Top 3 assets the Boston Celtics can use to bolster their squad in the 2021 NBA off-season

The Boston Celtics were underachievers in the 2020-21 NBA season. Even with two All-Stars on the team in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the team failed to perform consistently throughout the year.

The 2020-21 Boston Celtics finished the regular season with a 36-36 record and were eliminated in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs by the Brooklyn Nets.

The Celtics were a middle-of-the-pack team on offense and defense. On the offensive end, the team averaged 112.6 points per game (16th out of the 30 teams in the league) and scored 114 points per 100 possessions (10th in the NBA).

Players the Boston Celtics can use to improve their roster in the 2021 NBA off-season

Defensively, they allowed 111.2 points per game (11th in the league) and 112.5 points per 100 possessions (14th in the NBA). The Boston Celtics had an inconsistent year and their off-season started with Danny Ainge stepping away from his role as president of basketball operations. Brad Stevens has in turn moved from the sidelines to the front office.

Though Jayson Tatum might be emerging as an NBA superstar, there's work to do for the Boston Celtics in terms of roster construction.

In this article, we will take a look at three assets the Boston Celtics can use to bolster their roster with eyes on the 2021-22 NBA season.

Without further ado, let us start.

#3 Tristan Thompson

Tristan Thompson #13 of the Boston Celtics tips in a rebound

The Boston Celtics will pay Tristan Thompson around $10 million in the 2021-22 NBA season, the final year of his contract. In 54 games for the C's in the 2020-21 season, Thompson was unable to replicate the double-double averages from his previous two seasons with Cleveland, though he was good in the paint.

Thompson recorded 7.6 points and 8.1 rebounds for the Boston Celtics in the 2020-21 NBA season. He started 43 games for the then Brad Stevens-coached team.

Depth Pieces: 2.50 to 3.499. Payton Pritchard: 3.38 (1.31 up)8. Grant Williams: 3.46 (0.54 down)High-End Backup: 3.50 to 4.497. Tristan Thompson: 3.58 (1.09 down)Low-End Starter: 4.50 to 5.496. Robert Williams III: 5.31 (1.38 up)https://t.co/gRcBprB9KA pic.twitter.com/K5wO0xtzQT
— NBA Math (@NBA_Math) July 22, 2021

Expand Tweet

Though he is not a game-changer, Thompson could represent a good trading option for the Boston Celtics, as any contender looking for size and strength in the paint could definitely use him.

In return, the Boston Celtics could try to land some good pieces and possibly allow Robert Williams to flourish in the paint.

#2 Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart has been with the Boston Celtics ever since his NBA career began in 2014. Smart's energy has always been a plus for the Boston Celtics at several stages, as he has been a solid performer in several NBA Playoffs matches.

The team has repeatedly been in the NBA postseason with Smart on the roster and he has earned a spot as one of the main voices on the court for the Celtics. Smart's contract expires at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season, so any team that might acquire him during this NBA off-season can count on at least a couple of seasons from the 27-year-old.

Throughout his NBA career, Smart has averaged 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He is not highly consistent with his shots, as proved by his 37/32/77 shooting split. But Smart's intangibles are quite good and any team would benefit from a high-energy player who has also been a two-time All-Defensive selection.

#1 Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks to shoot

Though the Boston Celtics probably shouldn't even consider trading him, Jaylen Brown is an asset that could open almost any door for the franchise. The 24-year-old is coming off his first All-Star Game appearance and was not far from Jayson Tatum's performance throughout last season.

Of course, Brown's 2020-21 season ended with a left wrist injury, but the campaign was the best of his short NBA career so far.

Would the Boston Celtics consider putting him in a trade package for Damian Lillard, for example? It could be debatable, but Brown remains a young player with lots of potential, while Lillard is already an established superstar.

The Boston Celtics seem to want to build a championship contending team around Tatum and Brown, and rightfully so. But any franchise with an unhappy superstar demanding a trade will certainly call and ask for Brown's status. It is definitely unlikely he will be moving to a different city when that happens, but he remains an asset that could land the Boston Celtics almost any player they might want.