The Boston Celtics are back in NBA rumors not because of Anthony Davis or any player they are eyeing when the offseason arrives. Boston is in the rumor mill due to the injury bug that has plagued its roster.

At the moment, there are four key players on the sideline for the Boston Celtics. These are Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, and Daniel Theis. Irving is expected to miss 3-6 weeks after undergoing a minor procedure to address soreness in his left knee. Hayward has been out since their first game of the season because of a gruesome ankle injury.

Meanwhile, Smart is recovering. The 24-year-old had thumb surgery and will not see action for the remainder of the regular season. Theis is now unavailable for the season with a meniscus tear. The health setbacks dragged the Celtics into NBA rumors.

With the playoffs nearing and the Celtics having a depleted roster, there are NBA rumors which state that they might bring in a new face. It is possible with the NBA's hardship roster exception which allows a squad to add one player if they have four men who each sat out a minimum of three consecutive games, and are set to miss at least two more weeks. A scenario presented by NESN will see the Celtics use the exception on an ex-Cleveland Cavaliers lottery pick.

Another shot?

The guy NESN suggested that may be part of the Boston Celtics soon (through the hardship roster exception) is Anthony Bennett. Bennett is currently putting up impressive performances for the Maine Red Claws, the NBA G League affiliate of the Celtics. In 35 games (32 starts) for the Red Claws, the 25-year-old Canadian averaged 14.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steal per outing.

Bennett is known by many as a bust. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the top pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he failed to live up to the expectations. Despite this, he is working hard, hoping to return to the big league.

Right now, calling up Bennett to the main roster is just one of the numerous possibilities for the Boston Celtics.

But it would be interesting to see how things will turn out if they grant the former Cavaliers forward another opportunity to play in the NBA.

Doing fine

Setting aside the injuries and NBA rumors, the Boston Celtics are still playing good basketball. In their last two games, they have defeated Western Conference contenders the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers. The Celtics are second in the Eastern Conference with a 49-23 record.
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