Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison Rumored to Revive Boston

In what would seem like a natural fit for trading partners, the Boston Celtics (not-so-finely-aged would-be championship contenders in need of fresh legs) and the Washington Wizards (trainwreck of a team with no sign of payroll relief anywhere near on the horizon) are rumored -- by Woj at the Y! -- to be discussing a deal that would significantly alter the shape of the Eastern Conference.

Woj, according to his sources, has the Celtics giving up Ray Allen, Brian Scalabrine and J.R. Giddens (all expiring contracts) in order to get Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison in what would be yet another blockbuster deal during Danny Ainge's tenure with the C's.

Of course, much like the trades that brought Kevin Garnett and Allen into Boston, this proposed swap would quickly revive Boston's chances at winning a championship this season. Or, at the very least, put them in the mix with the rest of the elite -- something their aging roster and the, ahem, lackadaisical play of Rasheed Wallace have been unable to do.

The downside for the deal, from the Celtics side, is the obvious chunk of change they'd be inheriting -- about $24 million. For the Wizards, though, shedding that sort of money from their payroll (potentially coupled with ditching Gilbert Arenas' deal, or at least part of it) would at least give them some hope for the future in terms of flexibility, if not talent.

Update: Ainge tells the Boston Globe that he had not discussed the Wizards deal, or a deal with the Bobcats that would ship 'Sheed to Charlotte:

"There is no truth to either one of those," Ainge said. "I have had conversations with a lot of teams but those have never been discussed. There are a lot of things I would like to do but I don't feel a need to do something. I am always looking to upgrade the team, if possible."

Of course, he did admit that "it will probably heat up next week" which is as nice a way of saying "If you think you're ever going to get an acknowledgment of a possible trade from me, you're crazy."