'Ambitious' Celtics Trade Target Elicits Intriguing 'What-If' Scenario

Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey suggested the Celtics trade for Kevin Love. Imagine if they did back when they had the chance 10 years ago.

May 19, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives in front of Miami Heat forward Kevin Love (42) during the first half of game two of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics don't really need help. They kept the same squad and then added Lonnie Walker IV, who may or may not make the team. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey wrote as much when talking about his designated "ambitious" trade target for every NBA team.

"This is a tricky exercise for the Boston Celtics. They don't have any roster needs. They just won the title. And a massive shake-up involving one of their big-money rotation players doesn't make any sense," Bailey wrote. "So, 'ambitious' takes on a little different meaning for Boston."

Even though it's on a much smaller scale, Bailey explained why he pegged Kevin Love as an ambitious trade target for the Celtics.

"Kevin Love is a floor-spacer with championship experience who'd fit Boston's culture and three-point-heavy offense."

Now let's cut to the chase. No, the Celtics aren't doing that. Bailey's not wrong about what he would bring, but their big man depth is actually pretty solid, and the one thing they don't need is a defensive liability in their frontcourt.

Love was never a shutdown guy even when he was in his prime, but if he played minutes on the Celtics knowing where he is now in his career, the opposition would make it an objective to go at him endlessly until Boston subbed him out.

However, Bailey's mention of Love as an option for the Celtics is a good reminder that the Celtics once tried to acquire Love back in 2014. Love made a well-publicized trip to Boston during that time, fueling plenty of trade speculation. At the time, he was considered one of the NBA's very best players.

When the Cavaliers won the lottery, followed by LeBron's return, they had all they needed to get Love, ending any possibility of him coming to Boston. From there, the rest was history, but one can't help but wonder where the Celtics would be if they had pulled the trigger on a Love trade, had the Cavaliers never beaten them to the punch.

When Love was put on the trade market, the Celtics still had Rajon Rondo plus all the first-round picks the Nets owed them. Since Love was a hot commodity, it goes without saying that the Celtics may have had to offer potentially all of them to entice Minnesota.

Could Love and Rondo have thrived as a pairing? We'll never know for sure. Their careers took drastic turns when Rondo lost the Big 3 and Love was traded to Cleveland. Knowing Love's tumultuous tenure with the Cavaliers, there's no telling if that would have been better or worse in Boston.

However, a Love trade could have come at the cost of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston. Knowing how consistently successful those two have been and where it's all led to for the Celtics, Love could have ranked among their all-time backfires like his former teammate, Kyrie Irving.

And, to think, LeBron was the one who pushed for Cleveland to get Love. So, in a way, Celtics fans have him to thank for how things are and how they have been knowing what could have gone wrong instead.

The Celtics have enjoyed a lot of success over the past decade, which has all culminated into a championship. While no one will ever know for sure, it's amazing to think what could have been had they given up the farm for Kevin Love.