Detroit Pistons: 9 possible trades to use their cap space

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Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are $3.4 million over the tax line as they prepare for Jaylen Brown’s contract extension to kick in and for the negotiations for Jayson Tatum’s to begin. Gordon Hayward has had an injury-riddled time in Boston and at this point is likely their fourth most important player at best.

Hayward has a player option for $34.2 million next season and is almost guaranteed to pick it up given the mess of the offseason ahead. The Celtics would be smart to explore all avenues to dump this contract. Luckily the Pistons could absorb this contract without sending equivalent salary back to the Celtics, creating a sizable trade exception for them.

Something along the lines of Derrick Rose and Tony Snell cuts $14.3 million for the Celtics in salary, gets them under the tax and gives them two solid players in place of one.

For this to be worthwhile for Detroit, at least one first-round pick would need to be involved. Luckily, Boston has three of those this season without the roster spots to accommodate multiple rookies.

As weak as this draft is thought to be, if any of the later picks are on the table, Detroit should listen. If it is the Memphis Grizzles pick (number 14) the interest should real, especially considering the team would still have $30.2 million in cap space.

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