Boston Sends Avery Bradley to Detroit to Make Room for Gordon Hayward
The final domino in the Gordon Hayward acquisition falls with the Celtics gaining a valuable asset in the process.
In order to accommodate Gordon Hayward and his max contract, the Celtics had to make a big decision to trade one of their key players: Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, or Avery Bradley.
Most expected the odd man out to be Crowder, citing the reason that Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Gordon Hayward all play his position. That was faulty logic from the start, especially considering Brad Stevens’ progressive approach to the sport and the way the Celtics play.
“I don’t have the five positions anymore,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said, per Kareem Copeland of the Associated Press. “It may be as simple as three positions now, where you’re either a ball-handler, a wing or a big.”
This is not a new philosophy and Stevens certainly didn’t invent position-less basketball, but he is at the forefront of the modern game. Now, people will look at the Celtics roster and think, “Wow, they have four small forwards.” But the reality is that they can play three of the four of them at the same time in many lineups.
In exchange for Bradley, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, the Celtics add forward Marcus Morris, who is under contract for the next two seasons and only makes about $5 million per year.
Since Bradley earned roughly $8 million per year, the Celtics clear enough cap space to not only sign Hayward, but also potentially bring Guerschon Yabusele over from China.
Bradley’s contract was up after this year, and the Celtics likely would have lost him to free agency for nothing. Marcus Smart and Isaiah Thomas are also preparing for a big pay day in the summer of 2018.
Bradley, 26, was the best choice to trade now because he has already hit his ceiling as a player—unlike Marcus Smart—and doesn’t have a future in Boston—unlike Jae Crowder.
Smart is three years younger than Bradley and can already do much of what Bradley does defensively. Plus, he has plenty of room to grow offensively, which entices Boston to keep the former #6 pick long-term.
It makes sense to keep Crowder because he’s on one of the best contracts in the league (roughly $7 million per year through 2019–20) and he’s Boston’s best bet to defend LeBron James. Jaylen Brown will get there, but he’s not quite ready.
The other component of this trade to look at is Boston’s return. Marcus Morris is a solid power forward who can stretch the floor offensively and play physically on the other end. He’s basically a more polished version of Kelly Olynyk, but he’s only 6'9. Morris averaged 14 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 42 field goal percentage and 33 three-point percentage. Expect those shooting numbers to increase in Boston’s flowing offense that yields much better looks than the Pistons.
Adding Morris is crucial because Boston’s frontcourt was becoming very thin. Without Jonas Jerebko, Tyler Zeller, Amir Johnson, and Kelly Olynyk, the Celtics were left with just Al Horford and rookie Ante Zizic. Now, the Celtics grab Morris to run with second units and they may be able to fly Yabusele over.
The Celtics lost a good player in Avery Bradley. He was a huge part of the team’s identity and he was the only player left on the roster from the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett era. Bradley was a great leader for many years as the team rebuilt. His defense and shooting from deep will be missed, but it was a trade the Celtics had to make as they risked his looming free agency.
If you think about the Bradley trade as a piece of the summation of the offseason, the Celtics come out as winners.
Celtics Lose:
Avery Bradley
#1 Pick (Markelle Fultz)
Kelly Olynyk
Tyler Zeller
Amir Johnson
Jonas Jerebko
Celtics Gain:
Gordon Hayward
Jayson Tatum
Lakers/Kings protected first rounder
Ante Zizic
Possibly Guerschon Yabusele
I’ll take that trade ten times out of ten. The Celtics are even more equipped to win now and they won the East last year. They have several bodies to throw at LeBron in an impending playoff matchup and they have the personnel to boast one of the best offenses in the league.
People doubted Danny Ainge. He didn’t disappoint this summer.
Grade: A
