The Boston Celtics are still fresh off of their brutal Game 7 loss to the Miami Heat in the NBA Playoffs. Following that loss, Brad Stevens has been very aggressive to begin the offseason. He traded Marcus Smart in a deal to acquire Kristaps Porzingis, which filled a major area of need in the front-court.
Now, there are quite a few avenues that Boston needs to focus on. First and foremost, they need to decide whether or not they are going to give Jaylen Brown a super-max contract. It seems likely that they will do so, but that is not a forgone conclusion just yet.
Next up, the Celtics will need to figure out how to continue improving their roster. Building around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is a great situation to be in, but they clearly need more ammo. The news surrounding Malcolm Brogdon’s injury status certainly is a major concern as well.
One area that the Celtics could target is adding another guard. If Brogdon’s healthy is truly a major concern, they will need to make a move.
Houdini Hardwood analyst Michael Saenz believes the Celtics should look into pursuing a trade for Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony.
“One player that could jump on the Celtics’ radar is Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony. Anthony hasn’t developed into the player that the Magic hoped he would three years into his career, but it would be foolish to label him as a bust right now,” Saenz wrote
Anthony was once expected to be a major part of the Magic rebuild. That has changed and he could very well be available for the right price. A move to the Celtics would certainly be an intriguing one for him.
During the 2022-23 NBA season with the Magic, Anthony ended up averaging 13.0 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He shot 45.4 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 36.4 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers show why a team like the Celtics would have potential interest in trading for him.
At just 23 years of age, Anthony still has plenty of time to grow into his prime. Being able to join a franchise like the Celtics would be a major breath of fresh air.
If the Celtics were to acquire Cole Anthony from the Magic, they would be getting a very gifted scorer. Anthony can shoot the three-ball and also create for himself and teammates. He wouldn’t be asked to handle a massive role, which would allow him to focus on perfecting his craft as a quality role player.
Expect to hear plenty more rumors about the Celtics in the coming days and weeks. Anthony may not end up being a trade target for Boston and may not even be available for trade. However, this is certainly an intriguing fit to think about.
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