Boston Celtics: Should Cs look to capitalize on recent Hayward rumors?

Recent buzz suggests the Indiana Pacers might be interested in engaging the Boston Celtics for a trade involving Gordon Hayward.

For months now we here at the Houdini have been concocting hypothetical offseason trades the Boston Celtics could partake in to better position themselves for a shot at an NBA title come the 2020-21 season.

One of our most frequently talked about trade chips — specifically by my co-editor Andrew Hughes — is the C’s former All-Star in Gordon Hayward. After having his best season while donning the green and white —  averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 50 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent shooting from deep — the forward’s stock has never been higher on the shamrocks and, in turn, could prove to be a quality piece in a trade package should they look into shopping him.

Though the bulk of our pieces have just been hypotheticals created by our bevy of talented writers, recent rumors suggest that these “what if” scenarios could actually soon become a reality, as CBS Sports writer Michael Kaskey-Blomain reported that the Indiana Pacers have interest in trading for the veteran wing.

"Something to keep an eye on once we find out when NBA teams can start making trades: some within the Pacers organization continue to have interest in trading for Celtics’ Gordon Hayward, per SNY sources. It’s unknown what Boston would want in return for Hayward — or if the club is even open to moving him. Hayward, who starred at Butler, can become a free agent by opting out of the final year of his deal, worth roughly $34 million."

While this should not come as a shock to anyone that the Pacers are interested in the services of Gordon Hayward — as we and many other publications have speculated for MONTHS now that the pairing could be beneficial for both parties — the fact that this report originated from a credible source in Ian Begley makes this buzz all the more interesting.

Hayward, an Indiana-native himself, could be used in a trade package to try and land the likes of Myles Turner and a few quality role players to help strengthen their bench, like the ones many publications have discussed in the past.

If they can bring back a player such a Turner in the process, I see no reason why Danny Ainge should shy away from dealing his once prized free agency signing.

Through no real fault of his own, Hayward’s tenure in Beantown has been a relative failure. This would be a way to wipe the slate clean.