At first glance, it is easy to see why so many fans of the Boston Celtics hope their team tries to trade for Indiana Pacers sharpshooting guard Buddy Hield. With rumors of the NBA’s 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon potentially being irked with the Celtics as well as potentially injured with a cap crunch going on as well, Hield makes all the sense in the world to swap for Brogdon.
Cheaper, healthier, and more lethal from beyond the arc, the pros are unfortunately nuked by the cons, namely the fact that a three-team deal would almost certainly be needed to pull off, immediately putting Boston out of the likely top offers as a result.
Buy Celtics TicketsBut that does not mean it is not worth trying, as is evidenced by the assessments of other NBA analysts who see the potential — even if they also see the substantial hurdles to such a trade.
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One such analyst is HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan, who sees the Celtics as one of six trade destinations that make sense for Hield to land in. “The Boston Celtics feel like a stretch considering they’re already a great 3-point shooting team and don’t have a huge need for Hield,” notes Gozlan.
“However, it’s recently been reported that Malcolm Brogdon is unhappy with the Celtics. If the relationship is irreparable, could a trade sending Brogdon back to Indiana for Hield make sense?”
While the uncertainty surrounding his future might make Brogdon less than thrilled, there’s no concrete evidence of a major rift. https://t.co/5vTVzUZERx
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 23, 2023
“Brogdon is coming off the best 3-point shooting season of his career so he could provide replacement-level shooting for the Pacers,” adds the H/H analyst.
“However, his two-year, $45 million extension that they originally signed him to is set to kick in this season. If the Pacers want to prioritize cap flexibility for 2024, they may prefer to see Brogdon sent to a third team.”
With enough “ifs” in such a move as to make a small forest if those “ifs” were trees, the logic of the fit makes sense to a degree — but the context in which such a deal would take place is far from favorable.
Walsh talked about the team’s early return for training and the commitment of established players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. https://t.co/N4Hwpcnl8H
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 23, 2023
Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway also sees the potential but is a bit less bullish on the fit. “Adding Hield doesn’t do anything to solve Boston’s desperate need for a reliable primary ball-handler, but neither did Brogdon as he was floundering in the Eastern Conference Finals,” writes Conway.
The B/R analyst suggests that “moving Hield for Brogdon adds more critical floor spacing as Jayson Tatum takes on additional ball-handling responsibilities” and that “Brogdon-for-Hield is an imperfect solution, but it may be the only one Boston has before the start of the regular season.”
Here are three goals for Payton Pritchard heading into the new season. https://t.co/lSeaXmkIYk
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 23, 2023
“It’s likely Brogdon will show up to camp and be the good soldier despite his frustrations; I’m just not sure it matters,” shares Conway. “He’s a grumbling sixth man who doesn’t shift the needle when it counts.”
“If the Celtics can find an available point guard in Brogdon’s price range, they should float his name out there along with future firsts and get the job done. If they can’t, Hield is a potentially prolific scorer who could take away some of the burden on Tatum and Jaylen Brown.”
Stevens, the newest addition to the Boston Celtics’ 2023-24 roster, brings a unique set of strengths to the team. https://t.co/Hr7mhmkKNM
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 23, 2023
A similar reticence can be seen from NBC Sports Boston’s Darren Hartwell. “There’s no harm in Brad Stevens placing a phone call to Indiana about Hield,” offers Hartwell. “But if this boils down to Brogdon versus Hield, we’ll take the well-rounded point guard already on the roster.”
“The Celtics already bolstered their outside shooting this offseason by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis. They have plenty of players who can knock down 3s — including Brogdon, who shot a career-best 44.4% from deep last season.”
The Boston Celtics have added Lamar Stevens to their roster for the upcoming season, but how does he improve the team? https://t.co/wiJe3aoAvw
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 23, 2023
“With Smart off the roster, the C’s should prioritize defense and playmaking, which gives the edge to Brogdon (assuming he can stay healthy),” opines the NBC Sports Boston analyst.
“We’d imagine Mazzulla may lobby for another sharpshooter in his arsenal, but if Hauser — a 42% 3-point shooter through two NBA seasons — can regain his stroke off the bench, then Hield may not be worth the cost.”
Perhaps the strongest case for any deal for Hield is his historical availability, having never played less than 71 games, a figure Brogdon has only accomplished once in his career. But the context surrounding such a deal hints strongly that we oughtn’t hold our breath waiting for it to happen.
Pritchard has spent his summer prepping for a bigger role in pursuit of a title and has spent time working out with one of the shortest Celtics of all time while waiting to meet one of the tallest. https://t.co/5ZDA8GMmHj
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 23, 2023
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