The Boston Celtics have some decisions to make this offseason and one of the biggest will be what to do with Gordon Hayward. It appears the talented wing wants out of town and a sign-and-trade may have to occur. Plenty of teams have shown interest in Hayward if he becomes available.
Hayward is a quality player, even though he may not be the franchise player that many thought he would be with the Utah Jazz. He suffered a major setback a couple years ago with a gruesome ankle injury. That injury is no longer bothering him though and he has gotten back on track.
With so many rumors swirling around, no one truly knows what to expect from the rest of the offseason. One NBA executive, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke to NBA Analysis Network and revealed a few potential landing spots for Hayward.
“I think the Atlanta Hawks are a real team to watch, although they are hot after (Danilo) Gallinari. Indiana is also in hot pursuit. But I think a team to keep a close eye on could actually be the Mavericks. They want an impact player and if they can’t get Gallinari, Hayward could be a perfect Plan B.”
During the 2019-20 NBA season with the Celtics, Hayward ended up averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He shot 50 percent from the floor and knocked down 38.3 percent of his three-point attempts.
Those numbers show why so many teams would have interest in trading for Hayward is he is available.
Looking at the potential landing spots, the Pacers would make a ton of sense. It would be a homecoming for Hayward and Indiana is a piece or two away from contending seriously in the East. The Mavericks would also be a perfect landing spot, as he would fit nicely alongside Luke Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
As for the Hawks, that would be intriguing. Trae Young and Atlanta are building back to being a fringe playoff contender. With a couple big moves, they could make the push into the postseason.
Expect to hear a lot of rumors surrounding the Celtics and Gordon Hayward. It appears likely that he is moved this offseason, but we will just have to wait and see where he ends up.
