Jimmy Butler and DeMarcus Cousins (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics remain a team who could pull off a blockbuster deal this season, and the likes of DeMarcus Cousins and Jimmy Butler could still be on the table for the Cs.
The Celtics are considered as one of the few teams who could orchestrate an NBA landscape-altering deal this season, with the team having plenty of tradable assets at their disposal.
However, the Celtics have yet to make a move, although a pair of potential blockbuster deals for Chicago Bulls' backcourt of Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Jimmy Butler, and Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins are still among the possibilities, according to Tom Westerholm of Masslive.
"It's also possible, of course, that those deals weren't erased but simply suspended - that Boston is still looking to gain some kind of leverage in the future if the Dwyane Wade + Rajon Rondo + Jimmy Butler backcourt tanks, or if DeMarcus Cousins finally makes the trade demand that no one would blame him for," Westerholm wrote.
The Celtics have long been linked with Butler, and was considered as frontrunners for the two-time All-Star prior to draft night. The Bulls have insisted about keeping Butler in their fold, but if Chicago's star-studded backcourt fails to gel, there is a chance he becomes available in the second half of the season.
Cousins was also among the top players linked to the Celtics this offseason. But while Cousins' relationship with the Kings remains rocky, Sacramento seems keen on keeping Boogie, although that could also change if he continues to become a major headache to the franchise.
Any deal among the aforementioned players would likely cost the Celtics too much. Key players like Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley and rookie Jaylen Brown, plus future draft picks should entice the Bulls and Kings to give up their star players, but such move would leave Boston short of role players essential to the team's success in the past few seasons.
It remains to be seen whether the likes of Butler and Cousins becomes available mid-season, but it may only be a matter of time before the Celtics acquire another proven star to turn themselves into legit title contenders.
