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Celtics interest in Jimmy Butler trade, Joakim Noah and Al Horford should be high – Metro US
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Celtics interest in Jimmy Butler trade, Joakim Noah and Al Horford should be high

Celtics interest in Jimmy Butler trade, Joakim Noah and Al Horford should be
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Of course Joakim Noah wants the Chicago Bulls to think he’s bolting town. It’s good business for the unrestricted free agent.

A day after the sky was falling in Bulls-land, the Chicago Tribune offered some clarification on the matter by talking with Noah’s agent, Bill Duffy.

“Joakim and I speak on a daily basis about his future,” Duffy told K.C. Johnson of the Tribune. “There has been zero indication from him that he doesn’t wish to return to the Bulls.”

Duffy’s comments come a day after The Chicago Sun-Times reported that an anonymous player on the Bulls said Noah was “done with the [Bulls] organization” because he has “no trust in the front office.”

That front office seems to be leaning in the direction of a total rebuild and a name that has beenlinked to the Bulls is Providence point guard Kris Dunn.

The Celtics are at the other end of the spectrum. They are tired of rebuilding and desire to be a contender next season.

According to the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett and Johnson,Celtics boss Danny Ainge offered up two 2016 first round picks (which turned out to bepicks 3 and 16) and reserve playersto Chicago for Butler at this year’s trade deadline.

Chicago was likely hesitant to make a move because of the fact that the lottery had obviously not taken place yet and there was the distinct possibility that the Celtics could have slid back in the lottery. Now that the draft order has been confirmed and it’s clear that the Bulls could get their point guard of the future, the situation becomes more real.

From the Celtics’ perspective, both Noah and/or Butler should be a part of their A, B or C plans. Noah’s former college teammate at Florida, Al Horford, is also set to become an unrestricted free agent this summerand the Celtics have also expressed interest in acquiring his services in the past.

The Celtics already have a decent roster, and adding Noah, Butler and Horford to the mixthis summer would immediately make them the second best team in the Eastern Conference behind the Cavs.

This would not be a bad starting five:

Al Horford

Joakim Noah

Jae Crowder

Jimmy Butler

Isaiah Thomas

It’s becoming increasingly hard to imagine that the Celtics will land a super-duper star along the lines of Kevin Durant, DeMarcusCousins or Carmelo Anthony. Attempting to assemble a “2004 Pistons-like” roster is probably the best way for Danny Ainge to go this summer.