NBA Trade Rumors Roundup January 14th: Celtics could be in the market, Lopez targets Warriors and more
We have now passed the halfway point of the 2018/19 NBA season, and teams are starting to get a good idea about where they currently stand. Up until this point, both Conferences have remained competitive, with eleven teams in playoff contention in the Eastern Conference, whereas every team except the Phoenix Suns has a shot in the West.
The February trade deadline is also quickly approaching, as the NBA has made changes to the deadline so that it will now always occur 10 days before the All-Star game. This has been done so that players, who get traded, have time to settle into their new teams, and this year's trade window will close on February 7th.
So with the deadline just a month away, here are the biggest trade rumors you need to know for January 14th.
#3 Boston Celtics could make a trade before the February trade deadline
The Boston Celtics entered the 2018/19 NBA season with lofty expectations. However, at the midway point of the season, the Celtics have an underwhelming 25-17 record.
The Celtics' record is currently only good enough for 5th place in the Eastern Conference standings, and the Celtics General manager and President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge, recently revealed his organization's plans heading into the February trade deadline:
It just depends. I like every guy on our team. I like our roster. There will be trade conversations, obviously. Every year it happens with every team. But we’ll only do something that makes sense.”
Ainge's comments hint that the Celtics will only make a deal that substantially boosts the team's postseason hopes, and Bradley Beal is among the All-Star caliber players that have recently been linked with a trade to Boston.