NBA Trade Rumors: Celtics, Fred VanVleet, John Collins, Blazers

The Celtics are in the market for a big man ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

While they already have the likes of center Robert Williams III and Al Horford, they are seeking some “injury assurance” in the event either player should go down, Haynes wrote.

No possible Boston targets were mentioned, though someone like Bucks center/forward Serge Ibaka could make sense, given that he likely wouldn’t cost a whole lot. The Bucks and Ibaka have agreed to seek a trade.

Here’s more from Haynes:

• Should the Celtics be unable to land another big man in a deal, they might turn to the post-deadline buyout market, he wrote. There also plenty of veterans (such as DeMarcus Cousins) on our regularly updated list of available free agents.
• Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has been making the rounds on the rumor mill and recently parted ways with his agents from Par-Lay Sports & Entertainment, Haynes reported. The Suns are among the teams said to be interested in VanVleet, as we relayed here.
• The Clippers are another team believed to be interested in a deal for VanVleet, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
• The Hawks continue to “field offers” for forward John Collins, and recently took a call from the Pelicans, Haynes wrote. Collins has also been linked to the Jazz, as well as several others, though it appears they would be OK with keeping him beyond the deadline.
• As we relayed here, the Trail Blazers are in the market for additional shooting and size. It’s hard to know who, specifically, they might target — but like all general managers at this time of year, Joe Cronin is likely to just work the phones and see what develops. (Full post.)

.@BleacherReport Sources: Trade buzz featuring Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and a pivotal move made by Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet: https://t.co/xNvxoCslWi

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 24, 2023