Boston Celtics: Should Gordon Hayward be a trade candidate?

Upside to trading Gordon Hayward

By trading Gordon Hayward, Danny Ainge can free up cap space to sign cheaper players. While the Celtics have pretty good depth at both forward spots, they still lack a viable backup to step in for Kemba Walker if he gets hurt again.

Point guard depth isn’t a major concern for the Celtics, with Brad Wanamaker expected to re-sign as a restricted free agent. Still, it would be nice to see the Celtics add a cheap, serviceable point guard as a safety net if the team gets bit by the merciless injury bug once again next season.

Ainge is a masterful GM who has been able to pull off many astonishing trades throughout his tenure. If anyone can unload Hayward in a fair trade while also freeing up cap space to fill gaps in the roster with quality veterans, it’s him.

If the Celtics can find a pathway to acquiring a point guard like Jeff Teague, Kris Dunn, or even Langston Galloway, that acquisition would do wonders for the bench and quell any concerns about point guard depth if they are found staring into the face of another Kemba Walker injury.

Robert Williams isn’t ready to play big minutes on a nightly basis. Tacko Fall is still a long way from NBA ready, and Enes Kanter is a liability on the defensive end. Starting center, Daniel Theis is only 6’8″ tall, and Kanter is listed as the tallest person on the roster, standing at 6’10”, so it would also be wise to acquire another quality center if Ainge were to part ways with Hayward.

The Celtics are one of the smaller teams in the eastern conference. While they have tall, long wing players, they are undersized at the center position. If trading Hayward this offseason is in the cards, Ainge can acquire someone to combat bigger teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela immediately comes to mind in this scenario. Though he is listed as the same height as Kanter, Capela could instantly slot into the lineup as the starting center and push Theis to a bench role.

Capela is set to make just $17.1 million in 2021 (half of what Hayward is due) and is under contract through the 2022-2023 season. He’s an athletic rim runner with tremendous rebounding ability and defensive I.Q.

At just 26 years of age with career averages of 12.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game with a 63.4 field goal percentage, Capela would be a great addition to this Celtics team if the Hawks make him available.