3 reasons why the Celtics shouldn’t trade Gordon Hayward

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2020/01/24/gordon-hayward-celtics-trade-rumors



3 reasons why the Celtics shouldn’t trade Gordon Hayward



With the NBA trade deadline less than two weeks away, the rumor mill is really beginning to spin.




Gordon Hayward If Gordon Hayward opts into the fourth and final year of his deal, he'll make just under $34.2 million during the 2020-21 campaign. –Maddie Meyer / Getty Images



By Chris Grenham
10:02 AM



With the NBA trade deadline less than two weeks away, the rumor mill is really beginning to spin. Naturally, the 29-14 Boston Celtics have been mentioned among the speculation. Despite his name coming up quite a bit over the last few weeks, I’m here to explain why Gordon Hayward should not be traded.

When things go poorly for the Celtics, Hayward, for whatever reason, becomes the scapegoat for a large number of fans on Twitter. Of course, that doesn’t account for the entire Celtics fan base, but for those of us who spend an unhealthy amount of time on the social media platform, it’s hard to ignore. Such was the case during Boston’s two separate three-game losing streaks in January, when many called for Hayward to be dealt.

The 6-foot-7 forward isn’t solely brought into trade discussions when things start to trend in the wrong direction, however. Even if you disagree with the idea, like myself, it’s important to realize there’s logic on the other side.

Hayward is set to make $32.7 million this season and, if he opts into the fourth and final year of his deal, just under $34.2 million during the 2020-21 campaign (the Celtics’ biggest cap hit other than Kemba Walker). Boston isn’t set to pay Hayward long-term; the contract is now tradeable thanks to his increased value and a heavy number like that is perfect for salary-matching needs. It makes sense! But for the Celtics, it does not. Here’s why:


The current trade market is unappealing.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported in November that the Celtics were unwilling to part ways with any of their core players, which includes Hayward. That’s likely still the case, but that hasn’t stopped conjecture among fans. So for the sake of discussion, we’ll act as if the front office is open-mindedly entering trade discussions.

If the Celtics were to trade Hayward, who would it be for? Boston’s frontcourt is the target of most plans out there, and rightfully so. An upgrade at the center position certainly would help Boston, especially against a team like the Philadelphia 76ers. For salary matching purposes, Hayward would likely be included in a majority of the discussions, but the return simply would not be worth it.

Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond – In short, no. Yahoo’s Vincent Goodwill reported that the Celtics had “registered interest” in the All-Star big man, which makes sense. Boston’s frontcourt could use a boost, so why wouldn’t they be interested in someone averaging 17.3 points and 15.7 rebounds on 53.1 percent shooting through 42 games? But losing Hayward in a deal for Drummond would not be worth it for Boston. The Celtics would likely be forced to re-up the 26-year-old on a long-term deal as well, something that would not benefit their future.

It’s worth noting that, despite Hayward’s big contract, this deal can’t be completed as a swap. Detroit is hard-capped like the Celtics, meaning a second salary from each team would have to be included in the trade. Either way, bringing Drummond in and losing Hayward wouldn’t make the Celtics any better.

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner – Another intriguing option, but Turner’s $18 million cap hit over the next three seasons means you’d need a major piece heading to Indiana. He brings plenty defensively, but doesn’t present a ton of other upside where you’d be willing to give up Hayward’s versatility. In other words, you wouldn’t include Hayward, or another core piece for that matter, in a deal centered around Turner.

We could go through each option, but the bottom line here is Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t being shopped by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Until a player like him becomes available, the market is not prime enough to deal Hayward. Sure, there are other players out there that come to mind (looking at you, Davis Bertans), but none who you’d consider trading Hayward for.


Hayward brings invaluable offensive versatility.


Hayward can play multiple roles on the offensive end, which is partially why he’s so valuable to this Celtics team. His ability to act as a playmaker at 6-foot-7 creates problems for opponents, but it more so gives Brad Stevens a multitude of options when it comes to rotations and lineups.

Boston’s depth has been an issue at times this season, but when with a fully healthy lineup, Hayward can provide help in that department. With or without Kemba Walker or Marcus Smart, Hayward can act as a primary ball-handler and facilitator when he’s not on the wing.

Watch here as he shows his effectiveness as the ball-handler in a pick-and-roll set with Robert Williams.



Hayward does a great job of being patient and under-control as he enters the lane, knowing his P-n-R partner is on his way to the rim. Once Williams is there, Hayward delivers a perfect pass.

Hayward has a similar half-court sequence here, working with Grant Williams against the Milwaukee Bucks.



Hayward uses his positioning to get Pat Connaughton on his back, creating enough space to make a nice bounce pass to Williams. Defenders in these situations need to stick with Hayward, as he’s shooting 47.9 percent on pull-up jumpers this season through 27 games.

Both of these pick-and-roll sets are small examples of Hayward’s high-level basketball IQ and court vision, which he puts to use in transition as well.



Hayward is able to push the ball using his north-south speed and kick out to Walker. It’s a simple possession that likely gets overlooked in the grand scheme of things, but Stevens being able to trust Hayward in spots like this is a huge plus.

Simply put, he can score the basketball in a variety of ways, and he showed that Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.



Here, he uses an off-ball screen to disrupt Grayson Allen’s defensive route. Once he gets the ball, he explodes off the dribble and heads right to the rim.



He can give you a spot-up triple off the dribble, too. Enes Kanter sets a high-ball screen, creating just enough separation for Hayward to get off a shot.


He’s a great defensive fit.

