Isiah Thomas wants to reignite the NBA’s most bitter rivalry—and he knows exactly how to do it. The Hall of Famer recently floated a trade idea that would send Anthony Davis to the one destination the Los Angeles Lakers never want to empower: the Boston Celtics. Framed as a strategic masterstroke and an act of ultimate revenge, Thomas’s proposal flips Davis into a weapon for their oldest rival, instantly turning a routine trade discussion into a league-shaking provocation.

Speaking on the Run It Back podcast, the Hall of Famer and Detroit Pistons legend suggested that Anthony Davis could be the missing piece for the Boston Celtics.

“I think there are four teams in the East that, if they make a trade for AD, I think they become the favorite,” Thomas said. “And one of them I’m gonna throw out here is probably not being talked about as much, but if Boston makes a trade for AD, the way Boston is playing right now, and Jaylen Brown…I mean, Boston right now has a chance to elevate to that, you know, championship level again if they were to pull off a trade.”

Interestingly, this would be a revenge move on the Lakers, as the Celtics were one of the teams interested in AD when the Lakers secured him in 2019.

AD’s father strongly opposed the idea of his son moving to Boston, as he was not happy with Isaiah Thomas’ mistreatment during those days. “I would never want my son to play for Boston after what they done to Isaiah Thomas,” Anthony Davis Sr. told ESPN.

Isiah Thomas also warns the Detroit Pistons against making a move for Anthony Davis

Apart from the Boston Celtics, Isiah Thomas also mentioned three more teams in the East as possible trade destinations for Anthony Davis, which included his former team, the Detroit Pistons, along with the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks.

Although he believes that AD’s inclusion could massively benefit teams in the East, he also raises caution for the Pistons, who have been in pretty good shape with their two big men, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, putting in some exceptional performances.

So, he feels that a move for AD could create unnecessary chaos and disrupt the team’s combination, affecting the chemistry.

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“I don’t know if Detroit wants to mess around with their two bigs, because their two bigs are exceptional,” Thomas mentioned when speaking about the Pistons’ chances of securing the 32-year-old.

Even trade-wise, Davis suits the Celtics much better than the Pistons. The Celtics have been reliant on Neemias Queta this season, and the big man has delivered some great performances. However, they need a starting center of higher quality so that Queta can run with the second unit.

Davis fits perfectly for that role, but he has been one of the most injury-prone players in the league in recent years. Additionally, his current three-year contract is worth $175 million, which will see him earn $54.1 million this season, increasing to $62.7 million if he exercises the player option in 2027.

Overall, any team that takes a punt on AD will be a huge risk, as when he is healthy, he is easily one of the most dominant players in the league right now.

However, knowing Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens’ mindset and prior trades, it is highly unlikely that he will make such an expensive gamble.