Celtics Targets in the Post-Hayward World
Well, that’s it. Gordon Hayward is officially a Charlotte Hornet. Just one year after the C’s steal Kemba Walker away from there, they strike back with a huge blow to Boston’s core. With a sign-and-trade out of the picture due to the release of Nic Batum, the question now becomes, where do the Celtics go from here?
In theory there are a decent amount of options left on the board. They could find a trade that brings in a decent replacement for Hayward, they could look to improve in other areas and run with the wings they have, or they could just stand pat and just sign some guys to fill out the roster. At this point I think the biggest thing is damage control. I’ve seen names like Paul Millsap, Aron Baynes, and other targets, so it’s just a matter of time before Danny Ainge makes a move in my opinion. Here’s a breakdown of the Celtics’ options from the way I see it.
Free Agency Targets
Paul Millsap
Shoutout to my good friend Tim Sheils (@timsheilsnba) for sending me this rumor as soon as it hit Twitter. Jared Weiss of the Athletic Tweeted about this rumor about an hour or so after the Hayward signing happened. I’ve always been a big fan of Millsap, regardless of people’s complaints over his age. He was a great piece on the Nuggets and helped them show out in the playoffs this past year.
Aside from his solid shooting and super versatile defensive abilities, he would bring in a really good veteran presence to the Celtics locker room. This move would most likely have to be done using the MLE, as most signings would, but I think this is a great option. Adam Himmelsbach even says that the C’s are at the top of his list, and Millsap is to make his decision by the end of the day.
Aron Baynes
Ah yes, the reunion that’s been talked about for weeks now. I think everyone in Boston would love to see Baynes back in a Celtics uniform. If I’m not mistaken, the Celtics even teased a jersey set using Baynes’ old number 46. I highly doubt that was foreshadowing a potential move on purpose, but you never know. During his time in Boston Baynes provided a big body down low while also being able to stretch the floor. Well after spending a year in Phoenix, not only does he possess the same big body he’s always had, but his three-point shooting has improved by a significant margin. Baynes would fit in perfectly with this C’s team, and Boston would welcome him back with open arms.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
I know, I know, most people don’t like the sound of a former Laker joining the Celtics, but Rondo just did the opposite last season so why not? KCP has struggled in certain aspects of his career, but he’s always been a solid defender and reliable shooter. In two of his last three seasons he’s shot above 38% from three, which could really help space the floor for the C’s. Obviously he’s no Gordon Hayward, but as I mentioned, it’s all about damage control at this point. You could always insert Smart into the starting lineup, but bringing in KCP to start and only playing him around 20 minutes a game could be a decent enough option. Whether or not he signs on for the MLE that Boston has is another question, but I don’t think he’d be a bad fit in Boston.
Damyean Dotson
I haven’t seen this name thrown around anywhere, but it’s just something I thought of on my own. Dotson hasn’t done much of anything in this league, and you can’t really fault the guy considering he’s played for the Knicks his whole career. What he has shown is the ability to hit three-pointers at a decent clip, or at the very least a league-average clip. With that in mind, bringing him in to be purely a catch-and-shoot option off the bench couldn’t hurt. There’s no way he would want more than the minimum contract, and I doubt many other teams are jumping at the chance to offer him more than that. If they manage that, they would still have some money left over to make another signing with the rest of their MLE. Just an idea to consider, although I doubt it ever gets brought up anywhere but here.
Harry Giles
This is another guy who has been all over Celtics Twitter for what feels like months now. Ever since the Kings were eliminated from playoff contention and sent out of the bubble, Boston fans have loved the idea of reuniting Jayson Tatum with his former teammate Giles. While bringing in Giles would be a fun idea in that regard, he would also be a little bit of a project. He showed some promise during his tenure in Sacramento, but not nearly enough to garner a ton of minutes in the C’s rotation. I think he and Robert Williams would end up getting similar minutes backing up Theis if he were to be brought in. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing, because I do think Giles has some potential to be found, but Theis would be the clear starter in that center rotation.
