Trade Rumors: Celtics Looking To Trade For Anthony Davis Or Jimmy Butler With Newly Acquired Third Pick
The Boston Celtics just made a blockbuster trade to shake up this week’s NBA Draft, but they have much bigger plans in mind and may be looking to make another. Rumors are starting to fly that Danny Ainge and the Celtics are stockpiling draft picks to acquire a veteran superstar from another team and there have two targets in mind. Right now, the speculation is running wild that the Celtics are looking to trade for Anthony Davis or Jimmy Butler.
According to The Vertical, Ainge has put his career on the line by passing on selecting Washington’s Markelle Fultz with the number one overall pick on Thursday. Apparently, this is all part of Ainge’s master plan, though, as he’s looking to trade for Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Now, the Pelicans have never said anything about trading away their franchise player, and it would likely take a mint to get them to part ways with Davis. That’s not even mentioning the massive contract Davis has in place and the fact that New Orleans wants to keep him partnered with DeMarcus Cousins for one of the stronger front courts in the NBA.
This is the NBA, though, and stranger things have happened.
I said this before and I’ll say it again Anthony Davis to the Celtics pic.twitter.com/nx4JMnNnSn
— L.O.W. (@LegendOfWinning) June 18, 2017
If the Celtics don’t end up landing Anthony Davis, it appears as if they’re ready to deal their high draft picks in another direction. For the last week or two, it was believed that they would go after Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, but today’s trade with the 76ers may have altered their thinking.
.@KCJHoop: Right now, league belief is Celtics will use No. 3 pick and chase Gordon Hayward in free agency, not pursue Jimmy Butler.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) June 19, 2017
According to Clutch Points, the Celtics are set on acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Bulls with the number three pick they acquired today. Once they do that, they plan on going after Gordon Hayward to pair him with Isaiah Thomas to make their core unit even stronger.
If the Celtics were to keep the number three pick in this year’s draft, they have a number of great options to select from, but a veteran star may be better in the long run.
Jimmy Butler’s name is now being mentioned in several trade rumors involving the Celtics and others https://t.co/daz0d4fUEN pic.twitter.com/uGmrKvlAwq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 17, 2017
No matter what happens, the Boston Celtics are really not in a bad position with the 2017 NBA Draft approaching quickly. Their trade with the Philadelphia 76ers did shake things up a bit, but they have options in front of them, and one of them is bound to work. The only thing to wonder about now is if Danny Ainge will make a deal work for Anthony Davis, Gordon Hayward, or Jimmy Butler by this Thursday.
[Featured Image by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images]