In the lead-up to the 2021 NBA trade deadline, the Boston Celtics were among the teams connected to San Antonio Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge.
A trade for Aldridge was never likely for the C's given the size of his contract. However, there was an expectation that if Aldridge hit the buyout market, the Celtics would have an interest in him.
But Aldridge has chosen his next NBA destination and it will be with the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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That's a sensible move for Aldridge. The Nets are a big-time contender for the NBA title, and they could use a backup big behind DeAndre Jordan.
Brooklyn added Blake Griffin to the mix via a buyout earlier in the season and also has the promising Nicolas Claxton available as well.
Still, Aldridge would probably be the most reliable of those players for Brooklyn during a postseason run. After all, he is averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 36 percent from behind the arc.
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As for the Celtics, though rumors suggested that they were interested in Aldridge, they have been focused more on Andre Drummond in recent days. Drummond was bought out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and seems to be choosing between playing for the Los Angeles Lakers or the Celtics, barring another surprise suitor targeting his services.
Drummond has averaged 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He's a traditional big man who could make a nice impact in the low post on both sides of the ball, and his biggest impact would probably be on the defensive boards. He's a bit less versatile than Aldridge, but adding him to a rotation with Robert Williams and Tristan Thompson could pan out for the C's.
We'll soon see if the team does anything on the buyout market. There are options out there, so if Danny Ainge feels like he can make a move to help the C's win, he will certainly make it.