Early Reports Indicate Celtics Unlikely To Trade Brooklyn Pick For Al Horford
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- With the NBA Trade Deadline rapidly approaching at 3:00 p.m. EST, the Boston Celtics remain one of the more intriguing teams in the mix in their continued search for a star player to add to (most of) a roster filled with solid complementary pieces. The players most rumored in recent days are the Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin and Atlanta Hawks' Al Horford, but the latest reports indicate that the Celtics are not likely to move this year's Brooklyn Nets first round pick, arguably their most valuable asset.
Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald asked executives around the league for any tips as to what the Celtics may be working on ahead of Thursday's deadline, but his report details nothing close to reality and a whole lot of "hope."
Bulpett's sources told him that Danny Ainge would need to be acquiring "someone on Griffin's level" to part with this year's Brooklyn pick, an asset that has a relatively high probability of winning the draft lottery or ending up in the top-3. The pick reportedly "would not be in play" for Horford, nor would it be available in a deal for the Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love.
SEE ALSO: A Look Back At The Best (And Worst) Trades in Celtics History
Sources around the league told Bulpett that Ainge will not give up major trade chips for a player who "doesn't move the needle" and one said the Celtics already have a good roster and asked, "Why would you mess with [what you have] unless you knew you were making it really better?" This indicates a relative lack of urgency in Ainge, but also inspires confidence that he won't make any rash decisions or overpay for less-than-elite talent. It also implies that teams are interested in moving a big name for the Brooklyn pick, which would contradict the idea that it is being overvalued by fans.
Speaking of the existing roster, point guard Isaiah Thomas told the Boston Globe "Hopefully nobody gets traded, but with the NBA you never know what will happen."
Whatever happens on Thursday afternoon, if the Celtics end the day without that Brooklyn pick that means Ainge will have brought a superstar player to Boston, and that he won't overpay for good-but-not-great talent. The NBA trade deadline is a good time to be a pessimist; in the words of Ben Franklin you can only be pleasantly surprised.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
