The vast majority of Celtic fans (including me) were delighted when we essentially traded Terry for Kemba in 2019. Kemba's max contract at the time seemed like fair market value; at least one other team (the Knicks?) were prepared to offer him the same. Terry's contract at the time seemed like a huge face saving over pay by the Hornets. Signing Kemba took the sting away from losing Kyrie. Having to replace Kyrie with a guy who threw his team under the bus just wouldn't have sat right. (frankly I think Terry did that on purpose so that the Celtics wouldn't match any RFA offer; he wanted to have a bigger role, not unlike Gordon a year later).
The above narrative didn't change last season even after Kemba's knee got balky. Rosier had a decent season, but his contract was still mocked.
During the first half of this season, as Kemba struggled, and Terry's star has risen, it is understandable that we would second guess what we did that off season. I know I did. I began to feel that Danny should have done more due diligence on Kemba's medicals. He apparently had sustained knee problems with Charlotte. I also began to think that we were too desperate to find a replacement for the loss of Kyrie (and Al Horford), and like a jilted lover, were looking for a rebound romance. Kemba came calling, and we fell in love all over again.
My fervent hope is that Kemba will continue to get better and return closer to his normal self. The team needs his energy, his ability to create easy shots, for himself and for his teammates. He lightens the ball handling duties of Tatum and Brown, who frankly are not ready to assume that role in a primary capacity.
If we get that Kemba back, and Smart back, I don't think we need to do anything crazy dramatic to turn us into a contender. Barnes for Romeo or Langford (but not both) plus one or two first round picks would create a roster with depth, flexibility and multiple attackers that would be a treat to watch.