Boston Celtics rumors: Could Hayward-Aldridge swap happen this offseason?

The Boston Celtics could be in the market for a big-man this offseason…could that lead to a deal with the Spurs for LaMarcus Aldridge?

We’re just one Los Angeles Lakers win away from saying something very depressing: the Boston Celtics are tied with L.A. for the most NBA Championships in the history of the association.

Could that statement lead to major offseason moves?

Well, not in its own right. The success of other franchises has not deterred Danny Ainge in recent years from sticking to his guns–a strategy that led to the team staying the course and draft the likes of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum instead of trading for superstars like Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis.

That said, Danny Ainge has hinted at making moves this offseason. With this information in tow, our sister site Air Alamo ran a trade piece analyzing different deals–and one blockbuster involved the Boston Celtics giving up one of their top players and their lottery pick for former perennial All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and role player Rudy Gay:

"Spurs get: Gordon Hayward, Semi Ojeleye, and the Memphis Grizzlies 2020 first-round pickCeltics get: LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy GayFirst and foremost, everyone in this trade conversation is on an expiring deal, ensuring that the upside of expiring cap space goes both ways. However, Aldridge and Rudy Gay are both primed to compete for an NBA title and fill positions of need for the Celtics. As Aldridge automatically becomes the best rim protector and rebounder on the team, Gay slides into Hayward’s minutes and does about two-thirds of the job that Hayward did at a fraction of the price."

So, to address Dylan Carter’s latter point, Gay is neither capable of sliding into Hayward’s minutes as a point forward nor as an efficient tertiary option on any team, let alone a Cs squad that came so close to banner #18.

Secondly, the 35-year-old Aldridge is nowhere near as valuable as an asset as Hayward is, so throwing in the Memphis Grizzlies pick would be trade malpractice by Ainge in such a hypothetical deal.

In short, this deal is a no from the Houdini. That said, we are always willing to renegotiate…