The Boston Celtics is one of the teams highlighted in the NBA trade rumors. Recent reports claimed that the team's general manager, Danny Ainge, has been attempting to acquire players from the Atlanta Hawks and the Denver Nuggets.
There are rumors that the Celtics is trying to acquire the Hawks' power forward Paul Millsap, Morning News USA reported. The Hawks is rebuilding its team now that Al Horford and Jeff Teague departed to other organizations in the offseason, and trading the 31-year-old Millsap could be one of the steps the Hawks has to take to accomplish that upgrade.
NBA writer David Ramil said Millsap has two years left in his current contract with the Hawks, but he has a player option when the upcoming season ends, The Inquisitr reported. Ramil wrote that Millsap could "potentially" be "feeling burned" by the Hawks' active plan to trade him, pushing him to become a free agent.
Some players would think being put on the trading block is a form of disrespect. Millsap, however, believes that trade talk is part of the business.
"I don't think anyone is OK with it but it is what it is," Millsap said in a recent interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "You have to accept it for what it is. I'm an Atlanta Hawk. I will be until further notice. I'm going to put everything on the floor to help this team and this community win."
Millsap said being involved in the trading block isn't his first time and it's definitely not his last. He insisted that he's still "on good terms" with the Hawks and that he respects the organization no matter what happens.
Another possible trade Ainge is cooking involves Denver's Kenneth Faried. According to NuggLove, the Celtics thinks that Faried would fit well in its power forward position alongside Horford.
If this comes to fruition, Horford "could space the floor" during offense while Faried mans the court and waits for "loose balls and offensive rebounds," Sportsrageous wrote. The two could also strike a partnership on the defensive, with Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder manning the wings.
NuggLove noted that the Celtics could trade Amir Johnson or Kelly Olynyk with the Nuggets. The latter is in need of players in the power forward position to knock down jump shots, and Johnson and Olynyck are a perfect fit. Aside from the Celtics, Parent Herald previously reported that the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder are interested in signing Faried as well.
