Celtics rumors: Will Boston trade for Anthony Davis?
Armed with a continuing stockpile of draft picks, could the Boston Celtics make a deal for Anthony Davis?
Due to a great trade with the Brooklyn Nets, and that franchise’s ongoing ineptitude, the Boston Celtics hold the rights to the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. They will reportedly trade the pick to the Philadelphia 76ers though, in exchange for the third overall pick this year and another first-round pick in 2018 or 2019.
The Celtics could have as many as eight first-round picks over the next three drafts, with protections in play to possible reduce that number, and three more potentially in 2020. For a team that just made the Eastern Conference Finals, those picks are assets for team president Danny Ainge to deal for a current star. Jimmy Butler could be the top trade target this offseason, but another star who fits a need better may be on Boston’s radar too.
Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead first suggested New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis as a trade target for the Celtics. ESPN’s Chris Forsberg has advanced the possibility more recently, as part of his broader look at what’s next for Boston and “Trader Danny” Ainge.
Davis has three years left on his contract, and he just finished the best season of his career at age-24. Over a career-high 75 games, he averaged 28.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.1 assists per game. He has added the three-point shot to his offensive game over the last two seasons, in terms of volume (242 total attempts) more than proficiency (31 percent), which coincided with Alvin Gentry’s arrival as head coach after being an assistant for Golden State.
Al Horford had a solid first season with the Celtics, but outside of that there’s not much to be excited about in their collection of big men. That is best reflected defensively, as Boston finished tied for 23rd in the league in blocks per game (4.1) during the regular season. On his own Davis averaged essentially half that number of blocks per game, and not surprisingly the Pelicans were tied for fourth in the league in that category (5.5 per game).
The Pelicans have made the playoffs just once in Davis’ five seasons, and he starred in a four-game sweep at the hands of eventual champion Golden State in 2015 (31.5 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game). They are also in line to lose point guard Jrue Holiday, who is arguably their second-best player, in free agency this summer. The prospect of a “Twin Towers” with Davis and DeMarcus Cousins has not had a chance to really take off yet, and Cousins has one year left on his contract.
The Celtics would have to include players in a deal to acquire Davis, either this offseason or closer to next year’s trade deadline, but they have solid depth to trade from. The Pelicans may want to see what happens with Davis and Cousins together over a longer stretch too. But a shift toward the future is possible if the playoffs seem out of reach again come February.
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A pile of future draft picks, possibly littered throughout the top-10, would accelerate a rebuild in New Orleans. The Celtics are uniquely positioned to make that kind of franchise-altering trade, as they are ready to make a move on the Cleveland Cavaliers by adding a proven star soon.