Celtics Rumors: All-Rookie Center Listed as Trade Idea For Boston

Will the reigning champion Boston Celtics make a deal to shore up their frontcourt depth, with just a week remaining before this year's February 6 trade deadline?

That's one of the ideas proposed by Last Word On Sports' Eamon Cassels in a fresh piece.

Cassels proposes that Boston, who as a second apron team is limited in the kinds of trades it can conceivably pull off, make a move to acquire jumbo-sized young paint protector Walker Kessler, who could serve as a stabilizing force in the paint and perhaps a long-term replacement for 38-year-old sixth man power forward/center Al Horford. Horford will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

"Recently, Kessler has been floating around as a trade target for the Celtics," Cassels writes. "Kessler is an elite rim protector and interior presence; he would provide the Celtics with some additional center depth."

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"Adding a young center isn’t a bad idea, considering Al Horford‘s age and Kristaps Porzingis‘ injury history," Cassels opines.

The 7-footer would be a major defensive play for Boston, and gives the team a potential replacement for the oft-hurt Porzingis should he age poorly. Still just 23, the North Carolina product is still on an affordable rookie-scale salary, and although he's not exactly a floor spacer, his defensive upside and scoring touch around the rack makes him an intriguing asset, assuming the draft equity price is right.

"While Kessler would be a fit nicely with the Celtics, he seems like an unrealistic target," Cassels cautions. "Amid a rebuild, the Utah Jazz don’t have many keepers, so trading away one of their better young players would be surprising."

Cassles adds that Utah team president Danny Ainge could be looking to extract major draft pieces from his old team in a trade.

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The 31-13 Celtics don't necessarily need help to repeat this season, but in the future it may behoove them to figure out their center depth.

Across 34 contests this season, the 7-foot big man is logging averages 11.1 points on 72.7 percent shooting from the floor and 54.3 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 11.4 boards, and 2.5 blocks — good for second-most in the league, behind only San Antonio Spurs All-Defensive Team center Victor Wembanyama's insane 4.0 rejections a night. Kessler is also notching 1.5 assists and 0.5 steals a night.

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For all the latest news and notes on the reigning champs, stay tuned to Celtics On SI.