This Boston Celtics killer would be the perfect trade target
By Matt John
Plenty of suggestions have been made regarding who the Boston Celtics should add. There have been proposals that would send them someone like Xavier Tillman. There are reports from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto that they are keeping their eye on John Konchar. While another playable big and/or a wing could be useful, one option the Celtics would be fools not to look at is Bones Hyland.
The C's guard rotation has been pretty dependable. Derrick White looks as good as ever. Jrue Holiday's had his growing pains offensively, but he's brought pretty much everything Marcus Smart did defensively. Initially, it wasn't easy for Payton Pritchard to transition as the Celtics' third guard, but he has since gotten the hang of it. So why should Bones Hyland be on their radar? Well, why not?
While Boston should pounce on the opportunity to bolster their wing or frontcourt depth, what's wrong with adding more guard depth? Particularly a guard who gives them a pure scorer. The Celtics are dead last in bench scoring, averaging 25.4 points a game, per NBA.com. While bench scoring isn't a pressing need for Boston, Hyland would give them a second unit flamethrower capable of going off at any given time. The Cs know this from experience when Hyland cooked them back when he was with the Nuggets last year.
Hyland's performance played an essential role in how the Nuggets beat the Celtics in that game. Hyland's biggest issue is inconsistency, but much like any bench scorer, he is hard to stop when he's on his game. His hypothetical role for the Celtics wouldn't be to supplant Pritchard or Sam Hauser in the rotation but to insert him in case the Celtics are having an off-night as a team, which has happened every now and again this season. Again, Hyland would also bring not necessarily needed, but worthwhile guard depth, even though both White and Pritchard have been ironmen in Boston.
Best of all, Hyland can likely be had for cheap. Ever since the Clippers acquired James Harden, Hyland has effectively lost his spot in their rotation. He has no value right now as an asset, meaning he can be had at a low price. The Celtics wouldn't necessarily have to use their one open roster spot on Hyland, as his $2.3 million earnings this season, per HoopsHype, could be easily matched with any of the expendable contracts on the Celtics roster. However, that's not the only reason why the Celtics should consider adding Hyland.
Brad Stevens has proven himself to be a master of his craft when it comes to utilizing contracts to acquire his desired trade targets. Remember when he used Dennis Schroder, Enes Kanter Freedom, and Bruno Fernando to acquire Daniel Theis? Then, after signing Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts, and Juwan Morgan to two-year deals, remember when he used Theis, Aaron Nesmith, and those three to acquire Malcolm Brogdon? Or when he included Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala as contract fillers when he traded Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis? The running theme here is that Stevens knows how to utilize smaller contracts to reel the big fish.
Boston Celtics could have ulterior motive for trade
Enter Bones. Though Hyland will make $2.3 million this season, it will nearly double next season to $4.1 million. Combine that with the player(s) on multiyear deals the Boston Celtics could acquire with the $6.2 million Grant Williams TPE (if they utilize it), and suddenly the Cs have potentially around $10 to 11 million in expendable salaries that they could then use to acquire another rotation player. Stevens has done it so many times before that it's an easy bet to make that he'll try again. Hyland would help make that possible.
The Celtics are fine the way they are now, and that's an understatement. They're 17-5 and have played one of the most rigorous schedules in the NBA thus far. However, it wouldn't hurt to add a little insurance, and Hyland brings just that both on the court and on the cap sheet.
The Boston Celtics could do better than him, but as far as realistic options go, Hyland definitely stands out among the rest.