Los Angeles Lakers
Boston CelticsLos Angeles Lakers Receive: SF Gordon Hayward
Boston Celtics Receive: SF Danny Green, PF Kyle Kuzma, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2023 second-round pick
Okay, so this one is a massive pipe dream for Los Angeles Lakers fans. As previously mentioned, the Cs need to make trades that send more players out than they take back. Even if that wasn’t a roadblock, this return is far from justifiable on Boston’s end.
Kyle Kuzma is the best player coming back to the Celtics in the deal, and while he would be a nice lineup fit that would allow Jayson Tatum to spend more time on the perimeter, losing Hayward lowers the championship ceiling of the team and the role players coming back lack legitimate value.
Swartz believes the fit at power forward and added depth (and draft capital) is what makes Danny Ainge consider this deal:
"For Boston, Kuzma would fill a need at power forward. The 25-year-old averaged 20.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists and shot 36.0 percent from three in his nine starts this season. Green and Caldwell-Pope (if he picks up his $8.5 million player option) would be terrific backups behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and a future second-round pick would help increase Boston’s trade assets."
In the end, the pieces coming back won’t serve much of a purpose beyond the season besides Kuzma, who is due for a raise next offseason. Hayward might be set to make as much as Kuzma on his next deal, and we know for a fact he works well in Boston.