1. Boston Celtics
A superstar is on the trade market? That’s definitely Danny Ainge reaching for the phone, ready to give up everyone until you ask for anyone and he’s like, “Care to try again?”
The Celtics have the means to acquire Kawhi Leonard. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, basically anyone not named Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford would be available to San Antonio.
If you add Leonard to that trio, it would make for a fearsome foursome that easily rival the Golden State Warriors. Aron Baynes could be their less clumsy Zaza Pachulia.
But can Danny Ainge pull it off?
It’s unfair to bash Ainge for always dipping his toe into the superstar waters and never coming away with a superstar. He jumped right into the deep end and got Kyrie Irving last offseason, but the circumstances a different with Leonard and Boston’s current crop of players. Isaiah Thomas was expendable because of his hip injury and Boston not wanting him to pay him the Brinks truck. Jae Crowder was just a complimentary piece whose role would be filled by the duo of Brown and Tatum. The Nets pick was a necessary subtraction to add Irving.
This would be different.
Brown and Tatum are already NBA contributors on a team with Conference Finals aspirations. They look like future multiple time All-Stars. Boston fans have talked themselves into Brown being the next Kawhi Leonard and Tatum being the next Kevin Durant. Why trade future Kawhi and/or KD for present day Kawhi and no KD?
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If Ainge could get away with keeping Tatum and Brown, he’d be a miracle worker or a man with impeccable timing. Given his recent history of acquisitions and non-acquisitions, both may be true. But R.C. Buford is not a first month general manager with a disgruntled superstar.
He’s a four-time NBA champion general manager with a superstar who may have some self-doubt, but doesn’t want to leave San Antonio.
That’s Danny Ainge on the other end. 28 other general managers are on hold or leaving voicemails. Buford might be the one hanging up.