Boston Celtics Trade Rumors: Ainge Interested In Cavs Alec Burks? Probably Not

The Boston Celtics trade rumors season has begun and reports are surfacing that GM Danny Ainge is interested in Cleveland Cavaliers guard Alec Burks.

As the February trade deadline comes into vision at the horizon, the Boston Celtics will be involved in an escalating amount of trade rumors.

Vetern NBA reporter Sam Amico of Amico Hoops is reporting that the Boston Celtics, among other teams, have shown interest in Cleveland Cavaliers guard Alec Burks.

"It’s hard to imagine either Rodney Hood or Alec Burks being on the team following the Feb. 7 deadline. Both have smaller, expiring contracts. I’ve heard Burks is already drawing interest, with the Boston Celtics and injury-plagued Denver Nuggets among the teams mentioned."

Burks was acquired by the Cavaliers in the trade where they sent Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz. Because of a CBA rule, Burks can only be traded by himself until January 28th, when he will be eligible to be part of a trade package.

The 6-foot-6 guard spent the first 8 seasons if his injury-riddle career in Utah, and holds career averages of 9.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 35 from three.

With all due respect to Amico’s reporting, it’s very unlikely that the Celtics would trade for Burks. Burks is on the last year of an $11.5 million deal. Boston could free up future cap space with a deal, but at what cost?

Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge would have to either part with Marcus Smart, who he just re-signed to a four year deal over the summer and is now 7-0 as a starter, or give up multiple assets to get the numbers to work.

There is zero percent chance that Ainge is interested in that math for a player who has barely even prove his role as a rotational player in Utah, when he was healthy, which was only so often. The only way the Celtics would acquire Burks would be in some type of hypothetical mega deal involving multiple teams that is astronomically unlikely.

The Boston Celtics are currently about $4 million over the luxury tax line, so its possible they’d want to look for moves to get under the tax line to avoid the repeater tax in future seasons when they have big paydays for Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, etc. coming up.

Perhaps Ainge is also interested in trading Terry Rozier before expectedly losing him to free agency at the end of the season. Maybe he goes big and gives up Jaylen Brown and trades for Anthony Davis in the summer. But trading for Alec Burks doesn’t fit into any logic for Boston.