Boston Celtics: 3 Gordon Hayward trades to the Chicago Bulls

Why the Boston Celtics do it

This trade accomplishes three specific goals for the Boston Celtics.

The first is upgrading the center position from Daniel Theis to Myles Turner in the starting lineup. Turner’s superior 3-point conversion rate and presence at the rim make Boston’s rotation that much scarier.

The second goal is adequately replacing Brad Wanamaker this offseason. Wanamaker played well in the postseason but after failing to stand out as a second unit floor general for much of the year, Danny Ainge finds a better backup in Tomas Satoransky.

Finally, Jeremy Lamb improves the Cs scoring attack no matter how Brad Stevens would plan to use him. As long as he finds the floor, Lamb elevates the Celtics’ ceiling upwards.

Why the Chicago Bulls do it

Again, Hayward is a dice roll for Chicago. It could very well go as planned, and Hayward does have a history thriving in a supersized frontcourt. In Utah, he was able to set the table for Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, while in Chi-town, he’d be complimenting the Lauri Markkenen-Wendell Carter Jr. duo.

Daniel Theis is a nice throw-in for a team with a young frontcourt.

Why the Indiana Pacers do it

While Indiana loses Myles Turner and Jeremy Lamb, that high-scoring duo didn’t do enough in the postseason to prove it was worth keeping in the circle city. Taking on Otto Porter in a contract year is a sound justification for acquiring two 2020 first-round picks and Boston’s lottery selection in 2019, Romeo Langford.