Prior to the 2017 NBA Draft, there was much chatter about the sudden availability of New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis.
One of the possible destinations that were discussed was the Boston Celtics that centered around the Knicks' interest in their No.3 overall pick from this year or the Brooklyn Nets‘ 2018 first-round selection. However, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has quickly shot down any seriousness to those conversations.
Danny Ainge on trade rumors around the Celtics, including Porzingis chatter: "A little blown out of proportion. I'll leave it at that."
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) June 23, 2017
There have been several trade rumors over the last couple of years that Boston has held discussion for the likes of Jimmy Butler and Paul George, but things never progressed far enough to be considered on the fringe of being hammered out. It has been Ainge's unwillingness to part ways with any of his first-round draft picks that has deflated their chances of deals being agreed upon.
That said, the Knicks as team president Phil Jackson acknowledged earlier this week that the team was listening to the various offers that were presented to them. Porzingis may be an available commodity on the trade market, but there remains a high price tag on him that must be reached in order for talks to become serious and legitimate.
Celtics appears to now have shifted their attention over to possibly acquiring George with a possible three-year extension in hand that may all hinge on the team's chances of landing fellow All-Star forward Gordon Hayward.
If Boston is unable to work this scenario out, then pursuing Porzingis could possibly come back into the forefront with the organization's renewed win-now mentality.
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