Boston Celtics: 10 Potential Star Trade Targets
With a collection of assets and the NBA trade deadline approaching, which stars could the Boston Celtics target for a blockbuster move?
For years, the Boston Celtics have been stockpiling assets. From future draft picks to young players in the draft to intriguing role players on team-friendly contracts, the Celtics are more empowered to make a Godfather trade offer for a superstar than any other team in the NBA.
The problem is, general manager Danny Ainge has been unable to locate that expected blockbuster trade just yet, and with his team approaching the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline, the pressure is on for him to finally do so.
As of right now, the Celtics are clearly one of the best teams in the East, amassing a 30-18 record to move to No. 2 in the conference standings. But there’s no reason to think they could seriously challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers as currently constructed, leaving them one major piece away from actually making LeBron James‘ road to the Finals interesting.
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Isaiah Thomas is a legitimate MVP candidate, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder are terrific two-way players and Al Horford is a difference-maker at center, but the Celtics are not as good on the defensive end as they should be, and they desperately need another piece to make the leap into the title contender category.
Armed with their own first round picks, two extremely valuable first-rounders from the Brooklyn Nets in 2017 and 2018, a lottery protected first-rounder from the Clippers in 2019, a top-eight protected first-rounder from Memphis in 2019, valuable youngsters like Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and solid role players like Crowder, Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko, the Celtics have tons to offer and tons of flexibility in trade talks.
The question is, which stars should be on the Boston Celtics’ radar? Which ones may actually be available, and what would it take to pry them away from their respective teams? Here’s a look at 10 star trade targets for Ainge and what those potential deals might look like.