NBA Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics mainly interested in Harrison Barnes, other reported targets just a smokescreen
The Boston Celtics have been linked to several players recently but the latest NBA trade rumors suggest that Harrison Barnes is their primary target. GM Danny Ainge has been under pressure to bring in fresh recruitments for a while now so it's not surprising to see the Celtics front office finally springing into action.
Several reports claim that the Boston Celtics have been in talks with the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic about Jerami Grant and Nikola Vucevic respectively. As per TV analyst Brian Scalabrine though, it's all a ruse. He believes that the Cs are only interested in Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings. Scalabrine noted:
"The Celtics want Harrison Barnes. They think Barnes is the kind of guy who can come in here and make a difference. ... They're talking to Detroit, they're talking to Orlando, they're even talking to Sacramento. All this is so eventually Sacramento will say 'Okay, what can we get done with Harrison Barnes?'"
The Boston Celtics have their gigantic trade exception worth $28.5 million that they can use to absorb Harrison Barnes' salary worth $22.2 million. But because of their hard-capped situation, the Celtics will have to send someone back to ensure that they don't go above the luxury tax apron.
NBA Trade Rumors: Can Harrison Barnes help the Boston Celtics contend for a championship?
Despite being 19-17 for the season, the Boston Celtics still occupy the fourth seed in the East. The addition of Harrison Barnes would help a lot in improving that record and possibly putting together a deep postseason run.
Barnes is arguably having his best season with the Sacramento Kings. He's averaging 16.7 points per game on a healthy 49.2% shooting, including a 39.2% clip from downtown. Not only can the power forward create shots for himself, he's good in dribble-handoff and screen situations which allows perimeter players to enjoy open looks.
Most importantly, Harrison Barnes brings championship pedigree to the table. He won the NBA Championship at a young age with the Golden State Warriors in 2015. His experience and guidance can come in handy for the Boston Celtics' dynamic duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Barnes' salary is a bit steep and he's contracted for two more years after this season. But the 28-year-old is a good fit for the Celtics and is just entering his prime for them to take the punt.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics targeting Most Improved Player Award frontrunner Jerami Grant