NBA Projections: Evaluating the Celtics-Pistons Trade
The Celtics continued to work on their cap flexibility by sending Avery Bradley to the Detroit Pistons. Here's what that means for both teams.
The Boston Celtics shipped guard Avery Bradley and a second-round pick to Detroit on Friday afternoon in exchange for forward Marcus Morris.
It's important right off the bat to call this deal for exactly what it is -- a move to free up room to sign Gordon Hayward to a max deal, now that the former Jazz star forward has announced that he's coming to Boston.
The Pistons are the beneficiaries of the Celtics' need in this situation. Detroit picks up a nice piece in Bradley, a top defender who also averaged 16.3 points per game last season and shot just under 40 percent from 3-point range.
Updated simulations from SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh show just how much this move will help Detroit in the projected standings.
Detroit jumps from 36.8 wins up to 41.4 -- launching the Pistons from No. 10 in the East up to No. 8, and thus into the projected playoffs. Their playoff odds go from a very modest 37.4 percent to 73.4 percent, changing Detroit from a team likely on the outside looking in for the postseason to a legitimate playoff contender.
And while Boston will certainly miss Bradley's defense and ability to launch 3-pointers, the good news for the Celtics is that this deal has very little overall impact on their projections. Their win total falls from 54.5 to 54.0, while there's no change in their 99.9 percent playoff projections and just a fall from 4.5 to 4.3 percent in their overall projected title odds.Â
The Celtics also remain the projected No. 2 seed in the East.
This deal makes sense as a win-win. Boston clears some cap spaceto sign Hayward, but doesn't significantly change its outlook for 2017-18. And with Bradley set to hit free agency next season, there's a great chance he wouldn't have been in Boston's long-term plans anyhow.
Detroit, meanwhile, acquires a player that might push the Pistons into the postseason, in addition to his Bird rights -- which gives the Motor City the leg up in re-signing him to a long-term deal next offseason if the Pistons choose to pursue that route.
