Should Celtics Consider Trading For Any Of These Three Players?

The Boston Celtics have not lived up to their lofty expectations so far this season.

It still is early, but the C’s have not played like the NBA Finals-bound team many people pegged them as before the season started. The Celtics currently sit at sixth in the Eastern Conference at 7-6 after dropping four of their last five games.

Although there still is plenty of time left in the season, this poor start could be a sign the team needs to make a move if they want any chance of making it out of the East.

Here three players the Celtics potentially could target to put themselves over the top.

3. Jeremy Lamb, G/F, Charlotte Hornets
This move may come as a shock, but it could be a solid move for Boston. The Celtics are shooting the third most three-pointers per game (37.6), but the C’s only have been able to knock down 35.6 percent, which is good for 14th in the NBA. Lamb is off to a hot start beyond the arc this season, shooing 40.4 percent, and could be a reliable shooter off the bench for Boston. It is unclear what the price would be for the 2012 first-round pick, but if they could get him for cheap it would be worth looking into.

2 Lou Williams, SG, Los Angeles Clippers
After Kyrie Irving’s season ended early last campaign due to a knee injury, Terry Rozier stepped in and turned heads with his performance down the stretch and in the playoffs. He was so impressive that several teams showed interest during the offseason in acquiring the former Louisville Cardinal, with reports resurfacing again in early November.

If the C’s end up trading Rozier, they should go all-in on Williams. The two-time Sixth Man of the Year is explosive off the bench and would bolster Boston’s second unit offensively with his ability to both shoot and get to the basket. He surely would be more expensive than Lamb — in part because he’s under team control through the 2020-21 season — but a package centered around Rozier and draft picks potentially could get the job done. Williams clearly is comfortable with a bench role and also could bring veteran leadership to a team that is eyeing an extended playoff run.

1 Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans
This potentially is just a pipe dream, but the acquisition of a talent such as Davis would catapult the Celtics over any team in the Eastern Conference and maybe even the Golden State Warriors. The 25-year-old arguably already is a top-three player in the NBA, and may only be scratching the surface of what he could be. It would take a king’s ransom to bring him to Boston, but a trio of Davis, Irving and Gordon Hayward would be one of the best in the league, and that doesn’t even include players like Al Horford or Jayson Tatum. The five-time All-Star is a rare blend of offensive and defensive talent who immediately would make Boston better on both ends. It appears this idea has been on Irving’s mind as well, as he reportedly reached out to Davis to discuss teaming up in Boston in the future.