NBA trade rumors 2016: Isaiah Thomas to leave Boston Celtics via trade?

Boston Celtics has been the subject of countless trade rumors while the National Basketball Association is on an offseason break. Recently, the 27-year-old point guard triggered waves of speculations after a tweet seemingly dropped a hint of a looming trade.

Following his social media post on Twitter, fans are wondering whether his message is somehow linked to reports of an impending trade deal this summer. Previous reports indicate that the Celtics are in a rebuilding mode after Golden State Warriors' recent acquisition of former Oklahoma Thunder small forward Kevin Durant via free agency. Durant's addition to the Warriors' roster gives the Stephen Curry-led team an additional firepower with two Most Valuable Player honorees as starters.

Currently, Thomas is considered a prized talent on the Celtics roster. After playing all of last season's 82 games, the 5-foot-9 point guard proved his mettle as he posted an average record of 22.2 points and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 42.8 from the field per Fansided report.

With his remarkable stint, he is a considered a valuable commodity on the Boston lineup. The NBA-All Star player, however, may consider finding greener pastures elsewhere. Per Mass Live, there is little incentive for Isaiah Thomas alongside teammate Avery Bradley to stay with Boston's unappealing offer. A decent raise in the free agency season should keep them happy enough to consider staying in Boston for a while.

But the mysterious tweet may have been totally unrelated to basketball. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, Thomas hopes to stay and contribute to the team's current effort to transform into a "championship-contending team" when asked whether the Celtics could improve on last year's 48-win finish.

"I don't know if we've done enough to be a championship-contending team, but we're going in that direction... And hopefully I'm here, on that team, and able to contend for [a title].

In another Celtics update, another trade talk looming on the horizon involves Los Angeles Clippers' power forward Blake Griffin. If rumors prove accurate, Griffin may jump ship to Boston next season via trade deal. With the recent addition of Al Horford, the team hopes to build an athletic roster with Thomas leading the offense. If Griffin were to change his jersey shirt, the Clippers would probably let him go in exchange for one of Boston's draft picks next year which may include the league's first overall pick per BitBag report.