Most of the headlines involving Friday's massive trade between the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder revolve around Kemba Walker and Al Horford, and rightly so, but there's another player in this deal that shouldn't be overlooked.
The C's gave up Walker, the No. 16 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and a 2025 second-rounder for Horford and center Moses Brown.
The incentive the Celtics to make this deal is moving off of Walker's burdensome contract that had two years and about $73 million left on it. Horford is still a decent player and has a much more team-friendly contract, including a final year in 2022-23 that's only partially guaranteed.
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NBA Twitter explodes after C's trade Kemba to OKC, get Horford
Brown is an intriguing piece, too. So let's take a look at what he brings to the Celtics.
The Basics
Age: 21
Boston Celtics
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Experience: Entering Year 3
Height/Weight: 7-foot-2, 245 pounds
2020-21 Stats: 8.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks in 21.1 per game for OKC. He played in 43 games and made 32 starts.
What does Brown bring?
Brown is a talented young center who could provide the Celtics with valuable scoring, rebounding and shot blocking off the bench. Center depth is important, and the C's were lacking in that area throughout the 2020-21 season as Robert Williams battled injury and Tristan Thomspon missed several games while in health and safety protocols.
If Brown was a prospect in the 2021 draft, he'd probably go in the middle of the first round, anywhere between No. 15 and No. 25. This lessens the sting of the C's having to give up the No. 16 pick in order to help get rid of Walker's awful contract.
Salary and Contract Info
Brown is on a cheap contract through 2024, which is obviously beneficial to a team like the Celtics that is not far from the luxury tax.
ESPN's Bobby Marks tweeted some important details on Brown's contract:
Highlights
Brown's best game this past season actually came against the Celtics on March 27. He scored 17 points (6-for-6 shooting) with 19 rebounds in the first half alone. He became the first player with 17 points and 19 rebounds in the first half since Shaquille O'Neal in 1998. Brown finished with 21 points and 23 rebounds in a 111-94 loss to the Celtics.