NBA Rumors: Celtics Could Trade Gordon Hayward And Marcus Smart For Blake Griffin
As the Pistons continue to struggle in the 2019-20 NBA season, rumors have started to swirl around All-Star power forward Blake Griffin and his future in Detroit. Instead of remaining a mediocre team in the Eastern Conference, most people believe that the Pistons would be better off trading Griffin before the February trade deadline and start rebuilding their team. Once Griffin officially becomes available on the trading block, several teams are expected to express strong interest in adding him to their roster, including the Boston Celtics.
In his recent article, Amadou Sow of Fadeaway World listed the Celtics as one of the potential trade destinations of Griffin if he and the Pistons choose to part ways this season. Unlike the Pistons, the Celtics are currently doing very well this season, sitting in the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 15-5 record. However, despite their explosive performance on both ends of the floor, the Celtics are still not considered the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2020 NBA Finals.
If they are serious about beating Eastern Conference powerhouse teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers in a best-of-seven series, targeting a superstar like Griffin makes a lot of sense for the Celtics. Griffin would give the Celtics a very reliable scoring option and an All-Star-caliber big man who is capable of efficiently knocking down shots from beyond the arc. This season, the 30-year-old power forward is averaging 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from beyond the arc.
In the proposed trade deal by Fadeaway World, the Celtics would be sending a trade package including Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart to the Pistons in exchange for Griffin.
“With Hayward, his injury history makes him expendable. It may seem ironic to get rid of Hayward due to injuries and Blake is injury-prone himself but, Blake is a much better player than Hayward is. Brad Wanamaker makes Marcus Smart somewhat expendable and this move would move Tatum back to his natural position at the Small Forward position and Brown back to the Shooting guard position. These position changes could create potential mismatches for opponents and having Blake as a 4th-option is a blessing in itself.”
The potential deal would also be beneficial for the Pistons, especially if they want to remain a competitive team in the Eastern Conference. In exchange for Griffin, the Pistons would be acquiring a superstar in Hayward and a very reliable veteran who can guard multiple positions in Smart. However, to push through with the deal, the Pistons would have to add more players to match the Celtics’ outgoing salary.
