Danny Ainge smells blood in the water, and with Phil Jackson looking forward to making the New York Knicks more of a mess, the Boston Celtics' top exec would like to help.
With Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis reportedly available on the trade market, the Boston Celtics are among the teams interested in acquiring the star power forward.
From Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:
Now that trade season is in full swing ahead of the draft, the Knicks have been flooded with interest in their star, sources confirmed. And according to a source, the Celtics are among those teams.The Celtics have several first-round picks, including the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, which the Knicks could reportedly use to take former Kansas star Josh Jackson or Duke's Jayson Tatum.
It has reached the point that New York is already planning for a future without the Latvian, according to The Vertical, which reported Jackson met Monday with a potential replacement in Lauri Markkanen.
Markkanen, a 7-footer from Finland, is a projected lottery draft pick who plays the same position as Porzingis. The Knicks draft eighth on Thursday.
Porgzingis averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.5 assists per game on 45 percent shooting with the Knicks last season.
