2020 NBA Free Agency

Free agency was interesting for the Boston Celtics compared to most teams because unlike going out and trying to sign a big-name free agent, they were trying to sign-and-trade Gordon Hayward. The veteran wing had opted out of his $35M player option for the 2020-21 NBA season with the Celtics and wanted to continue his career with a new organization. 

With the Celtics not wanting to let Gordon Hayward walk without getting anything in return, they were able to work out a sign-and-trade with the Charlotte Hornets, where Hayward signed a four-year, $120M contract. Losing Hayward may look like it hurts the Celtics, but overall, it helps them greatly. 

Moving Hayward’s massive contract allows the Celtics to go out and get players they need because Gordon Hayward was not a necessity for Boston. When Hayward was on the court, Jayson Tatum had to move to power forward, where he is not accustomed to playing, and was targeted by a lot of teams in the low-post area. Now, with Hayward gone, Tatum can move back to his traditional position on the court on the wing and the Celtics do not have to play with a small lineup that hurts them defensively.

Aside from all of the drama with Gordon Hayward, the Celtics went out and signed two veterans in Jeff Teague and Tristan Thompson. The Teague and Thompson signings flew under-the-radar and are two fantastic signings for this Boston Celtics organization.

Neither Carsen Edwards nor Payton Pritchard are reliable backup point guards as they are both still new to the league and learning Boston’s system. Bringing in Jeff Teague is a great move because he has always been a reliable point guard and well-respected player in the NBA. His ability to lead the second-unit for the Celtics will be extremely under-valued early in the year, but should not be slept on.

Tristan Thompson is another guy who will contribute from day one. He has consistently been one of the best rebounding centers in the NBA over the last few seasons and for a team who has not had a true, reliable center over the years, Thompson will play a big role on the glass for the Celtics. Not to mention, he is a low-post threat offensively and can open up this offense for Boston.