter. Horford averaged 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 27.9 minutes per game when he played. Brown came out of nowhere and ended up being the starter for the Thunder when Horford got shut down. He went on to average 9.7 points, 10.2 rebound and 1.2 blocks in the last 36 games as a starter, including a 21 points-23 rebound game against the Celtics. Both players could make a big impact on their new squad but we have to wait and see what happens with the other two centers on their roster.

What Does This Mean for Kemba Walker?

The former UCONN star is now on his third team in as many seasons. The last two years were devastating for him as he was battling various knee/leg injuries. Mix that with being at odds with the Boston front office and he eventually got traded out of town. Now, Walker may not stay with the Blue and Orange as they’re still in the midst of a rebuild. He could stay and mentor his young prodigies in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Theo Maledon or he could also be traded for more picks/young prospects. Walker is a well-respected player who’s a great leader so he’s not going to have a shortage of teams interested in his services. His injuries could limit his appeal but expect OKC to look for trade packages involving Walker this offseason.