Celtics Depth Chart: How Kemba Walker Trade Impacts Boston’s Roster

The Boston Celtics first shook up their front office and now have made a major change to their roster just weeks after being eliminated from the NBA Playoffs.

The Celtics, as you probably heard, traded four-time All-Star point guard Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Boston also sent a first-round pick in July’s NBA draft while receiving a pair of centers including 35-year-old Al Horford and 21-year-old Moses Brown.

It obviously makes Boston’s depth chart look quite a bit different before both the draft and free agency.

Here’s a look at a more traditional depth chart, as noted by Yahoo! Sports’ Keith Smith, including players under contract for the upcoming season. (And yes, we understand the whole ‘positionless basketball’ thing which has taken over today’s NBA, but still…)

Point guards: Marcus Smart, Payton Prichard
Shooting guards: Romeo Langford, Carsen Edwards
Small forwards: Jaylen Brown, Aaron Nesmith
Power forwards: Jayson Tatum, Grant Williams, Jabari Parker
Centers: Al Horford, Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams, Moses Brown

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— Smart and Pritchard are Boston’s only true ball handlers.

— It’s a near lock that the C’s will bring in another point guard to round out the backcourt. A facilitator would be best case scenario rather than a ball-dominant guard due to the fact Brown and Tatum already are in the building. Lonzo Ball, for what it’s worth, already has found himself in speculation.

— Tatum and Brown really are the only two proven wings while Langford, Nesmith and even Parker, albeit sparingly, have shown potential.

— Re-signing another wing player like Evan Fournier, who Boston traded for at the deadline, would provide some depth there, even if it’s an off-the-bench role. The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy reported the Celtics believe they will “have an easier time re-signing” Fournier after Friday’s trade.

— That’s quite a bit of center depth, and while Boston obviously has got a sense for Williams’ injury history, it still wouldn’t be a major shock to see a move. Perhaps Tristan Thompson gets traded?

Based on what already has transpired and the voids the roster has, it’s sure to be an interesting offseason for the Celtics.