Boston Celtics power forward Jared Sullinger. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Jared Sullinger saga continues in Boston as recent NBA trade rumors surfaced that the left out big man is the first in line to be traded by the Celtics if coach Brad Stevens settle with the frontcourt rotation of David Lee, Tyler Zeller, Amir Johnson, and Kelly Olynyk in the middle of the season.
Reports were out saying that Stevens had been favoring the abovementioned four-man rotation to be used in the regular season as the coach would want to limit his lineup on the floor to only two big men at a time.
Unfortunately, Sullinger is fifth in the Celtics' frontline pecking order after the team acquired Lee from the Warriors and Johnson from the Raptors during the offseason.
Sports World Report indicated that the team is not planning on giving him a contract extension this year, which further boosted speculations that his time may really be running out with the 17-time NBA champions.
Meanwhile, an SB Nation article noted that Sullinger could be traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, as the "grit and grind style" of the said team would make him a great fit, or to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal including fellow power forward Perry Jones in exchange for injury-stricken Joel Embiid.
While both trade scenarios are possible, they seem highly unlikely to happen as coach Stevens reportedly liked the play of Sullinger as their best rebounder in the recent preseason.
ESPN reported that the 23-year-old was responsible for "29.7 percent of all defensive caroms and 21.5 percent of all available rebounds" while he is "on the floor" for the Celtics this preseason.
