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Following the offseason departures of Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, there were doubts about whether the Boston Celtics could contend. Nevertheless, Kemba Walker has proved to be one of the best signings of the season, while Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart have all impressed after taking on bigger roles.
With a 33-15 record, the Celtics are in contention to secure homecourt advantage for the playoffs, and Brad Stevens' team is currently among the favorites to advance from the East. The front office could also make upgrades ahead of the trade deadline, and here we will take a look at all the latest Celtics rumors you need to know.
#1 Celtics remain interested in a trade for Andre Drummond
After missing out on a summer deal for Anthony Davis, the Celtics remain on the search to sign an All-Star caliber center. Back in January, it was reported that they were considering pursuing a deal for Andre Drummond, and Chris Sheridan of Forbes is claiming that the Celtics still have 'strong interest' ahead of the trade deadline:
It is more of a question of where, not if, and the three teams that have emerged with the strongest interest are the Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. If one of them decides to put a first-round pick in the deal, they are likely to end up with the center who has led the NBA in rebounding three of the past four seasons.
Ths Pistons took Drummond with the 9th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, and the 26-year-old has developed into one of the NBA's most dominant bigs. Over 47 appearances this season, Drummond has averaged 17.3 points, 15.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per game - while also shooting 52.4 percent from the floor.
#2 Celtics 'highly unlikely' to move Marcus Smart
If the Celtics are to make a significant move ahead of the deadline, a lack of cap-space means they will have to give up one of their current stars. Marcus Smart has been frequently mentioned in trade rumors, although Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated is reporting that the Celtics are 'highly unlikely' to trade the 25-year-old this week:
The Celtics could still use a center upgrade, but pathways to a potential deal are difficult. Boston’s roster is filled with inexpensive contracts, and Danny Ainge is highly unlikely to trade Marcus Smart’s movable contract.
Smart signed a four-year, $52 Million contract extension back in 2018 and the Texas native has continued to establish himself as a key player under Brad Stevens. Smart is currently playing a career-high 31.5 minutes per contest, averaging 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. He is in contention for the Defensive Player of the Year award but has shot just 37.9 percent from the field.
#3 Trade talks for Clint Capela are underway
On Sunday evening, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that the Houston Rockets were 'actively discussing several trade scenarios involving center Clint Capela. The report claimed that the Rockets were engaged in trade talks with several teams in the Eastern Conference, and Wojnarowski offered a further update on Monday, revealing that the Celtics were among the interested teams:
Capela was selected by the Rockets with the 25th overall pick in the 2014 draft, and the center has been a regular starter since Mike D'Antoni was appointed head coach back in 2016. So far this season, Capela has appeared 39 times, averaging 13.9 points, 13.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.8 blocks per contest - and the 25-year-old is signed through to the 2022-23 campaign.
However, Houston has once again struggled to compete with the best teams in the West, and offloading Capela may be their only avenue to making significant additions ahead of the trade deadline.
