The NBA rumors surrounding the Boston Celtics are heating up, with reports that the team may be following up the big Al Horford acquisition by targeting another pair of big men — Kevin Love and Blake Griffin.
After the giant league-wide shakeup when Kevin Durant opted to bolt the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors, there are were reports that the Celtics were looking to take advantage of the chaotic aftermath by going after Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook.
That trade would depend on Westbrook giving a commitment to remain in Boston after he becomes a free agent to justify the team’s return, but the Sporting News pointed to a more likely target for the Celtics in Blake Griffin.
“The likely target for the Celtics, according to front-office sources, is Clippers forward Blake Griffin. The Clippers have been weighing trading Griffin all season, and the possibility of a three-team package involving Sacramento sending Rudy Gay to the Clippers has emerged. The Celtics would give up some number of their upcoming draft picks, but opposing front-office members say they don’t want to give up either Brooklyn pick Boston can own in the next two years.”
The report went on to add that Kevin Love is a potential target, though those rumors have died down quite a bit more since the Cleveland Cavaliers won the championship.
The Boston Herald looked into the pervasive rumors that the Boston Celtics are planning a major roster upgrade, noting that the team’s front office is very diligent about making sure they get the right value in return for their investment. The Celtics are not a team to make moves just for the sake of making them, and have a history of getting the best return. That may have played a major role in the potential trade for Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler fizzling out.
Boston Celtics trade rumors: The latest. https://t.co/n3bTL18UNn pic.twitter.com/JjYy5OSZLZ
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) July 15, 2016
The Celtics reportedly got deep into trade talks with the Bulls, but backed off when they felt Butler’s asking price was getting too high. The sticking point may have been the first-round draft pick the Celtics hold from the Brooklyn Nets, a source told the Boston Herald .
“Another sticking point in that and in other deals Boston is talking about is that pick from the Nets next year,” the source said. “Danny will make it available in the right situation, but he’s not going to give it up with core players, too. That’s going to be a good draft, and that’s going to be a high pick.
“Everyone’s been talking about how Danny’s trying to make a killing out here, but when it comes to certain pieces you have, I get that you have to be careful. You can give up equal assets, but you don’t want to take away your best opportunities to keep things going down the line.”
The report went on to note that there are no active talks with the Los Angeles Clippers, despite the rumors circulating around the NBA that the Celtics are trying to land Blake Griffin. It noted that the Celtics are still trying to compete in the increasingly crowded Western Conference, and may not want to lose Griffin without a strong return.
What does a photo of a dead whale have to do with Celtics trade rumors? Maybe everything. @KevinOConnorNBA explains: https://t.co/z1JL9kjKa0
— CelticsBlog (@celticsblog) July 17, 2016
There is also the issue of Griffin’s contract, which has an opt-out clause next summer. So if the Boston Celtics did look to acquire him, they would need to make sure he’s willing to stay in Boston longer than one season.
The source also told the Boston Herald that there’s concern about the torn left quad tendon that kept Blake Griffin out for most of this season.
“We looked into him, and we’re hearing that’s a pretty serious thing,” the source said. “I’m not saying you don’t go after him, but you’d better be really sure about that leg before you go making any big commitments.”
But as with all NBA rumors, there may be a bit of gamesmanship with the information the Boston Celtics are floating around. If the team is truly interested in Blake Griffin — or Kevin Love, for that matter — it is sometimes in their interest to leak information offering a bit of a smokescreen to their true intentions.
[Photo by Harry How/Getty Images]