If New Orleans Pelicans trade Anthony Davis within the next year, he would most certainly head to the Boston Celtics. Apparently, it is the remaining team in the NBA with enough assets to acquire the big man, making them the strongest candidate for the potential trade. Unfortunately, the Pelicans seem to have no interest in sending the 24-year-old off to another team, at least for now.
The Celtics may have to shift their gaze to other players if they cannot finalize the deal to acquire Davis. CBS Sports' Colin Ward-Henninger has a few suggestions on who else the team could pursue.
A possible alternative is DeMarcus Cousins. With one more year left in his $18 million contract, the Pelicans may be open to swapping him for a three-asset package possibly including Jaylen Brown, Marcus Morris, and another player. That is, of course, if Cousins is not going to re-sign with the New Orleans team. According to Ward-Henninger, the Celtics may already have Jayson Tatum as a cornerstone wing for the foreseeable future, but the team loves Cousins. Putting him alongside Kyrie Irving, Tatum, Al Horford, and Gordon Hayward would certainly make a dream team.
Oklahoma City Thunder's Paul George would be a great option, too. That is if Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is ready to be a title holder soon. He notably failed to pull the trigger and acquire the former Pacers star last year despite his many assets that would have put together a better offer than OKC. If he lets go of younger players like Brown and Terry Rozier, he may get a seasoned All-Star who can get the team to the Finals. As Ward-Henninger puts it, "while it's a long shot, it is definitely worth considering."
Other players cited include Clippers' DeAndre Jordan and Grizzlies' Marc Gasol, but both were ruled out to be on the less-feasible side.
Celtics' trade target is anyone's guess at this point. Fans will have to wait and see on the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
