It is getting close to time to hit the panic button with the Boston Celtics. Boston has gone 7-13 since their pause for COVID-19 and while the players are remaining even-keeled, they could be looking to shake things up before the NBA trade deadline. They have become one of the main teams to watch in NBA rumors in anticipation of potential changes.
Team President of Basketball Operations and general manager, Danny Ainge, has taken the blame for how the team has performed thus far this season. It is his roster that he put together and doesn’t want the blame to be put on head coach Brad Stevens or the players.
He also admitted this isn’t a roster good enough to win the Eastern Conference. Sooner or later, Ainge will have to put his money where his mouth is and get the team some help.
Earlier this month, Ainge said that the team is looking to add some size with shooting. While the team would love to acquire someone such as Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers or Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic, that may not be in the cards.
If the Celtics have to aim a little lower, they could look at someone such as former Celtic and current Oklahoma City Thunder big man, Al Horford. Chicago Bulls forward Thaddeus Young would also fit the bill.
All of those players would require being traded for. If Boston wants to hold onto their assets, there is a player that just became available that would qualify as someone with size who can shoot; DeMarcus Cousins.
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Cousins and the Houston Rockets amicably split this week after the organization guaranteed his contract last week. They said they wanted to do right by their free-agent signings, and Cousins was no longer a fit for their plans.
Cousins will have a plethora of teams looking to sign him and one NBA agent has a prediction of where he’ll land. Without hesitation, he said the ‘Boston.’
In 25 games this season, Cousins is playing 20.2 minutes per game, averaging 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks.
His shooting efficiency isn’t great at 37.6 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from the 3-point line, but if his free throw shooting, 74.6 percent, is any indication, those numbers will improve as he continues working back from the ACL injury that caused him to miss the entire 2019-20 season.
DeMarcus Cousins proved this season that he is healthy and ready to contribute. While not the dominating force he was a few years ago, he can still help out in spurts. The Celtics would be a good landing spot for him. Stevens knows how to strategize to get the most out of players and in the right situation, Cousins could thrive. In the meantime, Cousins will be a name to watch in NBA rumors.