There’s a misconception out there that the Celtics have a size problem. No, they’re not the biggest team by any means, but they make up for their lack of stature with a switching ability that most lineups don’t possess. That scrambling movement gives Boston the third-best defensive rating in the NBA through 43 games, and Hayward is a key part of this.

The combination of his 6-foot-7 frame and impressive athleticism makes Hayward the perfect match for Stevens’s switch-heavy schemes. Take Monday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers, for example. Boston doesn’t match up well on paper vs. the Lakers by any means, but with effective switching, it can combat Los Angeles’ bigger lineup.

Hayward got switched onto 7-footer JaVale McGee early in the first quarter but used his shiftiness to win the possession.



Hayward first forced McGee toward the baseline before the center returns to the restricted area to put a body on Hayward. LeBron James thinks McGee has established position in the mismatch and immediately feeds the ball to him underneath. Hayward’s quickness allows him to move around McGee, disrupt the passing lane, and force a turnover.



In this sequence, Daniel Theis gets caught on the perimeter, leaving his man, Serge Ibaka, open underneath. Hayward realizes this away from the ball, and quickly comes in to provide the help defense, gets the block, and sends Boston out in transition.

His footwork and quickness make him an effective perimeter on-ball defender, while his awareness, size and athleticism allow him to play a very good help defender and switcher. His versatile role in Boston’s defensive schemes is invaluable to its success.

I know – what happens if Boston runs into the Sixers in the playoffs? That’s a valid concern. If the buyout market presents an appealing, cost-effective traditional big later this year, the Celtics could waive Vincent Poirier and go that route. Another option would be trying to move some small pieces for someone like San Antonio’s Jakob Poeltl. Until then, the switches will keep coming!

If the arguments above are a bit much, I’ll leave you with this: Hayward’s averaging 16.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists through 27 games. His net rating on the season sits at 8.6, which is better than that of Walker, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Trading someone with those numbers for a potential short-term frontcourt fix wouldn’t make much sense at all.


bob
MY NOTE:  We have two weaknesses that I see.  One, we don't have a dominating defensive big.  Kanter is dominating on the offensive end but not on the defensive end.  RWill is the opposite AND he's become a medical question mark.  We don't have an all-in-one big.  Granted, they are few and far between, but that's one of our weaknesses.  The other weakness I see is a lights-out gunner off the bench ala Lou Williams or Tyler Herro.  Edwards was supposed to be him, and may end up being him, but he hasn't so far and that's how/why trade rumors for this type of player get started.


.

It’d be helpful to be able to put another body against Embiid. Rob Williams is questionable with his injury and Poirier can’t. Kanter and Theis can handle for minutes, maybe games but it’s asking a lot if they have to do that for a series. Regardless, they aren’t getting anyone who can bring value to the team equal to Hayward so it’s not really worth considering a trade involving him by the deadline.

The main reason I would not trade Gordon is the first ten games or so of this season. The Celtics were at full strength, playing team ball quite successfully, and Gordon was in my estimation the best player on the team.

The dude has had more than his share of injuries obviously, though it is hopefully time for a long stretch of good health. (like the next few years)

I would be very reluctant to trade GH.

My only concern is the recent revelation about some nerve damage in his foot.

I am sure that Danny and the medical staff are keeping an eye on that.

A major trade before the deadline seems unlikely.

Hayward is our x factor so he stays put in my way of thinking.

Bobh,
Even if we had a perfect big and a sharpshooter off the bench (per your suggestion which I agree with) there would be a lot of cries for a trade anyway. And the main target for that trade would be GH. One reason for that is the perception of GH of '16-17 which GH of '20 is not. Some reasons for that are well known, but others are not that obvious, e.g. now (on Celtics) he has 2 "substitutes" of equal or better class so his production had to go down. Similar to PP+KG+RA.
As for the reasons to not trade him, the main one, IMHO, is that no team would want to pay max money for a better than average wing. Perception is everything.

AK

Please, do not trade Hayward.  He is a very good player at both ends of the court who fits in perfectly with this bunch of guys. He may not have the offensive stats he had in Utah, but in Utah he had to be their number one offensive guy.  In Boston, he can be the fourth or fifth option on most nights, and he seems happy with this  role. He may be overpaid for a fourth scorer, but he does more than just score in every game that he plays.

His salary just does not match up in any of the possible trades that I have read about that will bring back the big man that Boston needs.  His salary also does not match with any of the younger star type players who the Cs may want or either with the contracts that would bring a quality bench scorer.

Reason #4.

Rosalie says not to.

That should do it right there.

He was great tonight, gave the team whatever it needed, some great finishes and assists. Love this 3 wing offense, as shown vs LA and many other games, it works really well. With all the recent injuries to core players recently, he has not taken any games off despite dealing with a foot issue. Love how he’s been playing this season....

Walker was the flame, but Hayward was definitely a spark tonight. His work on the boards was tremendous.

Apropos of nothing, I hate the green and yellow unis.

Another reason not to trade him, the Cs have great team chemistry. They like each other, play well together, and are happy. Don’t want to disrupt that dynamic.

good piece fair on both sides I would say.

I only disagree that a deal for Turner would not be a good one for the Celtics.

there are simply not many players who upgrade us and would be willing to take on Hayward's bloated salary.

the list of big men who would IMPROVE our team is fairly short, IMO:

Embiid
AD
KAT

all considered to be off the market.

Gobert
Capela
Turner
Adams
and Horford

Some of those have been talked about as possibly being on the market, some not. I would trade Hayward for any of the above, but I know I am in the minority here.

Eliminating the top 3, I would consider trading Hayward for Capela, all other things being equal, which they are not. The rest of them , nah.