The Boston Celtics acquired Isaiah Thomas to help with the trade of Rajon Rondo. It paid off and Thomas began to excel off the bench, working in tandem with Marcus Smart in Brad Stevens' system. General manager Danny Ainge reportedly told Thomas that he wanted the point guard to help recruit free agents and he is reportedly following through on the request. So, is LaMarcus Aldridge his first target?
According to a report from the Boston Herald, Aldridge was spotted at Boston's Logan International Airport arriving from a flight which was confirmed by a social media photo. There is no confirmation that this visit ties in to the forward's upcoming free agency run, but it certain is interesting that the same day, Thomas replied to a Twitter post from Aldridge which is leaving many to believe the two have been talking.
Is this all a bit of a stretch? Yes, but Aldridge signing with the Celtics is not totally crazy. According to the Oregonian, all signs point to Aldridge leaving the Portland Trail Blazers. The forward wants more money than the team sounds willing to give and teammates have been speaking out saying they are not certain Aldridge plans to come back in 2015. The Celtics have the cap space to bring on Aldridge and the need for him. Playing in the Eastern Conference means playoff success could be much easier to come by and he will have the chance to be the face of the franchise. That could be enough to sell the forward on the idea of heading to Boston.
The interest in Aldridge comes after the Boston Herald reported Ainge is no longer pursuing Kevin Love who has stated time and time again that he plans on remaining with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics pushed hard to try and get a trade for Love, but that all came up short. If Love were hinting at an exit from Cleveland, Boston would likely still be interested, but they look to be cutting their losses on that idea.
The Celtics want defense. Stevens told the media that they need a rebounder who can protect the rim better in 2015. The trade for DeMarcus Cousins came up short which has Boston keeping a close eye on players like Aldridge along with Paul Millsap, Marc Gasol and Greg Monroe. They are building a promising team and could soon become a free agency destination once again.
