Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart (Photo : The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors pick up as the team most likely to make a trade has made its exit.
The Boston Celtics were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of their series right in their home floor. There are some quarters who thought this crew of players who are just holding the fort until they get a superstar have overachieved. Bill Simmons, a known Celtics die-hard, actually had the Hawks sweeping them when they lost Game 1.
Now that they're out, the order of business is to get a superstar. There are some advocates who say they should stay on the course but what will Boston do with 4 first round picks to go with this youthful lineup?
The experts at ESPN Insider weigh in on Boston and their trade targets. Trade, because the Celtics are not a hotbed for free agents, and Danny Ainge knows that.
Amin Elhassan reminds that "all those assets don't mean a thing if you can't flip them in a worthwhile deal. So basically the Celtics have two potential pitfalls: making a deal for a player who doesn't necessarily move the program forward, or not making any deal and remaining stagnant as those aforementioned asset values start to decay."
DeMarcus Cousins and Jimmy Butler are two players rumored to be on the trading block who fit their needs-a big man and a two-way wing. In theory, the Celtics can compile enough assets to acquire them both but that's highly unlikely. Danilo Gallinari is also an obtainable piece if Denver goes full rebuild and add to their youth army. However, they could also head the other direction and use Gallinari as a trade chip for a superstar (Blake Griffin) and become Boston's rival.
There are also free agent targets for the Celtics but they are simply not at the top destination list. Elhassan has a theory on why free agents skip Beantown.
"Whether it's justified, the sentiment is definitely out there," Elhassan said. "The NBA is heavily populated with young black men. As a man of color and someone who talks to NBA players, I know that Boston doesn't have a rep as a friendly town for young black men."
It might be embarrassing that racism is still an issue in 2016 but that is the perception. Despite the success of numerous black athletes in Boston, given other choices-and this season, there's a LOT of choices, a guy like Kevin Durant would not choose Boston over all the others, as the statement implies.
Perhaps they should listen to Isaiah Thomas, a former 60th overall pick who emerged as an All Star with the Celtics, as he shared to Chris Forsberg on ESPN.
"Our fans are amazing. This city is a sports town. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Thomas said. "When you do get to experience what Boston Celtics basketball is like, it's like no other organization. As long as we keep getting better, hopefully guys will start to choose Boston as a city they want to play in."
