The NBA trade deadline is Thursday afternoon, and the Boston Celtics are perhaps the most intriguing team to keep an eye on over the next 36 hours.
The Celtics are one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season. They enter Wednesday night's showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks with a 20-21 record. Boston sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but the gap between the C's and the fourth-place Atlanta Hawks is still just a single game.
Forsberg: Does an Aaron Gordon trade make sense for Celtics?
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The Celtics need to add another impact player to have any chance at making a deep playoff run in the spring. Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon is dominating the rumor mill at the moment, and the Celtics have held trade talks involving the 25-year-old star, per multiple reports.
According to the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, C's guard Marcus Smart has not been part of the Gordon trade talks between Boston and Orlando.
"There have been reports that the Magic and Celtics were engaged in conversations involving Marcus Smart, but a league source indicated that, up to this point, Smart has not been a part of talks," Himmelsbach wrote.
"In their discussions with various teams around the league, the Magic appear to be focused on draft capital. And Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has made it quite clear in the past how reluctant he would be to part with Smart, who is the heart and soul of this team."
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It's not too surprising that Orlando values draft picks over players who could help the team win in the short term. The Magic are in second-to-last place in the East and have just one win in their previous 10 matchups. This team is headed for the draft lottery.
The Celtics own all of their first-round draft picks for 2021 and beyond, but unlike recent years, they do not own any other teams' first-round selections.
Gordon would be a quality pickup for the Celtics. He's averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting just under 40 percent from 3-point rage. He's also a versatile forward who can defend multiple positions.
The Celtics absolutely need to make a move to improve their scoring depth, and if they can acquire a player of Gordon's caliber without giving up a key piece like Smart, then Boston should strongly consider making that deal.