The Boston Celtics is currently working its way to be one of the biggest forces in the Eastern Conference for the upcoming 2016-17 NBA season. This is evident in the team's recent offseason acquisition of Al Horford with a four-year contract worth $113 million.
To excel even further, it makes sense for the Celtics to pursue a great scorer in the backcourt to match Isaiah Thomas, the team's star point guard. Enter Indiana Pacers' shooting guard Monta Ellis.
A tweet from Steve Kyler of the Basketball Insiders claimed that the Pacers has shopped Ellis around in trade discussions this offseason but "found little interest." According to The Inquisitr, Ellis would greatly complement Thomas in the backcourt. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens could use Ellis as a slasher and an additional handler of the ball so the pressure on Thomas would be relieved a bit.
If the two teams' trade talks would indeed push through just like what these rumors are saying, there's a huge probability that the Pacers would acquire a replacement for Ellis' shooting guard position. Pacers could bring in the Celtics' Avery Bradley or Marcus Smart, with the latter a more possible trading chip.
There are also rumors claiming that the Philadelphia 76ers would trade Nerlens Noel and Carl Landry for Ellis. The 76ers were short of outside shooting in the past season, and Ellis' shooting guard skills could be a good match for Ben Simmons' playmaking talents, Yibada reported.
Ellis has become out of place with the Pacers since Jeff Teague's arrival to the team and Rodney Stuckey steadily gaining the spotlight. Ellis' game hasn't merged well with the Pacers' play set up by head coach Frank Vogel, pushing the 30-year-old player to have the lowest average scores of his career since he was a rookie in the Golden State Warriors.
Ellis' last season with the Pacers only averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. His 42.7 percent shooting from the field, however, could benefit the 76ers in the upcoming NBA season.
Another trade talk involving Ellis is with the Sacramento Kings. Parent Herald previously reported that the Pacers is willing to trade Ellis and Stuckey for the Kings' small forward Rudy Gay. The Kings could use Ellis to improve their offense.
Where do you think Ellis would end up? Would the Pacers benefit more from trading him? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
