It's Thursday morning, and roughly five hours before the 2011 NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. EST), and the Boston Celtics have made no secret that they are looking to make a deal, specifically hoping for some added depth at the 3-position.
"I'm hoping we'll be able to do something," said director of basketball operations Danny Ainge, "but absolutely I think we can win with the team we have right now." [...]
"We may need an extra body to get us through the rest of the regular season, and we're definitely looking for a wing player."
But as that deadline draws closer, it's becoming less and less likely that Ainge and the Celtics will actually pull the trigger on the trade and will opt instead to wait it out and sign a player after they're bought out.
The club is still seeking help on the wing, and as the cell phone traffic eased last night, it was looking more and more likely that the C's will get their man after today's NBA trade deadline when players who don't get dealt are bought out. Sources say its quite possible an acquisition will come from a group that includes Jason Kapono, Sasha Pavlovic, Rasual Butler and Morris Peterson. But if those players are indeed in line for a buyout, it's also true their current teams will be looking to include them in deals before it gets to that.