Boston Celtics Rumors: Roundup of Top Trade and 2011 Free Agent Targets

The Boston Celtics are in a very intriguing position following the widely criticized Kendrick Perkins trade, and it will certainly be fun to watch how the team shapes its roster going forward.

With sizable investments tied up in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics are going to have to be more creative than the club has shown in the past in an effort to improve the roster and compete with a new crop of challengers in the Eastern Conference.

It's become evident that the Celtics are clearing some space for a much more appealing free agent class in 2012, but it's imperative that Boston pursues upgrading the talent playing at TD Garden long before that.

Delonte West, PG, Free Agent

Although West was with the team last season, he warrants a spot on this list because his re-signing is an imperative one for the Celtics.

While some scoff at the notion that a backup point guard is crucial to the club, West played well during his second go-around in Boston despite a limited a sample size.

Avery Bradley simply hasn't looked ready to log regular minutes and the team has to be careful not to burn on Rajon Rondo too early, so with West already stating that he wants to remain with the C's, it really shouldn't take long to hammer out a one-year deal.

Brandan Wright, PF, Free Agent

Wright's name isn't one that some fans may have heard connected with the team, but it's possible that the Celtics get more serious about a pursuit with a scarcity along the front line.

Boston had expressed a previous interest in him in an effort to flip him in another deal, and he's precisely the type of roll of the dice that Boston will need to take without compromising cap space for the long-term picture.

He was the No. 8 overall pick coming out of North Carolina in 2007 after being highly touted, and it's hard to imagine that all of the potential has been completely sapped from his game at 24 years old.

Leon Powe, PF, Free Agent

Powe was a fan favorite during his time with the Celtics, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him return to Boston whatsoever now that his knee is fully healthy.

After signing with the Memphis Grizzlies late in the season, Powe displayed that he can still be considered a solid option when it comes to providing depth on the bench and the ability to contribute when his number is called.

He had the best seasons of his career when he was playing in Beantown, and the Celtics expressed interest in re-signing him before he decided to ink with the Grizz last season.

Rasual Butler, G/F, Free Agent

Butler was bought out by the Clippers last season before latching on in Chicago, but he didn't see much action for the team upon his arrival.

He had signed overseas this summer in Spain to play with Gran Canaria, but he has since returned stateside for "personal reasons," and it's assumed that he seeks to continue his NBA career.

The Celtics need a sharpshooter to stretch the floor within the second unit, and after Boston sniffed around him last season, Butler could provide that element and would likely be available for the veteran's minimum.

Jason Kapono, SF, Free Agent

The Celtics were reportedly fairly high on adding Kapono to the fold if he had been bought out last season, and now the team will have a chance to do its due diligence as the veteran is an unrestricted free agent.

Kapono should come at a fraction of his previous salary after averaging 0.7 points over 24 games last season, but that should be taken with a major grain of salt considering the extremely limited sample size available to draw from.

Prior to last season, Kapono had never fallen below the 36 percent mark from behind the three-point arc, and that is something Boston could definitely use in the pursuit of upgrading its approach with the B team.

Grant Hill, SF, Free Agent

Hill is an ideal veteran for the Celtics to pursue for a multitude of reasons, and it would be a big surprise if the Celtics didn't decide to at least reach out to him.

With Ainge reportedly "looking for help" without mortgaging the long-term plans, an agreement between Hill and the C's could be beneficial for both sides, as No. 33 has yet to win a championship during his career.

He'd make for a great addition to a team that struggled to garner production from the members of the bench last season, although there is going to be a lot of competition in the pursuit of his services.

Anthony Parker, G/F, Free Agent

Parker is another swingman for the team to consider as the group attempts to upgrade production from the second unit, and it's going to be time to shop for cheap veterans.

With the Celtics having already shown some level of interest in acquiring Parker's services, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to think that the team would further investigate the realistic chances of landing him.

It would not surprise me to see the team pursue him as great insurance behind both Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, but like some of the other bargain bin players on this list, the C's won't be the only team with interest.

