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Danny Ainge Says Leandro Barbosa Has ‘Never Asked Me for a Trade’

The news that Leandro Barbosa wasn’t loving the Celtics and was asking for a trade came out of the blue this week. Barbosa’s request — made in his native Portuguese before being picked up by various Boston media outlets — made it sound like he was unhappy with the team and didn’t like his amount of playing time.

But Celtics fans prone to take this one personally should wait a second, because Barbosa — who has appeared plenty happy while on the court this year — has not asked to go. Well, if he has asked, it hasn’t been to the right person, because Celtics president Danny Ainge says he hasn’t gotten any requests.

“You’d have to ask him about the quote. I have no idea,” Ainge said Friday, according to ESPN. “But all I know is he’s never come to me and asked to be traded, so I have to take him at his word.”

Ainge said that he wouldn’t have even known about the request without the media reports, and that he would wait for Barbosa to say something to him if he did want to be traded.