Aaron Gordon is officially a Celtics trade target

The Athletic.

Jared Weiss of the Athletic reported this morning that Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon has officially requested a trade prior to this Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline. Gordon has unofficially been in trade rumors for years, but this is the first time that the player himself has requested a trade. I wrote in detail about Gordon as a trade target for the Celtics in my Trade Exception Target series, so check that out first before we dive into this new rumor development.

It was reported that Gordon has no desire to be traded to a rebuilding team, and wants to join a team that will be making a playoff run this year. In theory, that means the Celtics qualify, but their recent play doesn’t exactly instill confidence that a deep playoff run can be made. Even so, while Gordon may desire a new team with playoff hopes, the Magic don’t necessarily have to trade him to one, as he doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract. However, Gordon’s sentiment does hold some weight, as it could make teams like the Rockets and Timberwolves ( who were both rumored to be interested in Gordon) hesitant to trade significant assets for him. Reports state that Gordon is expected to be traded by the end of the week to a new team, which means that the Trade Deadline could have more fireworks than previously anticipated.

I would like to see the Celtics pursue Gordon, but reports state that it would take two first round picks and a young player to acquire him. This is a heavy price to pay, so if Danny Ainge could bring it down to one young player and a first, that’s a route I’d find more acceptable. While this may not be possible, my reasoning is that the acquisition of Gordon wouldn’t raise the Celtics ceiling to the point of title contention. I do think that he’s a young player that could excel with a fresh start, but that doesn’t mean we sell the farm for him. Hypothetically, a Romeo Langford or Aaron Nesmith and a first round pick, would be ideal. Even throw in a second rounder to sweeten the pot, and I think that’s a reasonable price to pay for a player that still has some upside. Stay tuned Celtics fans, and expect more rumors to leak as the week progresses.

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