Boston Celtics fans have been treated to some of the most exciting, unexpectedly great hoops over the past few weeks. Boston is 10-2 over their last 12 games, and the pipe dreams of competing in a weakened Eastern Conference are starting to feel a little less like pipe dreams.
The Celtics look real, and there isn’t a team out there that looks unbeatable (in the East, we’re all aware of the 23-1 Oklahoma City Thunder here at Hardwood Houdini).
Not yet, anyway.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons, and Atlanta Hawks are expected to show interest in Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis ahead of the February Trade Deadline.
“Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis, another former NBA champion, is expected to be a critical trade target of several teams, including many of the East's contenders,” Charania wrote in a newsletter Tuesday. “The Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors are expected to be suitors for Davis, league sources told ESPN.”
Charania added that all three teams have hope that Davis can elevate them to the level of a “viable championship team.”
Anthony Davis heading East makes things more difficult for the Celtics
As daunting a long-term asset as Davis is with his lengthy and lucrative contract, he’d definitely help all three squads out in the short term, which wouldn’t be fantastic for the Celtics’ hopes this season.
The Pistons, Raptors, and Hawks all currently rank in the top 10 in terms of defensive rating this season. Adding the three-time NBA leader in blocks would just further fortify the paint for each squad -- if he can stay on the court.
Davis, a player whose Basketball Reference page has “Street Clothes” listed as one of his nicknames, isn’t exactly known for his durability. He’s played more than 60 games just twice since the 2018-19 season. Any of the three East teams trading for him would be a serious risk, especially considering that they’d have to pick pieces out of their respective rotations in order to match his $54 million salary.
High-risk, high-reward, as they say.
When Davis is healthy, he’s an All-NBA level talent. Last season, he averaged 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.6% from the floor and 28.2% from beyond the arc en route to his 10th All-Star selection.
This year, his health has been spotty, and so have his numbers. To be frank, the whole Dallas situation is odd and hasn’t helped his lingering ailments. There was the weird discrepancy in rehab plans between Davis, Nico Harrison, and Mavs ownership.
For what it’s worth, Davis looked pretty great in his last outing, hanging 29 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and a block on the Houston Rockets.
His presence on any of the aforementioned East rosters makes the Celtics’ ceiling harder to reach. Who knows, though? Maybe they’ll be able to match the addition of Davis with Jayson Tatum’s eventual return. We’ll all just have to wait and see.