NBA Trades 2014: Celtics Have Shot at Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo Trio
The Boston Celtics could be in position to pull off perhaps the biggest offseason coup since the Miami Heat formed 'Super Friends' in 2010 by acquiring Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony this summer.
Almost a year after trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics might be looking again to form a championship-caliber team consists of surefire All-Stars.
Over the past few weeks, there are speculations on the Celtics' interest in trading for Love, who expressed his desire to leave the Minnesota Timberwolves this coming summer.
These rumors are apparently backed up by the recent meeting between All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo and Love in Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park on Monday. Though Rondo insisted he wasn't recruiting the former UCLA standout (mainly because of the league anti-tampering rules), there's no doubt the All-Star guard desire to have a double-double machine on his team.
Rondo, who has been a subject of trade rumors all season, is surprisingly optimistic about a longer tenure with the stories franchise, while showing his confidence on general manager Danny Ainge to push the right button moving forward.
"I trust a lot in Danny," Rondo told Brian Bobb of Boston.com. "He's turned this thing around before. I have faith in him. I believe in Danny. I think we do need another big-time player. But that's all his job. He's working on that now and I completely have faith in him."
Celtics Need Some Love and Melo
According to Mike Dyer of Celtics Life, Boston has a great shot at acquiring Love more than any other teams (Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Chicago Bulls), because of their deep stash of assets (young players and draft picks).
Dyer believed the Celtics could trade up-and-coming big man Jared Sullinger, veteran banger Brandon Bass, Keith Bogans, Chris Johnson, Chris Babb, 2014 6th overall pick, 2015 first-round pick, 2016 first-round pick and (from Nets) to make the deal work.
Then, the next step in their ambitious plan should be unloading more contracts by trading or releasing players. Kelly Olynyk, Victor Faverani, Gerald Wallace and Phil Pressey must be moved for the Celtics to sign Anthony to a four-year, $95.9 million deal. Larry Sanders could be in the equation as well, more so if the Milwaukee Bucks pick Joel Embiid with the second-overall pick in the 2014 Draft.
Suddenly, the Celtics will have a starting lineup consists of Rondo, Anthony, Love and Sanders. The shooting guard spot can be easily filled up by their no.16 pick in the draft, while the bench will comprise mid-level players.
Though these series of the deal appears more like a pipe-dream for any front-office executives, Ainge has proven time and time again that he can pull off crazy deal out of nowhere. Moreover, the Heat summer of 2010 only validates the claim that anything is possible as long as the team has the will to make it happen.
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