With the Mavericks recently firing Nico Harrison and the signs of an implosion to Dallas’ roster looming, former Celtic Jeff Teague talked about the possibility of teaming up Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum,
and Anthony Davis together for a trade package of either Derrick White/Anfernee Simons, Payton Pritchard and possibly more.
Teague said, “If AD goes to the Celtics, you could get up out of here Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, Get Ad, Jaylen Brown, Tatum, and AD…”
This is not the first time the Celtics have been linked to a possible Antony Davis trade in the past year or so. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints put out an article talking about how the Lakers were contemplating AD’s future with the team during last year’s preseason. Of the teams LA talked to about a possible trade for the big man, Boston came up as a team that made multiple calls back and forth. Siegel wrote:
“Of the teams that the Lakers spoke with when they were first putting out feelers for Davis, the Boston Celtics held a couple of calls with Los Angeles, sources said. Nothing ever progressed to where there was any actual momentum, but Los Angeles was receiving signals that Brad Stevens and his front office were receptive to the idea.
The five-word message the Lakers got back from Boston was enough to let them know they would consider such a move in the summer: “We’ll keep it in mind.” It is worth noting that the Celtics were next to the Lakers in terms of pursuing Davis when he was traded from the Pelicans in 2019.
Before Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the playoffs, the Celtics were already signaling that they were going to cut costs in the offseason. This still could have been achieved by trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom were dealt last summer, along with other assets in a big deal for Davis. It was certainly something for the Celtics to consider.“
Pros and Cons
Those quotes came before the Luka Doncic trade and it makes you think that Boston could have had interest in trading for Davis if he was available. Now, a year later, he is on the trade block again and this team he would be a sorely needed asset to the team — in theory.
The Celtics losses at the center position this season have been heavily documented and the rebounding at best has been average and at worse catastrophic. Davis is a guy that could easily clean up that rebounding issue and could maybe even play both at the power forward position alongside someone like Neemias Queta bringing back shades of double big lineups or at center when Jayson Tatum gets back from injury.
The idea of Anthony Davis in the Celtics system is what dreams are made of but there is a hard truth it that you can’t around: he is one of if not the most injury prone player in the league today. Since the trade to Dallas, Davis has only played in 14 games between trade deadline last season and the start of this season and is on the injury report again with a low-grade calf strain.
The other big holdup is the Mavericks are a 1st apron team and the Celtics do not have the salaries to match Davis’ $54 million contract unless they swap Tatum straight up. This means there will have to be a third team added to the equation and maybe even four, essentially making it look like the Jimmy Butler trade to the Warriors.
Verdict
I don’t think it is in the Celtics best interest to trade for Anthony Davis right now. There is too much uncertainty in his health that in the past his talent made up for but now, going into his mid 30s, there is no reason to take the risk. Plus, Boston has said they were trying to get under the first apron tax and trading for another super max contract would be against that plan.
If the Mavericks buy out Davis’ contract and the Celtics can sign him to a smaller deal that might be more palatable and something I would very much be up for. However, with the landscape that everything is in currently, I don’t think that scenario will happen and Boston will not run the risk of trading for AD.
