Magic Emerging as Boston Celtics’ Most Likely Trade Partner
The Orlando Magic are emerging as the team for Boston Celtics fans to watch as the trade deadline approaches
We have reached the point of the year where it is a near impossible task to keep track of which trade rumors are legitimate, and which ones are pure speculation. There is no doubting that the Celtics will be listening to sellers at the deadline. Danny Ainge has always spoken about being a willing trader, and they have more assets to package together, without giving up the most valuable pieces of their team.
Star players on struggling teams will always be the hottest topic. The Carmelo Anthony circus in New York is not going away, DeMarcus Cousins continues to be a breaker of worlds as the Kings are constantly surrounded by dysfunction. Jimmy Butler appears to be getting ostracized by the franchise that he is currently leading, giving the Bulls plenty of incentive to blow things up for the kind of picks and prospects the Celtics can offer.
The problem with these kinds of players (except for maybe Anthony) is that, even if their franchises are in bad situations, the asking price will be astronomical. With their collection of assets, teams know they have a lot of leverage is asking for a lot in return for the Celtics, and Ainge has never shown a willingness to lose value in any trades, making these deals a near impossibility.
As each season goes by it appears less and less likely that the Celtics are going to trade for an already established superstar, but their success this season suggests that they may be good enough already that they do not need to mortgage one of the brightest futures in the NBA, for an outside chance to take down a Warriors teams that is reaching all expectations when they added Durant to the already most talented team in the NBA.
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Celtics fans should not be holding out hope for one of those franchise altering players, but the Orlando Magic have two players that the Celtics should seriously consider, and multiple reports have indicated that the Magic are listening to anyone they can.
Both Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vecevic address the one problem position for the Celtics, and would improve them in the areas they need the most help. Ibaka is certainly a more established player that will give them the most immediate help, but on the last year of his contract, there is the risk of him being just a short rent a player. Vucevic cannot yet have the kind of impact that Ibaka could, but his youth could make him a part of Boston’s future plans, on a cheaper long term contract.
Given that the Magic are making it clear that they are actively shopping these players, the Celtics could have a chance to get either one without giving up a core player, while preserving those increasingly valuable Nets picks. Given Ainge’s stinginess, it is unlikely that the Celtics ever get a deal done involving those pieces, but the Magic have become the most intriguing option because they are the one team out there who may be willing to sacrifice some value, in which case Ainge will be the first one to pounce.
Ainge is yet to complete a blockbuster trade, but he has been able to go out and get both Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder for absolutely nothing comparatively. The assets they lost in those trades would be completely irrelevant to this current team, and those are the kinds of trades that Ainge has always looked for.
The Magic appear to be the best current trade partner for the Celtics because the players the Celtics would trade for would not be forced. The Celtics have a defensive void in their front court, and a rebounding problem that continues to handcuff and hold them back on the defensive end. Both Ibaka and Vucevic directly address these problems, without being more of an offensive liability than Amir Johnson already is.
With both these options, the Celtics could actually improve on both ends. The equalizer is always asking whether or not what the Celtics give up will be hurting them more, but with three additional first round picks on top of the two Nets picks to work with, they have assets to deal that will not threaten the future of this team. The Celtics are at a point where they have so many assets, that they cannot all be used for the same roster if they are not traded.
That expiring contract could make Ibaka incredibly cheap, and would give the Celtics a chance to evaluate how he does with the team before committing a significant amount of cap space to him. For Vucevic, the Celtics could package enough picks together (not including the Nets), that the Magic would be forced to consider, given how much that can help a rebuild that is likely to go on for multiple seasons.
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The biggest thing for the Celtics is avoiding mortgaging their future for what will ultimately remain a long shot to actually win the championship. They need to look to add pieces that will make them better now, without gutting the core of this team. Those trades are tough to come by, and right now it appears as though the Magic may be the only team in a position to make that kind of trade with the Celtics.