NBA Rumors: Celtics Could Explore Trading Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward & Draft Pick To Suns For Devin Booker
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, several wild trade ideas have been surfacing on the internet. These include rumors of a blockbuster deal that would send Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker to the Boston Celtics. This hypothetical trade deal appeared in a recent article written by Andrew Hughes of Fansided’s Hardwood Houdini.
In the proposed trade deal, the Celtics would be sending a trade package that includes Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward, and a 2020 second-round pick to the Suns in exchange for Booker, Ricky Rubio, and Kelly Oubre Jr. Before pushing through with the trade, the Celtics would first need to convince Hayward to exercise his player option for the 2020-21 NBA season.
With the impressive performances of Walker and Hayward this season, parting ways with both of them would undeniably be a difficult decision for the Celtics. However, Hughes believes that sacrificing Walker and Hayward would be worth it for the Celtics. Hughes suggests the trade would enable them to acquire another high-caliber talent that perfectly fits the timeline of franchise cornerstones Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“Obviously, the biggest draw for the Cs is the idea of acquiring Devin Booker. The young scoring machine is posting arguably his best season in the NBA thus far, averaging 26.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds on 49 percent shooting from the floor and 36 percent shooting from deep.”
Booker could form a young, lethal trio with Tatum and Brown in Boston, giving the Celtics a very reliable scoring option and an elite three-point shooter. However, Booker would still need to make a huge adjustment with his game to make himself fit with the Celtics. With the presence of Tatum and Brown, Booker would have to be willing to accept the role as the second or third fiddle in Boston.
Rubio and Oubre Jr. aren’t just salary-cap fillers either. The pair are the type of players that could help the Celtics become a more dangerous team in the Eastern Conference next season. Rubio could fill the vacancy at the Celtics’ starting point guard position — a vacancy caused by Walker’s potential departure — while Oubre Jr. could join forces with Marcus Smart in leading Boston’s second unit.
Meanwhile, the proposed trade deal would only make sense for the Suns if Booker demands a trade — and if they still want to build a competitive team around DeAndre Ayton. Walker and Hayward would give the Suns two strong players that could help Ayton end their playoff drought next year. They would also serve as veteran mentors that could guide their young core, perhaps installing a winning culture in Phoenix.
