NBA Rumors: Celtics Could Explore Trading Gordon Hayward To Suns If Devin Booker Becomes Available
With the minimal improvement they made in the 2019 NBA offseason, rumors started to swirl around Devin Booker and his future with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns may have managed to address their major problem in their backcourt, but their roster, as currently constructed, still might not have what it takes to contend for the NBA championship or even earn a playoff spot in the deep Western Conference. If they struggle earlier in the 2019-20 NBA season, Booker may consider following the footsteps of other NBA superstars and find his way out of Phoenix before the NBA trade deadline in February.
Though he’s under contract until the 2023-24 NBA season, the Suns will be left no choice but to trade Booker once he expresses his desire to leave. Despite his massive deal, the Suns definitely won’t have a hard time finding an NBA team who is willing to sacrifice precious trade assets to add Booker to their roster. Once Booker becomes officially available on the trading block, Matt Burke of Metro USA believes that the Boston Celtics would be the “most likely suitor” for the former No. 13 overall pick.
“The Celtics were the team mentioned as the most likely suitor for Booker in recent weeks as Danny Ainge is said to be a fan (Booker once scored 70 points against Boston at TD Garden). Boston would need to ship out Gordon Hayward to match the money, and would obviously need to send all of their other assets – most notably the first rounder they’re set to receive from the Grizzlies – to even get Phoenix general manager James Jones to entertain trading Booker.”
Is Devin Booker’s the NBA’s most polarizing player? #SITop100 https://t.co/Z7Fgbk0B4k pic.twitter.com/xC5i3Cb71t
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) September 11, 2019
In the proposed trade that would send Devin Booker to Boston, Burke suggested that the Celtics could explore a trade package centered on All-Star forward Gordon Hayward. However, though the Booker-for-Hayward trade works financially, the Celtics may also need to include the likes of Jaylen Brown, together with multiple first-round picks, in the trade package to further convince the Suns to engage in a blockbuster deal.
Giving up a plethora of trade assets for Devin Booker is a no-brainer for the Celtics. According to a previous The Inquisitr article, the Celtics should go all-in to acquire a player of Booker’s caliber if they are serious about beating Eastern Conference powerhouse teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Brooklyn Nets in a best-of-seven series.
Adding Booker to the core of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, and Enes Kanter would not only help the Celtics fully dominate the Eastern Conference, but it could also give them a realistic chance of contending for the NBA championship next season.