Nerlens Noel
Another center that would strengthen the big-man rotation. Noel spent his early years wasting away in Philadelphia before finally finding his way to Oklahoma City and revitalizing his career. He’s always been a solid defender, but over the past couple years he’s proved that he can be a dangerous rotational center that provides elite defensive minutes. At 6’10” he would immediately be the tallest center ready for rotational minutes, sorry Tacko Fall, and give Brad Stevens a bigger body to put up against the more physical centers in the league. Theis would most likely still retain his starting role due to his versatility, but having Noel as an option off the bench would help the C’s on defense a lot at the five spot, which has been an area of concern since Bam Adebayo dominated the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
DeMarcus Cousins
Boogie has been rumored to the Celtics for what feels like 10 years at this point. While it would have been ideal to snag him when he was at his peak back in the mid-2010s, I feel like he could still have a solid impact on an NBA roster. If you’re one of the people who think the C’s need a big body to bang down low, then Boogie is your guy. He’s not the same player he once was with the Kings, but I guarantee you that some of those same skills are there. The physical dominance has depleted at this point, but he still has the ability to go at it with some of the league’s best centers. The post moves have to still be in his arsenal, too, it’s just a matter of how effective they are at this point. Who knows if Ainge is willing to take the risk on Boogie, but at this point, we may as well consider it as a valid option.
Isaiah Thomas
I just had to include him in here. The entire city of Boston has begged Ainge to bring Thomas back ever since he became a free agent. He says that his injuries are fully gone and he is back to full-strength, too. While that doesn’t mean he’ll be back to averaging 30 points a night, Thomas could still be a decent option off the bench. Even if he doesn’t get many minutes, bringing in the hometown favorite might not be a terrible call. He even got the endorsement from Jamal Crawford, so like why not?
Trade Targets
Buddy Hield
Now I’ve never been a guy who knows how to make the money work, but I know for sure that Hield wants out of Sacramento. What Boston would have to give up in a deal like this is something that should be talked about, though. It would most likely revolve around Romeo Langford and a first-round pick, or at least something having to do with young assets. Regardless, I think Hield would fit in beautifully with this team. The Celtics, as seen in the series against Miami, could use a consistent three-point shooter on the roster. Tatum, Brown, and Walker are all capable of nailing threes at a good clip, but the C’s don’t have a guy who’s only job is to hit threes. Hield does that and he does it phenomenally. Let him stand on the perimeter and nail shots off of drive-and-kick situations, and the Celtics become that much more of a three-point threat.
Bogdan Bogdanvovic
Okay so I feel like I’m talking about the Kings a lot today, but these deals just make the most sense. It would be a similar package to Buddy Hield in the sense that the Kings want young assets, but they probably wouldn’t ask for as much in a deal with Bogdanovic because it’d have to be a sign-and-trade. As we all know at this point, Bogdanovic to the Bucks dies fell through in a very weird fashion, leaving the Serbian wing still on the market. Similarly to Held, Bogdanovic would bring in shooting to a team that just lost one of their most consistent three-point threats in Gordon Hayward. Danny Ainge has to realize this and although the eyes have recently been on bringing in a new big man, the priorities have to change now that Hayward walked and the C’s got nothing in return.
Myles Turner/Doug McDermott
Would you look at that, another option to bring in more shooting. While the Hayward to Indiana sign-and-trade is dead, there’s still the option of bringing in more shooting through a deal with Indiana. Ainge wanted more when he was trading away Hayward, but what if Indiana takes a deal revolving around young assets and a pick? I know they like Domantas Sabonis over Turner, so there’s a high chance they still look to move him by the start of next season. If the Celtics are able to trade away younger assets for two guys that can immediately provide some solide depth to the bench, then I don’t see why another deal can’t be configured.
In Conclusion
As I’ve stated a couple times, it’s all about damage control at this point. Hayward is gone, the C’s got nothing in return, and that’s just the way it is. Who do you guys want the Celtics to go after? Is it going to be through a trade or free agency? Let me know in the comments below!
