The Boston Celtics have been linked to many players this season and it will only get wilder as the trade deadline approaches. The latest NBA rumors have revealed that the Celtics are exploring the trade market for a big man.
Some of the names being linked with the Celtics include Serge Ibaka of the Orlando Magic, Andrew Bogut of the Dallas Mavericks and Jusuf Nurkic of the Denver Nuggets. NBA rumors have also linked Boston to Nerlens Noel of the Philadelphia 76ers and Omer Asik of the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to Shams Charania of The Vertical, the Celtics have had preliminary discussions with several teams regarding several big men on the trade market. However, Charania did not elaborate in his report which players Celtics general manager Danny Ainge were after.
The Celtics are currently second in the Eastern Conference standings with a 33-18 record. They are only two and a half games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas is playing out of his mind this season as he continues to carry the team on his back.
But if ever the Celtics make a trade, they are looking for a big man who can defend the rim, challenge shots and contribute in the rebounding department, per Jay King of Mass Live. Ibaka fits the bill perfectly and the Magic have made him available.
Bogut also is a perfect candidate but his injury history is a risky investment. However, Ibaka and Bogut are free agents at the end of the season which mean the Celtics could free up money to go after Gordon Hayward in the summer.
On the other hand, Nurkic does not have the defensive prowess of Ibaka or Bogut but he has the potential. He is literally a mountain of a man and he can certainly improve under head coach Brad Stevens.
As for Noel, he is a restricted free agent at the end of the season while Asik is still owed a lot of money. The Celtics are known for taking their time in making deals. They could also just sign former Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders, who worked out with the team last week.
Nevertheless, these are just NBA rumors at the moment and should be taken with a grain of salt. The Celtics are playoff contenders but they need another star to give the Cavaliers a run for their money in the postseason.
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