The Boston Celtics need another superstar to compete with the likes of the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA championship.

As the Feb. 23 trade deadline approaches, it appears Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge still is aiming high when it comes to pulling off a blockbuster deal to vault his team into the upper echelon of contenders.

“Boston’s shown minimal interest in (Carmelo) Anthony, preferring to continue its pursuit of persuading Chicago (Jimmy Butler) and Indiana (Paul George) to engage in trade talks that involve two younger, more well-rounded stars,” Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical wrote Wednesday.

Butler has been linked to the Celtics for a while, especially at the draft last year when Boston held the No. 3 overall pick. The Celtics still have the right to swap first-round picks with the Brooklyn Nets this year and they own the Nets’ first rounder in 2018. So, the C’s could pick in the top five three straight years or trade the remaining selections.

George is an interesting name for the Celtics. He’s a legit superstar and a great scorer who can take over games. “PG-13” is averaging 22.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season. He’s also signed for two more seasons with a salary under $20 million per year, which actually is a pretty good deal for a superstar in today’s NBA.

Adding Butler or George would be a huge upgrade for a Celtics team already in second place in the Eastern Conference and just 2.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers.

Thumbnail photo via Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports Images