Buddy Hield trade talks have run rampant across social media lately, and Boston Celtics fans have become especially active in these discussions. Celtics forward Oshae Brissett hinted that he would welcome Hield to Boston when he “liked” a recent tweet from a Celtics fan account.
According to Matt John of Heavy Sports, the tweet listed a potential Boston starting lineup of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Hield. To make a deal for Hield, the Celtics would need to give up Malcolm Brogdon or a combination of role players with smaller salaries.
The Celtics signed Brissett to a two-year $4.5 million deal in June, adding to their elite depth and versatility. According to Celtics reporter Bobby Manning, Brissett returned to Boston in mid-September and is preparing for preseason action with the rest of the team.
Brissett played his last one-and-a-half seasons in Indiana with Hield. Based on his Twitter activity, the Canadian forward would likely enjoy a reunion with his former teammate.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers & Boston Celtics Updates
Hield continued to establish himself as one of the best shooters in NBA history last season, perfecting his jumper to the tune of 288 made threes on a remarkable 42.5% clip. The former lottery pick fired 8.5 long-range attempts a night, good for eighth-most in the league. On top of that, he sank 47.6% of his corner threes and hit 43.8% of his pull-up threes.
Boston hasn’t had a long-range specialist with Hield’s volume since Ray Allen helped Beantown to its 17th championship in 2008. In a Celtics offense stuffed with scoring options, Hield could see more open threes than ever. Tatum has especially grown into a defense-altering player, often creating open shots for teammates with his presence alone.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers & Boston Celtics Updates
Adding Hield to a team with three 23-ppg scorers and several talented 3-point shooters could set the basketball world on fire. Boston could feasibly roll out lineups with more spacing and versatility than any other team in the league. Often left with no other choice, opposing defenses would shoot themselves in the foot by double-teaming Tatum.
While placing Hield next to a Tatum-Brown-Porzingis trio would present a matchup nightmare for anyone, it remains to be seen whether Boston seriously pursues the long-range specialist or not.
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