Could Celtics make a run at Cam Whitmore?

Despite an impressive rookie season Cam Whitmore appears to be the odd man out on a very deep Houston Rockets team with plans to contend this coming season. We've heard several teams interested in acquiring the 20 year old wing, but what about the team which seems to have the least amount of front office leaks, your Boston Celtics?

Whitmore is only due to make $3.5 million this coming season and the Celtics would have a team option for the following year. Due to his age, potential, and reasonable contract, the Rockets would be looking for a first round pick in return, but unlike some veteran rental, Whitmore would be the type of player worth coughing up a pick, and I'm sure Stevens could get protections on it.

We're in the position-less era of the NBA, so the fact that Whitmore would seem to duplicate Jaylen Brown at small forward and then Jayson Tatum when he returns, doesn't matter much. His offensive fire power would also allow Brad to move off of Anfernee Simons' much more expensive contract giving him room to fill up the roster this offseason (And yes if you actually decided to read this post and didn't just comment on social media how their team needs big men not another wing, bringing in Cam and trading away Anfernee would be a means to add said big men).

If Stevens decides to do what most fans want and keep Tatum and Brown together, he will need to hit big on some young players who far outproduce their contracts. Simons is still young at 26, but he's already getting paid a ton. Whitmore works better with the Jay's super maxes.

Plus while Simons could develop into an average defender which would make him a much more exciting addition, seven years in things like that rarely happen. And even if he did, Boston would be hard pressed to be able to afford his new contract next offseason while already paying Jaylen, Tatum and Derrick White.

Hypothetically Boston could trade for Whitmore and still retain Simons, but I think the end goal for Stevens was always to flip Anfernee either this summer or at the trade deadline. In another world where the Jay's weren't making so much you could keep Anfernee as a Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams type 6th man off the bench despite the expensive salary, but the Celtics don't really have that freedom.

The Celtics could usen their Springer TPE to add Whitmore without sending any contracts back, which would be Houston's preference. Boston doesn't want to part with this coming year's first rounder due to the Tatum situation and then the Spepien rules prohibit them from trading a pick at the end of this decade, but above is a hypothetical with the Rockets getting a 2031 Celtics first rounder. I put the protection at top 8, but maybe Brad could get an even better one, since Houston doesn't have to take a contract back.

Regardless there aren't many exciting names potentially in play for the Celtics right now, so why not roll the dice and give fans a super young prospect to watch and see if he can turn into a star during this bridge year? Typically prospects coming off averaging 11 points per game in just 17 minutes a night in their teens aren't available, so seems like a no brainer for the Celtics to at least kick the tires here.