The NBA trade deadline is just a couple of days away, and there has yet to be any major moves made. The Boston Celtics are one of the teams that are being extremely aggressive on the trade market, as they are looking to make a major splash. Boston is trying to use some of its assets to bring in a star player, but there just aren't many that are really available. The Celtics reached out to the Los Angeles Clippers regarding Blake Griffin, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
The Celtics have basically thrown their hat in the ring for any star player who was said to be available in the trade market, including Dwight Howard and Al Horford. It has been said that the Celtics' interest in Howard isn't all that strong, but their interest in Horford is. Being able to acquire Griffin, though, would likely trump getting either of the other two.
When it was said that the Clippers were shopping Griffin, the Celtics were reportedly one of the teams to make a call. Nothing has come from that call, though, as the Clippers are reportedly willing to listen but don't intend to actually trade their 26-year-old superstar. Griffin is currently out with a broken hand after he punched an equipment staffer in the face, and Los Angeles may feel as though they can't get full value for him in his current state. Because of this, it is unlikely that Griffin gets dealt anywhere before the deadline, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
As for the Celtics, they remain aggressive and are reportedly taking an opportunistic approach to the deadline, but they haven't had anything really serious yet. The Celtics have plenty of assets and realize they could use them to improve their team, but Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge is not going to get rid of them for just any trade. Ainge's plan is to use those assets to get a player who can make the Celtics better now and in the future.
While Ainge and the Celtics have been and remain hopeful that they can swing a blockbuster deal, they also have the option of waiting until the offseason to make big moves. The Celtics are not interested in a player who will likely be a rental, so they are looking for a player that is a perfect fit for them and that they can control beyond this season. That type of player may be hard to make a trade for now, but the Celtics are certainly out there searching.
