Indiana Pacers rumors: Gordon Hayward could become a trade target
The Indiana Pacers are reportedly interested in Gordon Hayward
The Indiana Pacers are coming off a solid season, especially considering that they were without Victor Oladipo for the majority of the season. Even when he was back on the floor for the Pacers, he still had plenty of rust and didn’t look anything like his former all-star self.
The hope is that will change next season, which would help this team take the next step in the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
Interestingly enough, according to a recent report, the Pacers are at least somewhat intrigued by the possibility of trading for Gordon Hayward, who is currently entering the final year of his contract (assuming he opts-in) with the Boston Celtics.
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"[via SNY.TV]Something to keep an eye on once we find out when NBA teams can start making trades: some within the Pacers organization continue to have interest in trading for Celtics’ Gordon Hayward, per SNY sources."
A few things off the bat after this report: One, it’s not even clear if the Boston Celtics would be willing to move Hayward. When he’s been healthy, he’s been a key cog to this team’s versatility and brings some level of veteran leadership on both ends of the floor.
Even though he didn’t look like himself at any point in the playoffs after his ankle injury, he is coming off a good bounce-back season in 2019-20 in which he averaged 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Hayward is an expiring contract after the 2021 season, and there’s no clear indication of what his value will be on the open market. Perhaps a change of scenery (and potentially an expanded role on a new team) would do him good ahead of his free agency.
Secondly, even if the Celtics would be willing to move Hayward, it’s unclear what his value would be on the trade market. Would the Celtics just want to clear salary? Would matching salaries and a pick or two be enough for Boston to part ways with Hayward?
That likely depends on whether the Celtics would be interested in keeping Hayward beyond the 2021 season.
Another question revolves around whether the Pacers could use this interest in Hayward to try and get Victor Oladipo off their books (only if Oladipo asks for a trade). Obviously, Indiana is not going to force Oladipo out. However, if the whispers from the last few months become louder in the offseason, perhaps Indiana could use this interest in Hayward to build a bigger deal by sending out Oladipo.
I’m not sure how great of a fit Oladipo would be on the Celtics, but it’s something that the two teams could explore – or potentially bring in a third team to make it all work.
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The Indiana Pacers’ interest in Gordon Hayward is something to monitor. At this point, I’m not sure if there’s anything more to do with this report than that.