Celtics president Danny Ainge could’ve gone two ways at the NBA trade deadline — completely rebuilding or fortifying the current roster with precious few pieces to deal in return — and he appears to have chosen the latter.

In trading Jason Collins, his 8.1 personal fouls per 36 minutes and the injured Leandro Barbosa‘s expiring veteran minimum contract to the Wizards in exchange for Jordan Crawford, Ainge got the backcourt support he was looking for, partly at the expense of the team’s frontcourt depth.

In acquiring Crawford, the Celtics save a few hundred thousand dollars in salary and open another roster spot this season. They owe the 24-year-old shooting guard $2.1 million next year before he becomes a restricted free agent in 2014-15 — nothing too steep for a fourth guard option behind Avery Bradley, Courtney Lee and Jason Terry. Meanwhile, they hold on to The Fab Melo Project and inch closer to getting under the luxury tax line.

Considered a below average defender with poor shot selection, decent ball-handling skills and a knack for scoring in transition, Crawford is a poor man’s Barbosa, and since Ainge recently admitted players of Barbosa’s caliber aren’t available, he appears to be the best available option. The C’s weren’t going to get J.J. Redick at this price.

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The Celtics acquired Jordan Crawford from the Wizards, as first reported by David Aldridge.

Despite speculation that the C’s would send Fab Melo in return, team president Danny Ainge instead dealt little used backup center Jason Collins and the injured Leandro Barbosa — both on expiring veteran minimum contracts — according to Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound shooting guard averaged 13.2 points , 3.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 26.2 minutes a night for the woeful Wizards. His field goal (41.5%) and 3-point (34.5%) percentages are both career-highs. Over three NBA seasons, Crawford has shot 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc.

Here’s former ESPN.com analyst and current Grizzlies vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger‘s scouting report on the 24-year-old:

• Shoot-happy guard who takes terrible shots. Capable passer when mood strikes.
• Very quick and has a good handle. Can finish, but poor long-range shooter.
• Abysmal defender. Undersized for 2. Must add strength and dial up effort.

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A mere hours before the NBA’s trade deadline, Donny Marshall of CSNNE joined Mut & Merloni on Thursday to discuss the never-ending trade rumors involving Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Fab Melo and more.

The Celtics reportedly have interest in making a deal for Hawks forward Josh Smith. (AP)

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, reported Wednesday that the Nets had offered Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and a draft pick to the Celtics for Pierce.

“I love MarShon Brooks,” Marshall said. “I think that he is one of my favorite, if not my favorite first couple of years players. He’s a terrific scorer. … It comes to an end at some point and then you have to start rebuilding. Paul Pierce is the Bob Cousy, the John Havlicek of the Celtics today. He really is. You have a guy on your team that has played for you his entire career and has played through all the ups and downs. … If you can get a guy like MarShon Brooks, if you can get a guy like Kris Humphries; you know what, personality off the court aside, it helps you on the court.”

Another hot topic for the trade deadline has continued to be the possible availability of Hawks forward Josh Smith.

“I don’t know if Doc Rivers wants to coach a guy like Josh Smith,” Marshall said. “The guy has no position, I’m talking basketball alone. He has no position. He has no shot selection. Sometimes you’ll see him shooting 3′s. He’ll shoot air balls, then he’ll make two or three. Then you’ll see him shooting mid-range jumpshots, then you’ll see him in the post. He really has no position. … He hasn’t proven himself as a winner, one. He doesn’t really understand the concepts of what they’re running. Maybe that’s the coach and the system that you can play in Atlanta, but I’m not so sure that he’s a Doc Rivers-type guy.”

While Smith’s athleticism is obvious, his personality and attitude has come into question in the past.

“Everyone across the board [says] ‘We don’t know, we stay away from Josh Smith,’ ” Marshall said. “Because his personality, he will blow up at you. He will walk out of practices. These are reports from guys who are on that team; coaches and players. Obviously you have to have a guy come and experience it for yourself, but guys in the NBA talk. It’s a small fraternity and that bad news can derail, it will stay with you for a long time, and I think a lot of people know that about Josh Smith, apart from his talent on the floor.

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Here’s a roundup of the rumors that are making their way around the web midday Thursday, hours before the 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline.

