Boston Celtics: “Pass or Pursue” on 3 recently rumored Cs targets

The Boston Celtics are once again finding themselves linked to some of the league’s most buzzed-about, potentially available assets during the early stage of this year’s campaign.

As a result of this week’s James Harden blockbuster deal that sent the superstar to the Nets, the Boston Celtics may want to think about upping their firepower on the roster as well in an effort to combat that of Brooklyn’s.

Though they reportedly were in the mix to land the former league MVP, according to multiple sources, Houston’s asking price was far too high, which forced Danny Ainge to rightfully bow out.

Because of this new superteam formation in the New York borough, Brooklyn now finds itself jumping up quite a few spots on the list of favorites to win the 2021 NBA championship, trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers.

As for the Boston Celtics, they obviously still rank within the top-10 and are seen as the second-best team in the league according to some media outlets, but they are clearly still deserving of being a few notches behind in the title-odds rankings.

However, this is not to say they can’t find a way to move up the list.

Star power matters in this league and, while the Cs have their fair share, they could still use for a few more talented pieces to help bolster their roster.

This can be accomplished in many different ways, but perhaps the most entertaining of them all is via the trading route.

Recently, Bleacher Report wrote an article entitled Every NBA Team’s 2021 Trade Deadline Target List and, with this, linked 3 talented ballers to Boston.

With this piece, it sparked the desire for us at the Houdini to push out yet another installment of our favorite series we call “Pass or Pursue”, where we discuss whether or not the Celtics should sit out on talks for a specific player, or if they should actively try to acquire them.

So, without further adieu, let’s get started:

Boston Celtics target No. 1) Kyle Anderson, Memphis Grizzlies

First on the docket, we have the seventh-year forward Kyle Anderson.

off to a solid start to the season, Anderson is finding himself posting averages of 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and just over a half-block per game on 41 percent shooting from the floor and 33 percent shooting from deep.

A big reason for the 27-year-old’s inclusion on B/R’s list revolved around Boston’s apparent need for a legitimate four at a reletively low-price.

"If the C’s are looking for power forward help at a discount, Anderson has shown his value as a starter for the Grizzlies this season. Putting up 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists, the 27-year-old would be a strong contributor for Boston either in the starting lineup or as a key reserve."

Though he has been a solid contributor during the early stages of 2020-21, the key factor in this is the small sample size.

For his career, Anderson holds averages of 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and has barely passed as a consistent floor spacer (something the Cs should certainly aim high for should they look to deal for a four).

As a rotation guy, he would be a solid addition, but Boston already has these types of players. What they need is a sound starter for their championship-aspiring squad and, quite frankly, Kyle Anderson is not that.

Verdict: Pass