The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reports that the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets are trying to work out a sign-and-trade that would allow the Hornets to avoid having to waive a player to sign Gordon Hayward in free agency that would also send something back to Boston.
As originally structured, the Hornets were going to waive and stretch veteran wing Nic Batum in order to make room for Hayward’s new deal, which — at $120 million over four years added to Batum’s stretch cost of roughly $9 million per year would result in an effective cost of $39 million a year.
Per multiple league sources, a Celtics/Hornets sign-and-trade involving Gordon Hayward is still being discussed.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) November 22, 2020
Some time to absorb the gravity of what that could mean for the team’s future cap flexibility should the Indiana native continue to have poor injury luck (and, arguably, even if he didn’t) may have been enough to get Michael Jordan back at the negotiating table.
And it could be a sea change for Boston’s fortunes if it works out.
With Yahoo’s Keith Smith reporting that the Celtics could receive a player worth up to $20 million a season in salary is already generating hope for a Terry Rozier reunion — or perhaps even finding a way to pry wing Bogdan Bogdanovic away from the Sacramento Kings.
Check back soon for more details on this developing story.
