The Boston Celtics remain in the middle of the NBA’s rumor mill as speculations continue to emerge that the team could pursue a trade for Anthony Davis or Kawhi Leonard this summer. Blue HQ Media reported that while either scenario “seems unlikely now,” the possibilities are still there with team president Danny Ainge at the helm.
The report noted that Ainge and the Celtics have been known to “pull off the unthinkable” in order to improve their roster during the offseason. It then cited the team’s summer of 2017 trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the 2018 first-round pick from Brooklyn.
Irving’s arrival turned out to be one of the best things that happened to the Celtics in recent memory. The five-time NBA All-Star had led the squad to the top of the Eastern Conference earlier in the season even after losing fellow All-Star Gordon Hayward on opening night. The Irving trade came in as a surprise at that time, although there were already rumors that the former No. 1 overall pick wanted to leave Cleveland.
Boston has since dropped to second place in the East standings behind the Toronto Raptors following the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Irving was recently ruled out for the rest of the regular season after undergoing a minor knee surgery last Saturday. Reportedly, he could be back after the first round of the playoffs, if the Celtics would be able to advance that far.
Blue HQ Media said that Davis is still the “biggest name” tied to the Celtics as the 2017-2018 season nears its end. The New Orleans Pelicans superstar has been superior in recent weeks, leading his team to 15 wins in their last 20 games, despite losing DeMarcus Cousins to an Achilles injury.
Reports are out that Davis might spoil James Harden’s bid to become the second-ever unanimous NBA MVP because of his solid play down the stretch of this regular season. The two-time All-NBA First Team member is currently averaging a double-double with 28.2 points and 11.1 rebounds in 36.4 minutes per game. He is also producing 2.4 blocks, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals a night.
On the other hand, Leonard has been having problems staying healthy this season, playing only nine games and averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 boards, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 23.3 minutes a night. According to official reports, the two-time All-Star is still out with a long-standing quadriceps issue, but speculations abound that there is a deeper reason why Leonard chooses to remain sidelined.
The Orange County Register indicated that the relationship between Leonard’s camp and the Spurs franchise has been declining as the season wore on. There are rumors that Leonard could request a trade out of San Antonio this summer, and the Celtics are one of the teams linked to the former NBA Finals MVP at the moment.