Tyler Hansbrough reportedly has been made available by the Pacers. (AP)

The Pacers are dangling D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green and Tyler Hansbrough, according to the Indianapolis Star. While they are 33-21 and owners of the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers are looking to strengthen their roster as they look toward the playoffs.

Augustin ($3.5 million) and Hansbrough ($3.05 million) are on expiring contracts. Augustin will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, while Hansbrough will be restricted.

Green, the athletic former Celtic, signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal last offseason but has struggled to find his niche.

• Magic guard J.J. Redick, who becomes a free agent this offseason, is said to be receiving plenty of interest. Redick makes $6.19 million this season but reportedly wants close to $10 million per year for his next deal, leading to the Magic taking calls. Redick is averaging a career-best 15.2 points and 4.4 assists in 31.6 minutes per game. The Spurs are one of the teams rumored to have an interest.

• Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that the Raptors have emerged as the frontrunners to land Suns guard (and onetime Celtic) Sebastian Telfair, crediting league sources. Telfair’s minutes have dropped since the Suns made a coaching change last month (hiring Lindsey Hunter to replace Alvin Gentry).

Wojnarowski also tweeted that the Hornets are struggling to find a team that will trade a high enough first-round draft pick for Gerald Henderson.

• The New Orleans Time Picayune reports that the Hornets are offering guard Eric Gordon. One option has Gordon going to the Warriors for Klay Thompson, although Golden State apparently isn’t very interested in that deal.

Tyreke Evans

The Celtics are trying to land Kings guard Tyreke Evans prior to the 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein.

Rumors of the C’s interest in the No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft have surfaced before, and given Sacramento’s willingness to part ways on Thursday with their first- and second-round picks from this past June’s draft — Thomas Robinson and Tyler Honeycutt, respectively — along with longtime Kings wing Francisco Garcia, it’s no surprise Celtics president of basketball relations Danny Ainge is eager to get Sacramento GM Geoff Petrie on the phone.

Evans has averaged 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 31.1 minutes a night for the miserable Kings organization, but the question is whether the 23-year-old former NBA Rookie of the Year has been part of the problem in Sacramento. He has a $6.9 million qualifying offer for next season.

It’s unclear what the Celtics would offer in return for Evans. Also, Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears reported that both Evans and Kings teammate DeMarcus Cousins “have been given the impression they would not be dealt.”

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As Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday, the Celtics are offering Fab Melo to any NBA team that can provide sufficient backcourt help, and ESPN.com senior writer Chris Broussard claimed Wizards shooting guard Jordan Crawford is “on their radar.”

The 24-year-old Crawford has averaged 13.2 points, 3.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 26.2 minutes for a bad Wizards team. Here’s former ESPN.com analyst and current Grizzlies vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger‘s scouting report on Crawford (WARNING: Don’t get too excited.):

• Shoot-happy guard who takes terrible shots. Capable passer when mood strikes.
• Very quick and has a good handle. Can finish, but poor long-range shooter.
• Abysmal defender. Undersized for 2. Must add strength and dial up effort.

Crawford and newly signed Terrence Williams — at least for the remainder of his 10-day deal — would battle for the fourth spot in Celtics coach Doc Rivers‘ point guard-less backcourt behind Avery Bradley, Courtney Lee and Jason Terry. Crawford has shot 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range in two-plus seasons.
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The Celtics gave up 36 first-quarter points to the Lakers, and their defense remained porous for the rest of the night in a 113-99 loss in Los Angeles. The defeat, which came with just over 12 hours left until the NBA trade deadline, was the second in as many games at the start of a five-game trip against Western Conference teams.

Dwight Howard was dominant in the post for the Lakers, hitting 10-of-13 shots en route to 24 points and 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. Howard and Earl Clark (14 points, 15 rebounds) gave Los Angeles a huge advantage on the boards, with a 48-34 advantage on the glass. Seven Lakers finished the night in double figures in a well-balanced attack that consistently found clear lanes to the bucket against the Celtics.

In defeat, Paul Pierce — at a time when he’s been subject to trade rumors — scored 26 points with four rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes. Courtney Lee added 20 points.

The Celtics now have two days to regroup before they face the Suns in Phoenix. Given the uncertainty inherent in the hours leading up to the trade deadline, it remains to be seen what the composition of the team will be when it next takes the floor.