NBA Trade Rumors: 5 destinations for Ryan Anderson

3. Boston Celtics

With their current team in place, the Boston Celtics should get into the Eastern Conference Playoffs again in 2016, but this time as the sure-fired eighth seed. Boston enters Wednesday with a 22-20 record through 42 games and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Head coach Brad Stevens can certainly coach this team into the playoffs, as he did it in 2015 with arguably nothing but role players. However, for Boston to possibly take that next step as a team, they are going to need to do more than just make the Eastern Conference Playoffs and get swept in the first round by the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. General manager Danny Ainge needs to give Stevens at least one interesting offensive weapon to work with on his defense-first Celtics team.

One player that could move the needle for Anderson and Stevens is Ryan Anderson. Anderson has been in the postseason before and can spread the floor with great outside shooting as a stretch four.

Boston has many great ball handlers and passers like guards Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Marcus Smart already on the roster. Besides rookie R.J. Hunter, who else is stretching the floor with great outside shooting for the Celtics? Even though big men Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger have some range to the shots, Stevens would likely prefer a player with a proven track record from long-distance like Anderson to hoist up three-point field goals at the TD Garden.

Ainge has a myriad of draft picks, rights to pick swaps, and young players that Pelicans general manager Dell Demps can simply salivate over. Boston will have to probably give up a pick and maybe a strong rotational player like shooting guard Evan Turner, Olynyk, or Sullinger to pull this deal off, but if Boston wants to be more than a .500 team that loses in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, they have to make a deal. Maybe it is to get Anderson from the Pelicans?

Next: 2. Phoenix Suns