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NBA Rumors: Suns, Blazers possible destinations for Brandon Bass

By Stanford Crissey

Jan 28, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass (30) drives to the basket in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves forward Thaddeus Young (33) at Target Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Boston Celtics 110-98. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Boston Celtics forward Brandon Bass (30) drives to the basket in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves forward Thaddeus Young (33) at Target Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Boston Celtics 110-98. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Boston Celtics are looking to shop Brandon Bass, and both the Suns and Blazers are listening closely.

The Boston Celtics have not been quiet on the trade front this season, making their status as rebuilding sellers very clear, most notably with the trade of Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 19.

According to multiple reports, forward Brandon Bass may be next in line to be traded.

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The Sporting News listed Portland and Phoenix as two possible destinations for Bass, if the Celtics were to trade him.

Bass, 29, is a starter for the Celtics who is averaging 9.7 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and has a 15.9 PER rating. He has averaged 12.1 points per game since being added to the starting lineup nine games ago.

Celtics GM Danny Ainge has been noncommittal on trading Bass.

“Right now, Brandon is with us and Brandon may be with us next year and the year after that as well,” Ainge told CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely. Blakely has also written that an anonymous league source told him that “the market on Bass has been ‘pretty cold’ thus far, but added that could change in the days leading up to the trade deadline.”

Despite Ainge’s remarks, a trade is the most likely scenario for the rebuilding Celtics to take with Bass. The Celtics are dealing for assets and giving playing time to young players like Jared Sullinger. For those reasons, a Bass trade still makes more sense than keeping him.

The Celtics added Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, a conditional first-round pick in the 2015 draft and a second-rounder in 2016, plus a $12.9 million trade exception, in the Rondo trade. They quickly turned around and dealt Nelson to the Nuggets for Nate Robinson.

The Suns and Blazers are both in the thick of the dogfight for Western Conference playoff berths, and both could use an extra big man off the bench, Portland especially if LaMarcus Aldridge ends up missing significant time.

Phoenix is currently in eighth place in the West at 28-23, just one game up on New Orleans and two up on the always-dangerous Thunder. Portland is fourth in the West with a 34-16 record.

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