A road trip from hell looms. The Celtics host the Blazers Friday, then hit the road for an eight-game-in-13-days, ahem, vacation that includes tilts with the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Hawks and 76ers. By the end of that trip, the Celtics will have a better idea where they stand in the playoff hierarchy, and perhaps a mountain of bruises, and possibly a pounding migraine headache.

By the end of that trip, the Celtics might also look entirely different. During the middle of the road swing arrives the trade deadline, which threatens to scramble Boston’s roster as Danny Ainge looks to the future.

It’s possible that the Celtics return to Boston with a more youthful lineup, one devoid of certain future Hall of Famers. But Doc Rivers does not expect many changes. (Boston Globe)

“I’m sure there will be more rumors, there’s nothing you can do about that,’’ Rivers said. “We pretty much know what we want to do.

Rivers’ prediction of a quiet deadline could very well prove accurate. But don’t think for a second Ainge will lay dormant. He’s the type of GM who is either making moves or plotting to make moves. If the Celtics are silent — and that could very well happen — it won’t be due to lack of effort. It will be a result of Ainge not finding a suitable deal for Boston’s future.