Josh Howard, G/F, Free Agent

Howard is still trying to re-capture his previous form after dealing with knee problems that have ruined the last few seasons for him, and he's another veteran who should be able to had for a discounted price.

He's known to be good friends with ex-Celtic Marquis Daniels, and Daniels' impression of his time with the C's seemed to wear off on Howard, who is reportedly very open to the possibility of playing in Boston.

Obviously Howard would have to show that he's fully healthy and capable of contributing in a reserve role before the team even considers him a possibility, but there is a logical fit between the parties.

Carl Landry, F, Free Agent

Landry is going to draw a lot of interest on the open market, so this possibility is admittedly a stretch when it comes to Boston's ability to court him ahead of teams with more cap space.

Although he was probably joking about the chance that he'd wind up in a Boston uniform, it's certainly not out of the question as the team does have a distinct need behind Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal.

As someone who has shown a willingness to play multiple positions along the front line and one of the tougher players around the league, Landry's work ethic and productivity would have him fitting in well inside the locker room.

Mickael Pietrus, G/F, Trade

Pietrus is an intriguing target for the club should the trade route be deemed more viable than free agency for upgrading the second unit, if for no other reason than his contract expires at season's end, making him a very short-term risk.

He's got an ability to knock down the three and can catch fire at a moment's notice, and that instant scoring threat is something that the Celtics could definitely use, especially when he's already mentioned the idea of playing in green.

It's obvious that he's not a part of the long-term plans for a Suns team that's thinking about the future, and it would make sense for the team to shop him to a competitor like Boston.

Jared Dudley, G/F, Trade

Dudley really blossomed for Phoenix last season, so it's now going to be a lot tougher for the Celtics to land him than it may have been when the team originally expressed an interest in him.

A Boston College product, Dudley would be an ideal reserve to swing between multiple positions in case of injury, and he's on a very affordable contract at just $4.25 million per season.

There's a lot to like about his game, and he leads both on and off the court, but the Celtics just don't have the same assets that other teams do in a competitive pursuit of Dudley.

Trade Target Speculation: Ian Mahinmi, C

As mentioned previously, the team doesn't have a whole lot of leverage at the negotiating table in terms of a trade, and the targets have to really reasonable for Boston to concoct a deal.

Mahinmi is not the long-term answer at center, but he does provide depth behind a fragile Jermaine O'Neal and the club was burned by its lack of talent at the position last year.

He is an unrestricted free agent in 2012, and if the Mavericks have to dole out some lucrative extensions to players like Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea, trading Mahinmi might just make sense.

Trade Target Speculation: Donte Greene, SF

Greene hasn't seen consistent court time since coming into the league out of Syracuse, but that's largely been a product of the numerous options Sacramento has had on the roster.

A high-flier capable of whipping off a highlight-reel jam at any moment, Greene needs further development around the right people (i.e. Paul Pierce) in order to take his effectiveness to the next level where it needs to be.

He really shouldn't come all that expensively considering that the Kings are committed to both John Salmons and Francisco Garcia for multiple seasons, and Greene would have the chance to be on a successful Celtics team.

Free Agent Target Speculation: Chuck Hayes, F/C

Hayes really excelled in a starting role for Houston last season despite being massively undersized for the center position.

Boston absolutely needs to find a better option in the middle than the plug-n-chug veteran method that the club has been using, and Hayes would be a nice piece behind Garnett and O'Neal to bridge the gap into the future.

He might garner a wealthier yearly salary than the Celtics feel comfortable paying prior to the 2012 free agent frenzy, so it'll be interesting to see if the C's get serious about the pursuit.

Free Agent Target Speculation: Jamal Crawford, SG

The biggest coup of 'em all would be the Celtics landing Jamal Crawford.

Any chance that the team has of landing Crawford will be directly impacted by what happens with the new mid-level exception in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, but he's exactly the type of player who could anchor the second unit's attack.

After bouncing around the league throughout his career, Crawford might openly embrace the opportunity to play on a team that can contend for a title.