Report: Here's Celtics' latest offer in Aaron Gordon trade talks

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The Aaron Gordon sweepstakes are coming down to the wire.

The Magic forward confirmed Tuesday night he requested a trade out of Orlando, and the Boston Celtics are rumored to be "frontrunners" to land Gordon.

We've heard different reports about what a Celtics trade for Gordon may look like (and whether that trade would include Marcus Smart), but with just over 24 hours until Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline, the Boston Herald's Mark Murphy reported where things stand between Boston and Orlando.

Celtics-Magic negotiations are "still alive," per Murphy, with the C's offering a first-round draft pick and a player (not Smart) but holding out on including another draft pick.

The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach reported earlier Wednesday that Boston hasn't mentioned Smart in trade talks with Orlando, so it appears the C's are trying to keep their longest-tenured player.

It's unclear which player the Celtics have made available, but they may have to part with additional draft capital if they don't include Smart in the deal. It's also possible the trade could expand: According to The Action Network's Matt Moore, Boston offered Orlando two first-rounders and a player in exchange for Gordon and Magic teammate Evan Fournier.

Celtics Talk Podcast: Sorting through Celtics trade rumors, would Aaron Gordon help the Celtics? | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube

Gordon is averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting a career-high 39.3% from 3-point range who could fit well as a versatile playmaker in Boston. He's making $18.1 million this season and $16.5 million on the final year of his deal in 2021-22, so the Celtics would need to use most of their $28.5 million traded player exception to take on his contract unless they send out additional salary.

Our Chris Forsberg recently laid out the pros and cons of trading for Gordon, but it sounds like Danny Ainge and Co. are seriously considering the move to shake up a squad that's eighth in the Eastern Conference at 21-22.

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