I am assuming, since you are on this site, you are aware of the #Celtics moving on from Gordon Hayward.
Gordon Hayward sign and trade recap
Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics were able to recapture some of their credibility as move-makers with a maneuver that sent Gordon Hayward to the Charlette Hornets via sign-and-trade. The move gave the Celtics a $28.5 million trade exception, which is the largest in NBA history. At this point many Celtics enthusiasts are dreaming of what Santa can bring them for such a hefty bounty.
Reality Check Time
I’m here to bring all of us back to earth just a little bit. So we have this exception, meaning we can make moves without matching salaries. Let’s go see what we can buy! Who is available for the $28.5 million price tag? Stop right there. It isn’t that simple for a few reasons.
Trade Exception Rules
There is still a hard cap. Due to signing Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague, we can only realize about $21.8 million. So, okay we need to bring our wish-list down a little bit. Certainly, there are still plenty of impact pieces that can be had for 21 Mil. We still need a partner, as with any trade, we can only get players that their current team doesn’t want. It’s probably sounding a bit less attractive right now. We need a guy that fits our needs that has somehow lost their value to their current team. I know there are still guys out there that fit that description, but what will they cost? Wait, you said we have an exception! Yes, we do but the partner team is going to want something in return. Danny Ainge is no longer sitting on a stockpile of valuable draft picks. The cupboard is bare, we only have our own picks and if you haven’t been paying attention, we aren’t a lottery team.
Our roster is full which is also a consideration, but not a huge deal when you look at some of the “talent” at the far end of the bench. I think we all agree there is something there that we could live without.
Giannis is not walking through the door
I don’t mean to be the Debbie Downer to all you fans that dream of bringing in Giannis, Harden or Bradley Beal but there is a reason that 70 percent of these exceptions go unused. I don’t think that Danny will let it go unused, but I think he will sit on it to see what this teams’ needs are around the trade deadline and see what is available. Keep an eye on players that are on expiring contracts on struggling teams and as crazy as it may sound, those with over-valued contracts that teams will be looking to move.
Question for All Fans
Who do you want to see the #Celtics target with this trade exception?
Jim Dickie
Kyle Kuzma. He’s young, He would fit in great with the Celtics young core of Tatum and Brown. A line-up of Walker, Brown, Tatum, Kuzma, and Thompson would be awesome to watch.
The Celtics need a veteran wing man that can help off the bench or perhaps a starter. players that I would recommend are Trevor Ariza from OKC, Thaddeus Young from the Bulls. These two guys are veterans with expiring contracts that could help the Celtics with out costing them anything. Younger players would be Aaron Gordon, Terence Ross, Evan Fourier, Harrison Barnes, or Buddy Hield.