Boston Celtics: 3 starters who could be traded before next season

Kemba Walker

The Charlotte Hornets are looking like mild genuises for passing up giving Kemba Walker a five-year supermax deal last offseason, with Walker missing games after the All-Star break and then having those ailments carry over into the bubble seeding games.

They arguably undid the good will they gained by signing Gordon Hayward to a $120 million deal after he was able to top out at 52 starts last year during his three-year tenure in Beantown. Hayward of course had a freak injury throw off his entire Celtic run, but giving him all of that guaranteed money before he proves he is at a near-All-Star form again was a definite risk.

Anyway, Walker’s injuries are still lingering, and the season is about to tip off in a little over a week. He is expected back in January, but it is very possible that he continues to deal with these ailments all season.

If that is the case, Walker will have spent half of his commitment with nagging injuries that have kept him out of the lineup and thus, have prevented the team from truly establishing the proper chemistry to easily dominate lesser teams.

Not that they don’t handle their business, but the team will never establish that dominant Splash Bros Warriors synergy without full health for the grand majority of the season.

If Walker can’t prove enough durability, perhaps the team can hunt for an upgrade elsewhere.