Boston Celtics: 3 bold predictions for 2018-19 NBA season
1. Terry Rozier will be traded
The Celtics and Danny Ainge are no strangers to making trades. They’re arguably one of the smartest front offices in the NBA. If they were smart, they would consider looking to move Terry Rozier.
They may not like to move him because he has proven to be a good player for them, but he will be hitting restricted free agency this offseason. Irving is also going to be headed into free agency this year, depending on what he does with his player option.
There are plenty of rumors surrounding Irving and whether or not he will be leaving. Jackie MacMullan of ESPN reported a conversation with Irving on Sept. 21.
"“Who wouldn’t be a part of this?” Irving said, gesturing to Boston’s new practice facility. “Who wouldn’t want to be a part of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and Al Horford and Gordon Hayward? People keep saying, ‘Why won’t he commit to Boston?’ “Well, there are financial implications involved.”"
If the Celtics believe they can keep Irving, they won’t be able to afford to re-sign Rozier and may look to unload him rather than lose him for nothing.
Teams will surely be looking at him during the offseason or trade deadline. The Phoenix Suns have already been eyeing the point guard, but things didn’t go far.
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Rozier is a solid player and he might get even better. They may not be able to retain him and the offer they could get in return may entice Ainge to trade the former Louisville product. The Celtics have a big season on their hands and it will be interesting to see if they can compete for the NBA title.