Jimmy Butler takes a shot over Jae Crowder. (Photo : Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Danny Ainge of the Boston Celtics has built a reputation as one of the shrewdest traders in the NBA.
Apart from the brazen pillaging of the Brooklyn Nets' draft picks, they have also won another trade-that of sending Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks. One of the players they acquired was Jae Crowder, who turned out to become their most promising player.
Crowder has impressed so much the Celtics have been reluctant to include him in trades. Hoops Habit assumed Boston's position to elaborate.
"In the past, it seemed like almost every player on the Celtics could be traded, but after a successful season, there might be one or two players that are untouchable," HH stated. The article named newly minted All-Star Isaiah Thomas as one player in that category, then revealed that "other than Thomas, just about everyone else is on the table, except for Jae Crowder."
It now puts the Celtics in a quandary as Crowder is the Celtics best trade asset and probably their best player. In fact, it might be easier to convince the Celtics to sell high on Thomas since he's an All Star now that to part with Crowder. A rival GM has confided as much to the CSNNE.
"He's a good player that has opened a lot of eyes since he left Dallas," a league executive whose tried to trade for Crowder this season said. "That contract, his talent ... he's not untradeable, but he's about as close to being untradeable on that team."
This is probably why the Celtics have yet to make a major move. At the deadline, it was the uncertainty of where the Brooklyn Nets' pick will fall. Now that it's established as the no.3 pick, the hold-up may be caused by the Celtics refusing to move Crowder.
Now there's a rumor that the Celtics are trying hard to trade the no.3 pick and shooting for big names like Jimmy Butler, it is assumed that the Bulls would ask for Crowder along with the pick.
It's doubtful that the Celtics would agree to that given their tendency to overvalue their players. The jury is split on Kevin Love if the Cavs make him available.
There are some players that the Celtics would trade Crowder for. DeMarcus Cousins is one of them and if the pipe dream of a Kevin Durant sign-and-trade actually happens, the Celtics should trade the farm.
