NBA Rumors: Leandro Barbosa Demanding Trade From Boston Celtics


David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics are 20-18 and currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings, but their wealth at the guard position must be turned into depth in the front court or they won’t have a chance in the playoffs this season. Leandro Barbosa has not kept his unhappiness with the Celtics a secret, and confirmed he hopes to be traded in an appearance on ESPN radio in Brazil.

“I will not lie to you: I tried to get out several times, but Danny Ainge does not want to let me go,” Barbosa said. “He’s a guy that admires my basketball skills for many years. I was supposed to get a good contract with the Boston Celtics, but did not. He will not let me go.”

Barbosa has basically been invisible after November. He’s averaged just six minutes per game since December and clearly believes he still has enough left in the tank to be a contributor elsewhere.

CelticsBlog.com suggested possibly trading Barbosa for Timofey Mozgov, which would give Kevin Garnett a break at the center spot and give the Celtics a better option than Jason Collins. Mozgov is nothing special, but you cannot teach size and he’s got it. The Celtics could develop him into a solid defender, which he already has some skills at, and they don’t need him to score with guys like Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Jared Sullinger coming off the bench.

Barbosa has played well when given the opportunity. He just doesn’t seem to be a better option than the guards the Celtics already have and like. That being said, the trade for Mosgov sounds good, but I doubt the Denver Nuggets bite. They have a four-guard rotation they like already as well. Barbosa is a fit somewhere, and we’ll likely see him traded before the February deadline.

Jeff Shull is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.


Check Out the Top NBA Players of All Time
Does Your NBA Team Have a Problem? - Check Out What We Think
Who is the Best Athlete From Each State?

We Recommend

Rant NBA

Around the Web