Boston Celtics: What to Make of Davis and Thompson Rumors
What to make of the Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis trade rumours
It has become customary for the Boston Celtics to be connected to any kind of trade rumor that may be going around. They have an unprecended collection of assets that give them more than enough material to trade for anyone, and Danny Ainge has spoken about making a big trade while being one of the most active GMs with smaller deals too.
Most recently, the rumours have hit some new heights. The season is just getting started and both Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis are being connected to the Celtics. At this point, there is absolutely nothing serious and no reason to believe anything is imminent, but it is impossible to ignore the talk.
While neither rumour has any real legitimacy to it yet, the Thompson one becomes more interesting, if nothing else because it is Brian Scalabrine reporting it (Via CSNNE). Thompson has had a slow start to the season, and the Golden State Warriors have not immediately been the greatest basketball team has anyone has seen. There may be some rumblings and there could be some minor talk, but no one should be expecting him to be traded anywhere anytime soon.
For the Celtics, it also becomes difficult to see what they could offer. The Warriors are in win now mode and that eliminates Boston’s best assets in their draft picks. They have a lot of young talent, but they will never be the real focus in the trade. The best the Celtics could offer the Warriors would be Avery Bradley or Jae Crowder (likely in a package deal) and neither of them make much sense for the Warriors.
Thompson is already a great two way player with a much higher ceiling with his three point shooting than Bradley. They may be thinking about the defense Bradley could provide, but the two guard is not why they are struggling. Thompson has been a strong defender throughout his career, even if Bradley may be getting separation in that area, it is not enough for the Warriors to trade off his shooting.
Crowder could be an intriguing option. His ability to play in smaller lineups could make a difference, and he has some of the defense they could be looking for, while being a very capable shooter. The problem is that while Crowder’s defense could improve them, it will not solve any of their problems. The Warriors and the Celtics have similar issues with their interior defense, making it very difficult for the Celtics to offer the Warriors anything that they believe will improve them enough right now, to even consider trading Thompson.
If there is any truth to the fact that the Warriors are willing to part with Thompson, then Ainge will certainly be involved. This is the kind of talent he has been looking for, and Thompson is an incredibly unselfish player who can be dominant on both ends. He would take Boston’s shooting to another level and give that offense one of the most deadly weapons in the league. If the Warriors are listening, then Ainge will certainly throw whatever he can at the Warriors to try and pry Thompson away.
The Davis rumours certainly make more sense, but there is even less substance to the talk. Davis is a once in a generation type player, and if it is not for his extensive injury history, he may be the most untradeable player in the NBA. CSNNE addresses the topic here, and while it is an intriguing idea for either side, there is no reason to believe any kind of talks may have started.
Davis would also command an astronomical return, and would force the Celtics to gut their assets, much more so than Thompson. The Pelicans, however, also stand to gain a lot more from the Celtics. The Nets have been better than expected, but those next two first round picks are incredibly valuable, and Boston has a unique collection of young players, including multiple stashed overseas right now.
Trading with the Celtics would allow the Pelicans to finally get some depth on their roster, and give them the additional draft picks that could finally allow them to have an overall team that is talented enough. That being said, this is still one of the greatest talents to ever come out of college. His dynamic ability as a two way player is unprecedented. He is transforming what can be expected out of a big. He is a dominant rebounder and rim protector, while possessing the offensive skills to play any position.
The only reason Davis may become available is if he expressed disdain to the franchise (as mentioned by CSNNE) and he has never appeared to be the kind of player to demand a trade. The injuries could also be a factor, but Davis could require a trade haul that Ainge would not be willing to give up. Ainge has been an active and willing trader, but he never sacrifices value. It is hard to imagine an asking price for Davis that Ainge would find reasonable enough to pull the trigger.
Right now, these trade rumours are all talk that can give Celtics fans an opportunity to imagine what kind of an unstoppable force they could become by adding someone like Davis. These are just examples of that next level talent that Ainge has continually spoken of, and they are also players whose situations have not been ideal this year.
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If something materializes, it will certainly be well known, but fans should not have any realistic hope that either of these players will be traded for any time soon.