By the playoffs, Hayward and Irving are fully integrated into a lethal, impossibly flexible rotation. Top-5 defense and offense. They get to the finals and sneak past Golden State in game 7 at TD Garden.
Meanwhile, the Kings and the ping pong balls give Boston the second pick in the 2019 draft, and they add Cam Reddish. He develops at a pace halfway between Jaylen and Jayson, quickly giving the Cs another 6’9” star with long arms who can be a primary ball handler, tough defender, and three-level scorer. Rob Will develops into a defensive presence and good roll man. By the time the Cs are competing for their third title in 2021, they roll out the deepest, most switchable lineup in league history and win more than 70 games.