12 Way-too-early 2024 trade deadline candidates for Celtics to monitor

Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers were one of the most active teams this offseason, punctuated by their splash signing of Bruce Brown, but if there’s one player that could find himself on the outside looking in heading into the team’s future, it’s Buddy Hield. In fact, there’s no guarantee that he’s even going to remain as the team’s starter heading into the start of the season. Add that to the fact that he’s also entering the final year of his contract with the Pacers, and it’s easy to see why Hield is a likely trade deadline candidate.

With the continued development of Bennedick Mathurin and with how he looked last season, you’d have to imagine there’s a good chance he emerges as a starter sooner rather than later. And unless they signed Brown for $20 million per season to come off the bench, there’s a good chance Hield, in the last year of his deal, could end up getting the short end of the stick as the odd wing out.

Hield could be a high-level rental for the Boston Celtics heading into the stretch run. He’d offer a high-level offensive player off the bench and would solidify the team’s second unit with his talent and veteran presence.