Magic forward Aaron Gordon continues to be one of the most intriguing trade candidates leading up to Thursday’s deadline, with a Monday report indicating that the Celtics are believed to be the frontrunners for him. Boston reportedly offered two first-round picks and may be eyeing a bigger deal that also features Marcus Smart and Evan Fournier, as Sam Amick of The Athletic confirms.
According to Amick, the Nuggets are currently viewed as the second-strongest suitor for Gordon. Denver has done a good deal of research on the veteran forward in an attempt to determine how well he’d fit the team’s system and culture, sources tell The Athletic.
The Rockets were considered a serious threat to land Gordon at one point, but they no longer to be among the favorites. As Amick explains, the 25-year-old’s disinterest in signing a longer-term extension with Houston may dissuade the club from giving up valuable assets for him. Gordon’s current contract is set to expire after the 2021/22 season.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Kings, who reportedly offered Marvin Bagley III to Detroit in a proposal for Saddiq Bey, have also made Bagley available in discussions with the Hawks about John Collins, says Amick. The Celtics, meanwhile, have “cooled” on Collins due to concerns about how much he’ll cost to retain in restricted free agency, Amick adds.
- The Pacers would have to be blown away by a “no-brainer” deal in order to trade Myles Turner this week, multiple sources tell J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. The Hornets, Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Pelicans are among the teams with interest in the big man, according to Michael, who says one three-team deal discussed last season would’ve sent Turner to New Orleans and Collins to Indiana.
- The Nuggets and Mavericks remain on the lookout for wing help, with both clubs offering second-round picks and a veteran for salary-matching purposes (Gary Harris and James Johnson), per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Hard to believe Boston would put Smart on the table. They must really be worried.
Seems strange to me, Smart plus two firsts for Fournier and Gordon, especially with Fournier set to his free agency and only 1 year left for Gordon after this season
Maybe its just a ploy to have other eastern conference teams “outbid” them
Atlanta prefers a Sacramento or Minnesota trade as opposed to one with the C’s for obvious reasons. Orlando would also rather trade Gordon to Denver or Minnesota. If Boston meets the demand though, anything is possible. They have assets to trade.
Celtics should have just gotten Turner and McDermott for Heyward this summer and they wouldn’t have to trade smart for an upgrade!
Nba trade rumors, specially this time of year, tend to be 90%+ bs…unless Woj says something, then you know it’s accurate. I remember Ainge saying how the vast majority of the rumors were no where close to true, with a very small percentage having any real info and even then, there’s quite a bit of half truths sprinkled in…
I guess it’s entertaining, but it gets a little annoying seeing people get all bent out of shape over “rumors”.
You are on a site called Hoops Rumors. What do you expect? smh