Dwight Howard Among Players Celtics Should Avoid At NBA Trade Deadline

The NBA’s Feb. 18 trade deadline is just days away, and the clock is ticking for the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics own the third-best record in the Eastern Conference at 32-23. They have a treasure chest of assets at their disposal and could expand their ceiling even further by flipping those assets to acquire a star player via trade. But that doesn’t mean every star player is worth going after.

Boston has been tied to several potential trade targets amid reports that president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is being “quietly aggressive” ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Some of those targets could greatly benefit the Celtics at the right price, but others should raise some serious red flags, whether that be for character issues, declining play or a lack of need for Boston.

Below are four players we think the Celtics should steer clear of at this season’s deadline.

Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
The Celtics really could use a rim protector, but given the high price tag that likely will accompany Howard, they should look elsewhere. The 30-year-old has seen his scoring steadily decline over the last two and a half seasons, missed half of his team’s games in 2014-15 and has a reputation of giving poor effort. That’s not a guy you want on this young, hungry Celtics team.

Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
Anthony has surfaced a few times over the years as the star player who could lead Boston to the promised land, but the Knicks forward insisted recently he’s “not going anywhere.” That’s probably for the best, as the Celtics likely would have to give up their coveted 2016 Brooklyn Nets first round pick and then some to acquire a guy who turns 32 in May and has missed 15 or more games in three of the last four seasons.

Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks reportedly are taking calls on almost everyone, but the Celtics shouldn’t dial Atlanta about Teague. The reason? Boston’s backcourt looks pretty solid at the moment, with All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas leading the way and 21-year-old Marcus Smart right behind him. The Hawks reportedly are looking for a lot in exchange for Teague, but Ainge and the Celtics have no reason to give it to them.

Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns
An NBA team can deal with a little baggage if it means getting a player as talented as DeMarcus Cousins. But Morris has a similarly poor reputation — he tried to choke a teammate on the bench during a game — without putting up nearly as impressive numbers. Unless Morris’ stock plummets in the hours before the trade deadline, the Celtics should explore other options to fill their need for a star big man.