B/R trade proposal sees Boston swapping a beloved face and a new arrival for an Atlanta Hawks big man

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While the Boston Celtics may be playing well at the moment, it will take some time before fans and analysts will believe the change is real they have seen in recent games. And if things start to go south again, inducing panic perhaps in the team’s front office, there are of course those with potential trades in mind for Boston to remedy the situation.

One such author is Bleacher Report’s Dan Swartz, who put together a deal that he thinks would help not only the Celtics but also an also-struggling Atlanta Hawks franchise suffering from similar issues plaguing Boston in terms of a young roster having issues playing consistently.

The deal in question? Sending veteran guard Marcus Smart and recent arrival Josh Richardson to Atlanta in exchange for Hawks big man John Collins.

“The Celtics and Hawks have both underachieved this season, yet they could help each other address weaknesses,” writes Swartz.

“Boston desperately needs shooting (34.0 percent from three, 22nd overall), while Atlanta (113.4 defensive rating, 27th overall) could use anyone who can get stops. A Collins-Smart-based package makes too much sense for both teams.”

The B/R analyst continued to make his case for the deal, citing fit on both sides as a primary logic.

“Collins would slide into the starting power forward role between Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams III and is eighth overall in three-point shooting (42.6 percent) this season,” explains Swartz.

“He’s giving the Hawks 17.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and is in the first season of a five-year, $125 million deal. The Hawks get Smart to put in the backcourt next to Trae Young, giving them a tandem on opposite sides of the defensive spectrum. Smart is still an elite on-ball defender when he wants to be, and his playmaking ability would allow Young to play off-ball more and spot up from three. Atlanta also acquires Richardson, a good defensive wing who’s hitting 39.8 percent of his threes this season.”

A Hawks starting lineup of Young, Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter, and Clint Capela suddenly looks pretty good defensively, especially with Richardson coming off the bench,” adds the B/R writer.

While we think the deal close to a fair one in terms of talent being exchanged, we would think a late first-round draft pick would be needed to sell the Hawks on such a deal.

As for Boston, the move seemingly would signal throwing in the towel on this season, a prospect fans are likely to have little appetite for at the moment with good reason.

Such a deal might well end up happening regardless of how fans felt about it if the front office believed it was in the best interests of the ball club, but we have our doubts that this trade or one close to it is in the offing any time soon given this move would make more sense in the offseason.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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