Boston Celtics: B/R sees Aaron Gordon to Denver more likely than Cs deal

Once strongly linked to the Boston Celtics, it now appears as though Aaron Gordon is more likely to land with the Denver Nuggets during Thursday’s NBA trade deadline…if he ends up getting dealt at all.

The Orlando Magic star has recently reneged on his trade request, as first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski on Zach Lowe’s podcast. 

Then again, he may not have a choice in the matter, considering his rights are owned by the Magic…who may want to get a deal done anyway.

These were Woj’s word, per the Lowe Post Show (transcribed by CBSSports):

"“… Aaron Gordon has had some second thoughts about that trade request, about whether he actually really wants to leave Orlando. But the Magic, their front office, they’ve forged ahead in trying to find a deal for Gordon. … Whatever Aaron Gordon wants right now, I know that Orlando and their front office, they’re gonna do what’s best for them, and that may very well be taking the best package they can.”"

This may be a case of being careful what you wish for. Gordon put the energy out there that he is unhappy with where he is, and now that leaving warm and sunny Orlando is actually on the table, he may not be happy about it.

Too bad. Business is business, and the Magic may be better off finding out what they can get for him than keeping a player who seemingly doesn’t know what he wants.

Boston may be better off not acquiring him at all, but not because of his indecision. Being a part of the Celtics franchise and wearing the green and white would silence all doubts in a heartbeat. That isn’t the issue.

The real issue is that the price may be too high. Rumors have linked Smart to the Gordon talks, but losing the defensive intensity Smart brings to the ball for Gordon’s inconsistent volume scoring isn’t the way to compete with the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference.

Luckily, the Cs don’t look likely to pay that price, with Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer seeing the Denver Nugget’s trade offer as superior to the Boston Celtics’:

"As of this writing, the Boston Celtics remain very engaged in Aaron Gordon talks. However, the Denver Nuggets have emerged as the leading candidate to acquire the 25-year-old forward, according to league sources.Boston’s proposed deal has involved Marcus Smart and a first-round pick, sources said, and could even grow to include a second first-round selection plus Boston’s trade exception. It would also then send Evan Fournier to the Celtics.Yet Denver’s deal, centered around Gary Harris, a first-rounder and one of Denver’s young players (RJ Hampton, Zeke Nnaji and Bol Bol), seems to be gaining momentum as Wednesday turns into Thursday."

Truth be told, the Cs can beat any Denver offer. Smart is superior to Garry Harris, their first-round pick could end up being more favorable, and Payton Pritchard arguably holds more value than any of the aforementioned Nuggets youngsters.

That said, the reluctance to beat the Nuggets’ offer is a good thing. While Danny Ainge has made a reputation for not pulling the trigger on massive midseason moves, Gordon isn’t the type of player he should shun his track record for.

The Nuggets could find a better use for Gordon anyway, who’d be a great fit at the 4 alongside Nikola Jokic. Then again, with Denver’s loyalty to Paul Milsap–who has been instrumental in helping the Nuggs break through the postseason picture–Gordon may end up being miscast as a small forward once again.

Either way, finding out what Gordon wants in his career is not for the Cs to figure out if the price isn’t right. There are plenty of other difference-makers on the market that the Boston Celtics would be better off pursuing anyway.