Welcome to theScore's preview of the 2016-17 NBA season.
Ever since the dissolution of the Big Three, Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has been searching desperately for the next generation.
Ainge spent the last four seasons accumulating assets, and his war chest rivals any team in the league. The Celtics are owed two more first-round picks from the lowly Brooklyn Nets, they own all their first-rounders, and they have a handful of prospects stashed overseas and on their bench in the NBA.
The purpose of all this prospect capital isn't to spark the next great rebuilding project. Ainge's intentions are quite clear - he's looking to flip his assets into immediate contributors who can turn his solid 48-win team into a serious contender.
Here are three players who fit Boston's bill.
Carmelo Anthony
Reports suggest Ainge chased Anthony at the trade deadline last summer, but the offer was rebuked before talks even started. Anthony has a full no-trade clause, and wasn't intrigued by a move to Boston.
However, while Anthony loves the New York Knicks, the team hasn't always loved him back. It's been three years since Anthony tasted the playoffs as the Knicks have spent more time in the lottery than in relevancy.
Anthony himself admitted that another lost season in New York "wouldn't sit well" with him.
The Knicks have tried their best to quickly reverse their fortunes. New York underwent a major makeover this offseason by bringing in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. But while there's justifiable reason for excitement, should injuries come back to haunt these ex-Bulls, the Knicks' turnaround could go south in a hurry.
If another trip to the lottery is imminent, the 32-year-old Anthony might want a change of scenery, and Boston will surely make another call to gauge his interest.
It would be a perfect fit for both Anthony and the Celtics. Boston's biggest weakness is their offense, which relies far too heavily on a 5-foot-9 point guard in Isaiah Thomas. They have no one else to turn to when the attack bogs down; Anthony would fix that. On the other hand, the Celtics have the defensive infrastructure necessary to compensate for Anthony's deficiency on that end.
Could Anthony, Thomas, new addition Al Horford, and a host of plucky perimeter defenders threaten the Cleveland Cavaliers for Eastern supremacy? They would have a better chance than anyone else in the conference, that's for sure.
DeMarcus Cousins
Cousins is everyone's dream trade target (and the Celtics have reportedly eyed him for a while). The Sacramento Kings have been a tire fire for the entirety of Cousins' tenure, and sooner or later, something has to give.
The Kings remain committed to making it work - at least for the time being. They've added a fresh new cast of supporting characters around Cousins, and a brand new head coach in Dave Joerger.
But if their latest efforts amount to shuffling the deck chairs, the Kings might have no choice but to salvage what value is left in Cousins' contract. And if they decide to rebuild, Boston boasts that aforementioned boatload of picks.
Getting Cousins would be exactly the type of all-in move that Ainge has been building toward. A motivated Cousins is the most dominant force in the league, and, more importantly, no player in the East could stop him. Andre Drummond is as close as it comes in terms of size, and Cousins dropped 33 and 31 points against him when they played last year.
Former teammate Isaiah Thomas would surely welcome a reunion.
Nerlens Noel
Short of bringing in an All-NBA-type player - the rarest commodity on the market - Ainge might have to settle for an under-the-radar addition like Noel.
It's all set up perfectly for Boston to pry away the talented young rim protector. Not only is Noel dropping not-so-subtle hints about his interest in a homecoming, the Sixers find themselves with far too many centers than they can reasonably handle.
Last year's frontcourt already saw Noel and Jahlil Okafor battle for minutes at center - introducing the finally healthy Joel Embiid to the mix would be overkill. If Embiid proves he can stay on the court, dealing Noel figures to be an inevitability. A straight-up swap of Noel for Marcus Smart, for example, would work nicely.
Adding Noel would reinforce the Celtics' defense and shift Horford back to his natural position at power forward while also giving Thomas a hyper-athletic pick-and-roll finisher. Noel would patch up Boston's shortcomings on the glass, too.
Put it this way: Noel is one of nine players since 1979 to average more than 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. He shares that honor with the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace, and David Robinson, among others. While Noel isn't near that level, it's clear he has the potential to grow into an elite defender.
