Boston Celtics Rumors: Danny Ainge Must Abandon DeMarcus Cousins Pipe Dream

Danny Ainge must move on to the next one.

According to the latest Boston Celtics rumors, the team wants DeMarcus Cousins in green. That isn’t going to happen, though, so Ainge must drop the dream and pursue a center that the Celtics actually have a chance to acquire.

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported that the Celtics have called about Cousins. However, Sam Amick of USA Today and Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee are adamant that the 22-year-old big won’t be shipping up to Boston anytime soon.

"

DeMarcus Cousins is not going to the Celtics. Teams continue to be told that he's not available. That is all.

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) January 7, 2013"

"

I'm told (again) there's "no chance" DeMarcus Cousins is being traded to the Boston Celtics.

— JasonJones (@mr_jasonjones) January 7, 2013"

With a record of 16-17, Ainge has to make a move. That move isn’t Cousins, but it could be Marcin Gortat.

Ben Rohrbach of WEEI speculated that the Celtics could’ve waived Kris Joseph and Jarvis Varnado to make room to add a center like Gortat.

And the Celtics are desperate for a center.

Thirty-four-year-old Jason Collins has a player efficiency ratio of 1.26 this season (the league average is 15.0). That’s a complete joke. Despite the fact that he’s literally unplayable, Collins has averaged 14.4 minutes per game over the past 10.

According to Sam Amico of Fox Sports, the Phoenix Suns are indeed willing to trade Gortat.

The 6’11” Polish center is still in his prime at 28 years old. He’s averaging 11.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game this season for the Suns. He’s also an above-average athlete and skilled in the pick-and-roll.

All of a sudden, Boston would have a frontcourt rotation featuring Gortat, Kevin Garnett, Jared Sullinger and Brandon Bass. That is, if Bass isn’t traded for Gortat.

Either way, Garnett and Paul Pierce aren’t getting any younger. If the Celtics plan on making one last playoff push, Ainge needs to pull the trigger on a trade sooner rather than later.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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