NBA Rumors: Celtics Could Acquire Tristan Thompson & Jordan Clarkson For Gordon Hayward & Two 1st-Round Picks
After failing to live up to expectations from the massive contract he signed in the summer of 2017, rumors started to circulate around Gordon Hayward and his future with the Boston Celtics. Since suffering a terrible injury in his first year with the Celtics, Hayward is yet to regain his All-Star form and last season, he only averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. As of now, most people see Hayward as a liability in Boston than the man who would help them bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
According to Tyler Marling of Fansided’s King James Gospel, the Celtics could unload Gordon Hayward and the two years and $66.8 million left on his contract by engaging in a trade deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. In the proposed trade scenario, the Celtics would be sending a trade package including Hayward and two 2020 first-round picks to the Cavaliers in exchange for Tristan Thompson and Jordan Clarkson. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine.
Aside from getting rid of Gordon Hayward’s lucrative contract, the deal would allow the Celtics to acquire two veteran role players who could boost their chance of dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the NBA championship in the 2019-20 NBA season. Tristan Thompson would give the Celtics a veteran center with championship experience who could fill the void Al Horford left on the defensive end of the floor, while Jordan Clarkson would be a very reliable option in Boston’s second unit.
“As their roster currently stands, the only three players that realistically could see playing time at center are Enes Kanter, Daniel Theis, and Robert Williams. Thompson would come in immediately and be their best rebounding big man. Jordan Clarkson had to be thrown in to match salaries, and he is an added bonus for Boston. A team looking to compete for a conference title should not have to rely on rookies to provide scoring punch off of the bench. Clarkson would immediately step into the top bench scorer role for the Celtics.”
The Cavaliers have yet to make Tristan Thompson and Jordan Clarkson officially available on the trading block, but according to a previous The Inquisitr article, Cleveland is highly expected to trade their veterans who are in the final year of their contracts than risk losing them in the summer of 2020 as unrestricted free agents without getting anything in return. Though the deal would affect their salary cap flexibility, the Cavaliers would receive two future first-round picks as compensation from the Celtics.
Gordon Hayward may have been a disappointment in the past two years, but being in a new environment where he could potentially receive a more significant role on the offensive end of the floor could help bring back the man who was once considered as the face of the Utah Jazz franchise.
