Boston Celtics: 2 blockbuster trades C’s could make this offseason

Boston gets their interior enforcer

This is a similar trade to one we’ve discussed in the past, and is simply one we hold dear to our hearts. I have to state that, though there are a few here at Hardwood Houdini who love to concoct articles in which Gordon Hayward is shipped off, I am not one of those people, though this article may have you believe that.

His contract is the main reason as to why he’s included in both of these deals.

As we all know, Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to have tested positive for COVID-19. This was a quite ironic turn of events for, not two days prior to his diagnosis, he was seen making light of the virus by lightly touching everything in sight at a post-game press conference.

Since his diagnosis, 13 other players have contracted the virus, one of which being his own teammate, Donovan Mitchell.

Now approximately a month since the league’s hiatus began reports have surfaced that Jazz players are ticked off with Gobert for his childish antics and lack of seriousness about the disease, with one going as far to say that Mitchell is reportedly “reluctant” to repair his relationship with the big man.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again:

"I don’t blame the players on the Jazz to feel disdain for Gobert. Frankly, his actions were carless and inappropriate, especially for someone with as big of a platform as he has. The idea that Donovan Mitchell is unwilling to salvage his relationship with the center is a totally appropriate response; after all, it very likely was Gobert’s carelessness that caused the third year pro to contract the potentially fatal illness. That being said, for those who have followed the Houdini and, namely, myself during this pandemic — we sincerely thank you guys — I have oft said that, while there is no excuse for Gobert’s actions, by no means should this deem him a devil of a man like many people in the comments sections are advocating. Simply put, he’s a man who made a grave and foolish mistake. But it too would be a mistake if one believed Gobert won’t play again in the NBA after the dust has settled on these troubling times."

With that, we believe the Boston Celtics would be wise to pursue a deal for the estranged All-Star big.

In this scenario we see Hayward again heading back to a place that brought him better days: the Utah Jazz, where his NBA career all began.

He blossomed into a max contract player under the guidance of Quin Snyder. With this deal, it could give him the opportunity once again to produce at that same, or similar level — during his last with the Jazz season he was an All-Star, boasting averages of 21.9 points and 5.4 rebounds to go along with 3.5 assists and a steal per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from deep.

Unlike the package we came up with last week that sent Rudy Gobert to Boston, this deal will not be including the likes of Bojan Bogdanović but, instead, will see a sign and trade for the productive bench scorer, Jordan Clarkson.

Averaging 15.1 points on 47 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from deep, Clarkson would be an excellent asset off the bench for this championship aspiring team to have.

And, of course, the main draw for this deal is the fact that the Celtics would be acquiring an All-Star to shore up their weakest area: the center position.

2019-20 was a career year for Gobert — averaged 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds and two blocks per game on 70 percent shooting from the field.

The 2x Defensive Player of the Year and 3x NBA All-Defensive First Team selection would be a true luxury to have down low for Boston. He’d be a perfect player to defend the rim from the behemoths of the east in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid and would improve the team’s second chance attempts on offense with his stellar rebounding skills — fourth in the NBA in total offensive rebounds (211).

With him in tow, the Boston Celtics would only increase their chances of representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals next season and would roll out one of the most menacing starting core units the league has to offer.