How Celtics Reportedly View Tristan Thompson Ahead Of NBA Trade Deadline

Tristan Thompson is in the Boston Celtics’ trade deadline plans, but not necessarily in the way some expect.

The Celtics remain high on the veteran center as Thursday’s NBA trade deadline nears, The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn reported Thursday, citing NBA sources. Recent rumors have included Thompson as a piece Boston might consider moving in a deal, but the chance of that happening appears slim in light of Washburn’s report.

” … league sources have indicated that the Celtics remain quite high on the veteran center,” Washburn wrote. “He was not signed as a stopgap or a future trade piece during the offseason; they truly targeted him as a priority.”

Thompson, 30, joined the Celtics in December as a free agent with hopes of helping a young Boston squad compete for the NBA Finals. His 7.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and .4 blocks per game are below his career averages and expectations he carried into the season. The Celtics’ 21-21 record is similarly underwhelming.

Nevertheless, Boston reportedly views Boston as a key cog in both its present and future, despite what the rumors would have you believe.