The Boston Celtics could find themselves as free agent players if certain rumors come to fruition this offseason–most likely in a sign-and-trade.
Ladies and gentlemen, if Gordon Hayward opts out of the final year of his max contract signed back in 2017, the Boston Celtics are not actually in the worst position possible. Because of the larger salaries on the roster, the team won’t be in a position to land a marquee free agent like Antony Davis (who are we kidding he is signing that Laker max) and Fred VanVleet (who is more attainable but not what the Cs need at this junction).
But because of their trio of first-round selections in the 2020 NBA Draft, they could be a player in the sign-and-trade market. Having a winning culture helps attract the top names available, and the Houdini believes these 3 free agents could be ideal sign-and-trade candidates:
Danilo Gallinari
My co-editor Mark Nilon went into why the “rooster” would be a perfect Gordon Hayward replacement just yesterday:
"Earlier this year it was reported that the forward was a player the C’s front office was monitoring as a potential trade candidate. With this in mind, why wouldn’t he be on the C’s radar this offseason, especially if they need a replacement at the three-spot should Gordon Hayward opt out. Gallo’s impact on the success in which OKC saw this past season cannot go understated. His box plus-minus rating trailed only Chris Paul, who finished within the top-10 at the end of the season in MVP voting. His veteran experience, impressive knack for scoring (averages 16.2 points on 38 percent shooting from deep for his career), and big-bodied physique (6-10, 225-pounds) would be an absolute blessing to have within this Boston Celtics starting-five."
We’ve long thought that Gallinari’s path to Beantown was via the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, but he very well could make more than that this offseason. If that is the case, perhaps the Cs can insert him into Hayward’s starting spot…or more recently, his role as a highly compensated sixth-man.