Celtics Rumors: Latest on Jared Sullinger and Possible Trade Scenarios

The Boston Celtics aren't done this summer.

President Danny Ainge and the front office might have missed out on the big fish known as Kevin Durant but still landed Al Horford and have plenty of assets to play with.

In fact, Ainge went out of his way to reassure folks the Celtics haven't thrown in a towel when it comes to roster improvement.

“We’re not done,” Ainge said, according to Brian Robb of Boston.com. “We have the same plans. If you don’t get what you want you have to keep fighting and make the best of it. Everybody wants Kevin Durant on your team and not everyone gets him.”

Having already upgraded a playoff roster, it will be quite interesting to see what Ainge might have up his sleeve. Let's turn toward the rumors for possibilities.

Celtics Still Thinking Trade?

Ainge didn't pull the trigger on a major deal, though it wasn't uncommon to find the Celtics headlining the rumors.

Specifically, the Celtics seemed to come up in rumblings featuring Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls and Jahlil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers.

In fact, the Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett name-dropped those two in a recent column, saying Boston isn't backing off prior trade pursuits:

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Sources tell us the C’s are still holding the line on their offers from prior to the draft. They will make trades if teams come around to their price.

Jimmy Butler and Jahlil Okafor are said to be still available, but getting them now won’t be as easy as on draft night when Chicago and Philadelphia, respectively, both coveted the No. 3 overall pick so they could take Providence’s Kris Dunn.

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It's never, never fun to play the "what if?" game, but one has to take a second to scratch the chin and wonder whether Durant might have changed his mind if one of Butler or Okafor were in town.

Okafor came on in spots last year with the 76ers, averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Maybe the team would like a point guard, and Boston has plenty to offer. But at the same time, building an Okafor-Ben Simmons core sure doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Chicago has changed more than most organizations in a short span, so it's hard to imagine the front office would still have an interest in what Boston might try to sell. Butler now plays with Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade for a suddenly win-now organization, so shipping away the team's best player doesn't make sense.

Boston likely doesn't secure a deal for Butler or Okafor, but the rumor says one thing loud and clear: Ainge won't blink at dangling some of his major assets if the right roster-upgrading move presents itself. If not, Horford and rookie Jaylen Brown remain as the biggest new additions, and that's not such a bad thing.

The Jared Sullinger Situation

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Boston has yet to figure out what to do with Jared Sullinger.

With Horford on board and the Celtics picking up the options on Jonas Jerebko and Amir Johnson, according to Henry McKenna of Boston.com, it's a bit crowded underneath the basket.

One can understand the dilemma. Sullinger has had a rocky four seasons at best and this past year received the fewest average minutes per game (23.6) since his rookie campaign, mustering 10.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in the process.

Adam Kaufman of WBZ provided the thoughts of The Vertical's Chris Mannix on the topic:

Based on Sullinger's decreasing trajectory, it's not a shock no team has jumped in to throw an offer at the restricted free agent.

For Boston, taking another risk on a guy who is just 24 years old makes sense, though the man himself let a rather interesting comment loose recently:

This could mean a whole range of things, from Sullinger's status with the Celtics to his goals as a player.

Regardless, Boston has a call to make. So far, this hasn't been a situation in which another team swoops in and makes the decision for the front office.

For Ainge, patience has been the preferable approach. With other potential moves remaining a possibility, so too does the fate of Sullinger. It won't be a shock to see everything hang in limbo while one of the league's most respected personnel guys keeps at it.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.