The Boston Celtics are hoping point guard Isaiah Thomas will help them recruiting potential free-agent targets this offseason, as they look to add pieces to an already talented unit.

In an interview with Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Thomas said he was asked by Celtics president Danny Ainge for some assists in the recruitment process.  

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Thomas, who was acquired by the Celtics in a trade deadline deal last February, appreciated Ainge's gesture a lot, believing it's a sign that he will be part of the team's future after his stint with the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings

"Danny said if there's any free agent out there I'm interested in, to let him know," Thomas told the Boston Globe through a telephone. "That has me excited. For him to ask for my input means a lot, because it means I'm definitely, right now, a part of the future..."

The 26-year old Thomas averaged 16.4 points, 4.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 29 minutes per game (ESPN/Stats), and was one of the factors behind the Celtics' surprising stint in this year's NBA playoffs.

Under second-year coach Brad Stevens, the Celtics finished the regular-season with the 7^th best record in the Eastern Conference (40-42) and a first-round encounter with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston held their own against LeBron James and company, but in the end, the opponents' firepower was too much as they bombed out of the playoff in four games.

Nevertheless, the Celtics management treated their stint in the playoffs as an overachievement. With a young core of Thomas, Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger intact, Ainge is looking to further bolster their roster through the draft and free-agency.

According to Thomas, the Celtics are targeting a defensive-minded big man in the draft to improve their defense that ranked 22^nd in the league at 101 points allowed per game (ESPN/Stats Boston). He hasn't mentioned someone, but many NBA insiders believed the Celtics are high on Willie Cauley-Stein of Kentucky.

TagsIsaiah Thomas, Willie Cauley-Stein, Celtics news & rumors, Celtics stats, NBA rumors, NBA trades