The Boston Celtics pulled off a surprising move last week after trading away their no.1 pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the no.3 pick and two more future first-round picks. All of a sudden, Danny Ainge increased his stockpile of trade assets, putting him in better position to flip these picks for a bona fide superstar. According to the latest rumor, the Celtics aren’t just gunning for Paul George or Jimmy Butler, they are aiming for New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis.
The Rumor
Chris Mannix of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports confirmed that the Celtics have legit interest in trading for Davis. Many NBA pundits believe Boston’s stash of assets in the form of young players and picks are enough to get a perennial All-NBA and MVP contender like Davis.
The Roadblock
The bad news for the Celtics is the Pelicans aren’t going to trade their best player after making a trade to acquire DeMarcus Cousins last February. New Orleans will at least give the Davis-Cousins combo a full season to work things out, ruling out any trade involving the two big men in the nearest future.
As reported by Yahoo Sports, "Boston – everyone, really – would love to get its hands on Anthony Davis.
But Davis is tied to a manageable contract through 2021, and the Pelicans appear committed to giving the Davis-DeMarcus Cousins pairing a full season together."
What does it mean for the Celtics?
The moment Ainge decided to trade their no.1 pick for more future assets, the Celtics made it clear that they are done with the rebuilding phase. Thanks to a series of smart trades pulled off by their GM, Boston is in great position to add established stars. The franchise has already gone tired waiting their youngsters to grow into All-Stars. It’s time to convert these assets into stars, and no star is more capable of shining the brightest in the next 5 to 7 years than Davis is.
Unfortunately, the Pelicans aren’t going to just deal away the 24-year old Davis, knowing the fact the star hasn’t reached his prime yet.
Davis, who averaged 28.0 points and 11.8 rebounds per game last season, will eventually hit the trade market especially if the Pelicans couldn’t find a winning formula around him. However, will Ainge and the Celtics front-office have the patience to keep converting picks to more assets and wait that long for him? Acquiring Gordon Hayward represents the Celtics’ short-term championship aspiration but, to achieve a dynasty, the man to get is Davis.