The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics have been on a bit of a slide lately. They finally snapped a season-high four-game losing streak with a win against the Los Angeles Clippers this week. Regardless, the team approaches the trade deadline with a need to fine tune their roster if they hope to make a push for the title come playoff time. A report by CBS Sports was a reference for a lot of information in this article.

After newly-signed star Gordon Hayward went down in the first quarter of the first game with a broken ankle, everyone knew depth would be an issue.

Fast forward several months and it is becoming more and more clear that depth is the team's main issue as they get closer to the playoffs.

Adding Hayward, along with drafting Jayson Tatum, meant the Celtics were ready to go with more of a small ball lineup. Emulating the Golden State Warriors, who usually only have one big man on the floor, the Celtics have gone with Al Horford as their main frontcourt presence.

Aron Baynes and Marcus Morris were brought in this year to help, but both are better suited as role players coming off of the bench. The team does have Daniel Theis, who has shown some flashes of being a pretty decent player, but he is playing more than he should be at this point in time.

The Celtics need to bolster their frontcourt. They would be best served by adding a starting level big man if they want to have a real shot in the playoffs where every point is crucial. The question remains, who should they target?

DeAndre Jordan

The first name that comes to mind is Los Angeles Clipper center DeAndre Jordan.

Jordan is a beast on the boards and defensively, something head coach Brad Stevens would love to have to compliment his already stellar defense.

Trading for the big man might be difficult considering his salary. It would likely take a third team to be involved to offset the salaries so the Celtics could use their draft assets without giving up too much talent from their current roster.

Still, adding Jordan would allow Al Horford to move to power forward and take more advantage of his offensive capabilities. Jayson Tatum has played great in that spot this year, but come playoff time, when teams really grind defensively, the Celtics would do well to bolster their frontcourt with a defensive minded player like Jordan.

Anthony Davis

The pipe dream that everyone loves in Boston is trading for New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis. Davis too has a massive contract that has to be taken into consideration. However, landing him would require a return of players that would offset the salaries anyways.

Rumors have had the Celtics giving up Tatum, Jaylen Brown, or even both. Whether the Celtics want to give up on one of their rising stars so soon remains to be seen.

If the chance to get Davis is there, general manager Danny Ainge will certainly explore the possibility.

DeMarcus Cousins

A teammate of Anthony Davis in New Orleans, DeMarcus Cousins could also be on the move. New Orleans had big plans of being a perennial playoff team when the acquired Cousins last season, but so far the results of pairing him with Davis have been lukewarm at best.

A change of scenery was needed to get out of Sacramento. This time, he might be dealt simply because it isn't working and both sides need a fresh start. Enter the Celtics, who could swoop in and buy low on the Olympic stud and solve their big man issue while also adding an offensive piece in the same player.

His overall attitude has many believing it would be a bad move to bring him into Brad Stevens' system, where every player needs to buy in on both ends of the floor. Adding a malcontent is the quickest way to disrupt the great chemistry that he has developed.
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