Some pundits would argue the Boston Celtics need to improve their roster ahead of the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline to be a serious Eastern Conference contender.
Marcus Morris would tell you otherwise.
After the Celtics' 126-94 rout of the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night -- their seventh win in the last eight games -- Morris was asked on NBC Sports Boston's "Celtics Postgame Live" about helping Boston's young players deal with the deadline drama and concluded his answer with a message for his boss.
"Man, this is probably the toughest time during the season, when guys don’t really know what’s going to happen," Morris told co-hosts Kyle Draper and Chris Mannix.
"It’s up in the air, man. You can kind of feel the mood change for the last couple days. I just tell them, ‘Man, whatever’s called, just stay ready. If you do end up being traded, man, it’s always a blessing still being in the NBA.
"Hopefully, (Celtics president of basketball operations) Danny (Ainge) don’t make no moves and we keep this thing going because I think we got a special squad."
Boston Celtics
Morris' comments aren't surprising; believe it or not, most players on successful teams with decent chemistry would prefer not to have their lives uprooted or suddenly lose a close teammate.
There's also a good chance Morris gets his wish. Ainge said earlier this month he'll explore all options entering the deadline but added, "It's hard to get better players than we have."
Whether Ainge will heed Morris' request remains to be seen, but Boston still will be watching the deadline closely, keeping its fingers crossed that the New Orleans Pelicans don't trade coveted big man Anthony Davis before Feb. 7.
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