(Everything written is an excerpt I've taken from a previous trade proposal of mine that by now I have kept hidden because I realized it needed a bit more tweaking and I believe now I've gotten the values for all 3 sides to evenly match the risk-reward balance for each of them)

Recently I've become quite addicted to these 3 team trades and I very much see why they gain more traction than the regular old 2 team swaps. You have to think about which team needs what, what are they willing to give up, how do the pieces fit, and if they do how do they fit under the tax threshold? It's a lot of fun and by far my favorite team to apply this to is the Boston Celtics because, like I've already said, next season for them is now a wide open door where they can come into it and make anything happen just for the sake of seeing what they got and how they can retool with JT out for that timespan, and I think I've come up with perhaps my favorite move for them yet.

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For the Celtics it's simple, it's actually the same idea as my last mock trade which saw Brandin Podziemski land in Boston, make moves to get younger in the spots currently occupied by your aging role players then use this upcoming season to get the team to gel together and learn to play with each other so that when JT comes back he doesn't have to return to an aging, declining roster that will be in no shape to compete for a championship. If there's one thing Boston can't afford to be this offseason and next season pre trade deadline, it's complacent. I'm pretty sure even a blind man can read the writing on the wall. Holiday's still great for a team that believes they can compete now, but for a team whose window resumes in 2 years? Nah, can't afford to have a 36 year old who already showed signs of decline in this year's post season to continue to be their starting Point Guard and POA in 2027. In a perfect remedy to that, they trade for Anthony Black who has that Jrue Holiday type upside and more on both sides of the ball, he's tall, lengthy and already a really good defender with huge potential in his offensive game. He's also a good playmaker and a proven point guard which could help in Boston's offense during the times when JT or JB tries to play iso ball as now he would most likely be at the top of the key and instead of iso plays they could run actions that get JT and JB in their most effective spots to receive the ball. Through this trade, Boston instantly gets their replacement at the PG spot and get out of Jrue Holiday's contract situation too. Also I don't actually think Boston takes 4 other players in a deal, I anticipate those guys to have their team options declined as the new CBA is put into play and if this trade were to happen it would likely not have those contracts attached to it as those players would not be signed on the roster anymore.

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For the Clippers it's also quite simple, contrary to the Celtics, they're actually in a win now spot even if not of their own choice. Without much draft capital to work with they kind of have no choice but to make this roster work and back in 2023 it was reported that the guard in their sights was actually not James Harden but instead Jrue Holiday. Now granted Jrue has very much fallen a little bit since then but he still brings that championship level headedness and is still capable of making the plays that win you crucial games. They also bring in a true 3&D veteran and proven champion KCP who after a rough year in Orlando has his value at the lowest it's probably ever been and his ability has come into question. However, playing next to James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and a center in Zubac that demands the paint to be collapsed on, I'm sure he'll find the pressure much more alleviated and be able to play to his strengths and apply the same defensive intensity and pressure we've come to expect from him now in his career. The Clippers may lose 2 crucial scorers, specifically Norman Powell, but they bring in the guys best equipped to replace them and more, not through their scoring output perhaps, but by perfectly playing within the team's strengths, doing the dirty work that won't show up in the box score and raising the team's ceiling higher than their previous players ever could. And they get a first round pick in 2027 that, if all is still well for them by then, they can use to add to their roster to strengthen their championship hopes.

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For the Magic it's actually also quite simple, you need offense? Well then you get the explosive breakout 3 level scorer who may have just become a 20 ppg scorer at age 31, but even before this Norman Powell was known as a bucket getter off the bench consistently hovering around 17-20 ppg. His size pairs well with the Magic's identity and his play perfectly contrasts the Magic's lack of scoring variety and prowess. They also get Bogdan Bogdanovic who was electric in his time in LA and was always known as a consistent spark of offense in Atlanta, but he had a really rough playoffs this year. Even still, he provides a level of veteran coolness and experience that no one on the Magic has had the pleasure of playing with before. But don't mistake Bogey for just being a locker room guy, that playoffs he just had was bad but he's proven before that off the bench he can produce really well at the playoffs stage. He can handle the ball well as a secondary ball handler, he can hit huge shots, he's an actual threat from beyond the arc something the Magic lack, he's improved as a defender, he hustles for the ball, really he's a scrappy player that will do whatever it takes to win and his offensive ability provides such a huge source of relief for the Magic as he can come in and finally be an actual threat to pull up from the three as a ball handler and off ball which can open the floor for Paolo and Franz to work with. And if losing their young Point Guard stings that much, they immediately get back a first round pick in 2026, by then Paolo will only have turned 24 and Franz 25, a very repairable loss with not much time lost.

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Overall this proves to be a great trade for all sides involved with again not much risk factor involved so the fear of losing out on something great is not present. The Celtics will have to part with multiple picks but it allows them to take on a young and very productive player who could allow them to renew this JT and JB era when Tatum comes back rather than having to entrust that task to a sophomore guy. The Clippers part with 31 y/o Norman Powell and 32 y/o Bogdan Bogdanovic and get back 34 y/o Jrue Holiday and 32 y/o KCP who fit more in tune with the team and are much more reliable on a consistent basis within this Clippers system and they get Boston's 2026 frp in the deal which could help in making a major addition depending on how their roster will look by then. The Magic part with 2 Team Options, Anthony Black and a 32 y/o KCP who just had an inconsistent year and gain from this an efficient 3 level scorer in Norman Powell and a capable sharpshooting ball handler in Bogdan Bogdanovic who can just as easily slide into KCP's role, and in return for losing Anthony Black they get a 2026 first which by then Paolo will just be 24 and Franz will only be 25, if they still need to retool around those two then this 2026 pick will be a really easy way to do so in an albeit cheapish manner to stay under the new CBA.