The Boston Celtics are still poised to make a big deal this season, and one of the potential target the team could pursue is Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins.
It is no secret that the Celtics are still looking to further improve their lineup in hopes of becoming legit contenders in the league. But while the Celtics have plenty of tradable assets that would give them more leverage in acquiring a game-changer caliber player, Boston has yet to find a suitable trade target. However, the Celtics could still be in play for a "big deal," according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg.
"Informed that rivals were wondering whether a big deal was in the offing, one member of Boston's front office downplayed the chatter but noted that he certainly hoped a big deal would materialize soon," Forsberg wrote.
"Don't read too much into that. The insinuation was simply this: The Celtics believe their best trade is their next trade."
There are only a handful of star players the Celtics may pursue before the deadline, but "stranded" players hustling on franchises that seem incapable of providing better supporting cast would surely be in the Celtics' radar. Among those players who could look for greener pastures is Kings center DeMarcus Cousins.
Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report reported that while the Kings have insisted Cousins is not available, an anonymous NBA executive believes the Celtics could be planning a blockbuster deal for the All-Star center. Bucher mentioned that the Celtics have picks and young talents, which the Kings could use for their rebuild.
There is no denying what Cousins could bring on the table. Cousins, who has career averages of 20.4 points and 10.7 rebounds, is one of the most dominant big men in the league. His two-way potential may have not been utilized well in Sacramento, but for a well-disciplined team like the Celtics, there is more to come from Cousins.
While it remains to be seen whether the Celtics would truly make a move, ESPN's Zach Lowe thinks Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is ready to gamble on Cousins, although there are clear concerns over the potential of Cousins becoming yet again a "locker room question mark."
"So I think (Celtics president of basketball operations) Danny (Ainge) would gamble. I don't think that is the majority view of the organization, including the coach. I don't think Brad Stevens wants to touch DeMarcus Cousins with a 10-foot pole," Lowe said.
"And that carries a lot of weight there. Not only that, they just signed a center. And they think Al Horford is a center, and will play more center as pieces come and go in Boston. And so I don't know what that does to Boston's hunger to acquire a superstar big man who is going to be a locker room question mark."
There seems to be a genuine interest from the Celtics brass to add another star player, but it is unclear if they see Cousins as the final piece for their championship piece. Surely, Cousins would be a tremendous boost for Boston, although at a very costly price.
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