As the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans pulled off an NBA blockbuster Sunday night, the Boston Celtics sat on the sideline.
The Pelicans reportedly acquired All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins from the Kings for a price that certainly didn’t seem very steep at all. New Orleans sent back a package that included 2016 first-round selection Buddy Hield, a 2017 first-round pick and a 2017 second-rounder (via Philadelphia).
That seems like a very doable price for a team like the Celtics, who still have a surplus of very valuable trade chips, including the ability to swap first-round picks with the Brooklyn Nets in 2017 and Brooklyn’s first-round pick in 2018. However, the Celtics never seemed to get close to acquiring Cousins, and it sounds like they have their sights set on something else.
Longtime NBA reporter Ric Bucher reported early Monday morning that the Celtics are preoccupied with trying to swing a trade for Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler.
This certainly isn’t the first time the Celtics have been linked to Butler, and it’s unlikely those rumors will die down anytime soon, at least not before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
Thumbnail photo via Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports Images
