Despite the growing list of NBA pundits calling it nothing more than a pipe dream, the Anthony Davis to Boston Celtics buzz isn’t going to fade away easily. Davis, whose freakish talents continue to fascinate general managers around the league, remains an intriguing target for the Celtics if they decide to pull the trigger on another big trade this summer.
Cedric Maxwell, who won two NBA championships and an NBA Finals MVP with the Celtics, said in a podcast on CLNS’ Celtics Beat with Celtics beat writer Adam Kaufmann that Boston should go all-in if Davis becomes available in the trade market. The Sports Hub and Boston Celtics Radio analyst couldn’t stress enough the magnitude of landing a player of Davis’ caliber, saying he would put the Celtics neck and neck with the talent level the Golden State Warriors have on their roster.
“If you can get Anthony Davis and you put him on this team, you are countering what they’ve done on the West Coast when you think about what’s going in Golden State.”
When asked who the untouchables would be in the event the Celtics trade for Davis, Maxwell has only two guys on his mind: Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. That only means that All-Star center Al Horford, blooming guard Terry Rozier, and other Celtics young guns could be all in play in a hypothetical trade discussion with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Got some very interesting new information from #Celtics radio analyst Cedric Maxwell regarding the Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown injuries. A new #CelticsBeat will drop TODAY on @CLNSMedia .
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— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) March 9, 2018
As for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Maxwell initially said he would like to keep at least one of these terrific young wingers who have really stepped up their play in the absence of Hayward this season. However, the Celtics legend wouldn’t mind sending both of them to New Orleans if the completion of the deal would depend on it.
The general assumption within the NBA community is the Celtics will eventually dangle their trade assets, including their rising stars Brown and Tatum, for a seismic move in the future.
Brown, the No. 3 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, has shown promise as a potential two-way star, averaging 14.1 points on 46 percent FG shooting (37 percent from 3-point area) with 5.2 rebounds per game. Tatum, the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has produced for the Celtics right out of the gates as he is putting up 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. The former Duke standout also shot well from all over the floor, stroking a respectable 47 percent from the field and 43 percent beyond the 3-point line.
It’s worth mentioning that the Celtics opted against making any move at the trade deadline because the front office felt adding another veteran in the lineup would just stagnate the progress of their young players, as reported by A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Then again, Danny Ainge is keeping his cards close to his chest. No one exactly knows what’s on the mind of the Celtics GM, who has built a reputation over the years as a master of orchestrating huge offseason trades.
