The Celtics trading Jae Crowder to clear max cap space for Gordon Hayward? That could make sense.
The Celtics getting Hayward in a sign-and-trade with the Jazz? That could make sense.
The Celtics sending Crowder to Utah in a Hayward sign-and-trade? Tying both ideas together should be mostly coincidental for Boston, but it might actually be happening.
Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald:
Source says Hayward headed to Boston - press conference expected in next 2 days. Says Crowder S&T with Utah close, other details unclear.
— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) July 6, 2017
The big question: What else is Utah giving the Celtics? They could trade Crowder to any team to clear cap space for Hayward. Sending Crowder – a valuable player – to the Jazz makes sense only if they offer the best return.
Boston is getting Hayward anyway, so don’t think of him as part of the Celtics’ prize for Crowder. Trading Crowder should mostly be thought of as a separate transaction.
Utah has three players who could be traded for Crowder and still leave Boston enough cap room to max out Hayward: Rodney Hood, Raul Neto or Joel Bolomboy. Future draft picks, which carry a value of $0 in trades and against the cap, would also work. Other players could be included in a more complex deal.
