Why Mo Bamba Should Be Celtics' Preferred Trade Target amid Latest NBA Trade Rumors

The Boston Celtics are unlikely to be serious buyers before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline. Boston possesses the league's best record at 38-16 and has essentially zero holes on its roster.

There's always a chance that the Celtics could shock the league if a truly special player like, say, Kevin Durant, becomes available. However, they have little reason to go big-name hunting before Thursday.

This doesn't mean, though, that Boston isn't interested in adding another complementary piece before the deadline. According to The Athletic's Jay King, the Celtics are open to adding a center by Thursday.

"Based on chats with numerous people throughout the league, the Celtics are most likely to make a move at center," King wrote.

If the Celtics do want to make a move, they should have options. From Mason Plumlee and P.J. Washington to Nerlens Noel and former Celtic Kelly Olynyk, multiple centers could be available.

Mo Bamba of the Orlando Magic, however, should be Boston's preferred target.

A productive veteran like Plumlee could be enticing, but according to The Athletic's Jared Weiss, Boston could have some concerns about going that route:

"Several members of the Celtics organization who spoke on the condition of anonymity in recent weeks questioned whether players who are putting up numbers on losing teams would translate well in significantly more limited roles in the playoffs where the margin of error shrinks dramatically."

Olynyk is an intriguing trade candidate because of his three-point ability and ties to the organization. However, the 31-year-old's defense is difficult to trust, and coming up with the right salary match could also be tricky.

Boston would be better served by going after a slightly more budget-friendly option like Noel or Bamba—and Noel is on the team's radar, according to Weiss: "Mo Bamba and Nerlens Noel's names have popped up as potentially available in my conversations with people around the league this week, with The Athletic's James Edwards reporting the Celtics are one of the teams inquiring about Noel."

Of these two, Bamba makes the most sense. Neither has been a big-time contributor this season, but that's not what the Celtics need. They need a rotation player who can play defense and offer something a little different offensively.

Bamba is a terrific rim-protector, and he's shooting 39.8 percent from beyond the arc. He'd give the Celtics a different look than Blake Griffin or Luke Kormet and could help fill Al Horford's three-and-D role if necessary.

Schematically, Bamba or Olynyk would be a better fit than Noel, and Bamba is the better defender right now.

Plus, Bamba's $10.3 million salary shouldn't be too difficult to match. Hypothetically, Boston could part with relatively expendable pieces like Griffin, Justin Jackson and Danilo Gallinari and give back roughly $10.4 million in salary.

That's a match for Bamba. It's less of a match for Olynyk's $12.8 million salary.

Of course, the other factor here is that the Magic may be far more willing to take on a few ancillary pieces and a low draft pick than the Utah Jazz. While Orlando is practically out of the playoff race, Utah is still hanging around the play-in picture.

A second-round pick might be enough to pry Bamba out or Orlando. The Jazz could try to leverage their spot in the standings for a bigger return.

Again, whoever Boston brings in (if anyone) is unlikely to see extended playing time. That's barring injury, though, and in a long playoff series, anything could happen. Bamba makes sense for what the Celtics need, and he makes sense financially. While Boston may ultimately take whoever it can get for a bargain price, the 24-year-old should be at the top of its wish list.

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*Contract information via Spotrac