It remains to be seen if Danny Ainge will do anything big before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, but here’s one idea that would certainly qualify.
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss and Sam Amick report that the Celtics have talked to the Hawks about forward John Collins, while Shams Charania separately reports that the Hawks have shown interest in Celtics guard Marcus Smart.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor adds an extra layer, reporting that the Celtics’ pursuit of Collins has also included a pursuit of wing Bogdan Bogdanovic.
So, could there be a blockbuster trade to be made involving those three players?
Collins’ name has been in the rumor mill for a while. He is a restricted free agent after the season and has lost some touches in Atlanta’s frontcourt following the acquisitions of Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari. The Hawks also drafted big man Onyeka Okongwu with the sixth overall pick -- while he hasn’t broken through yet, he figures to be a key part of the team moving forward as well.
Collins, who is just 23, is still averaging 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, though, and is one year removed from averaging 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds.
Bogdanovic, 28, just signed a four-year, $72 million this past offseason, but hasn’t quite found his footing in Atlanta yet, ranking eighth on the team in minutes per game (23.1) and points per game (9.5). Those marks are well off his 29 minutes and 15.1 points per game in Sacramento last season. He also missed 25 games with a knee injury.
The Celtics have reportedly been interested in Bogdanovic in the past, so it would make sense that they still would be, especially if they have to give up Smart in the deal.
O’Connor reports that the Kings, Mavericks, Pistons and Timberwolves have also expressed interest in Collins, and that the Hawks are seeking one young player and a first-round pick for him.
Weiss and Amick note that while the Celtics obviously would be hesitant to trade Smart, it would be difficult to acquire Collins without doing so because “their young players aside from Payton Pritchard and Robert Williams currently hold minimal trade value and the front office still values those players as potential key rotation pieces in the near future.”
It is generally a safe bet that rumored blockbusters won't actually come to fruition, but there at least seems to be some smoke when it comes to the Celtics and Hawks.