The Celtics could eye Denver Nuggets big man Jusuf Nurkic to shore up their rebounding problems.
The Celtics are expected to explore the trade market, with the team still looking to further improve their lineup. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is still looking for big trades, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, but if the team fails to pry out bigger fishes, opting for minor deals could also be on the table for the Cs.
One of the key problems the Celtics are experiencing this season is rebounding. The Celtics, despite adding Al Horford this past summer, are only 24th in the league in that department, averaging 42.4 rebounds a game.
The Celtics have been linked as a potential landing spot for Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut, but the one-time NBA champ could only be a one-year rental for Beantown. According to Brian Robb of Boston.com, a more viable "long-term investment" for the Celtics is Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic.
Nurkic is, so far, playing the best season of his career with the Nuggets, posting career-high averages of 9.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Nurkic would not only address the team's rebounding problems, but would also allow Al Horford to flourish at the four spot.
"Nurkic wouldn't cost Danny Ainge any top-level assets, but a late first-round pick probably isn't going to be able to get it done either. The question for the Celtics' brass is whether they see enough potential in the Bosnian big man to view him as a long-term answer in the middle," Robb wrote.
Trading Jaylen Brown for Nurkic works under the NBA salary guidelines and in ESPN's trade machine, although it remains to be seen whether the Celtics would consider such deal. Nevertheless, trading for a player like Nurkic seems a suitable alternative if Boston could not get the big trades they are looking for.
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