Proposed Trade Sees Celtics Land Rudy Gay Using TPE – Heavy.com
Getty Danilo Gallinari of the Boston Celtics.
The offseason may have died down, but the Boston Celtics had a busy summer. They made their moves at the very start of the offseason, but that doesn’t take away from the significance of the additions. Boston signed Danilo Gallinari to a two-year deal and made a trade with the Indiana Pacers for Malcolm Brogdon.
Both of the deals had fans excited for next season, as the Celtics’ lack of depth caught up to them in the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, their new depth has already taken a hit, as it was recently announced that Gallinari tore his ACL while playing with the Italian National Team.
Now, Boston will be stuck looking for a potential Gallinari replacement. Well, in a trade proposal drawn up by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report on September 5, they would be finding just that in a deal with the Utah Jazz that would land them Rudy Gay.
Here’s the full outline of the proposed trade:
Celtics receive: Gay
Jazz receive: 2029 2nd-Round Pick (Top-55 Protected)
Obviously, the Celtics would be giving up very little value, but that’s because of the direction Utah is heading in. The Jazz are in the midst of what seems like a full-on rebuild, and since Gay is 36 years old and on an expiring contract, he won’t have a ton of trade value.
Swartz explained this well.
Why Jazz Would Accept This Deal
Up until last year, Gay had been a consistent double-digit scorer throughout the course of his career. However, as is the case with most players, age eventually caught up to him. Plus, Utah will likely be eager to dump his contract as they continue their rebuild.
“Gay would be a low-cost option, as the 36-year-old forward fits into a $6.9 million trade exception the Celtics possess from a previous Juancho Hernangomez trade. Utah shouldn’t ask for much in return, as they’d likely be happy just to dump his remaining two-year, $12.6 million contract from their rebuilding roster,” Swartz wrote.
This past season, Gay appeared in 55 games for the Jazz, playing 18.9 minutes per contest. He averaged 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on 41.4% shooting from the field and 34.5% shooting from three-point range.
Swartz explained why Gay would be a perfect option for Boston.
Why Celtics Could Target Gay
Gay may not be the best guy Boston could target in a trade, but for the role he would be playing, the price would be ideal. They wouldn’t have to give up any rotation players in this trade, which Swartz mentioned as a priority.
“The Celtics should be on the lookout for backup forwards now that Danilo Gallinari could miss the entire season with a torn ACL. Finding one without parting with any rotation players or first-round picks should be the priority, keeping the team’s present and future intact,” said Swartz.
Replacing Gallinari has quickly become the top priority for the Celtics this summer. And while they could simply choose to roll with Grant Williams and elevate Sam Hauser into a larger role, a trade for Gay could be the missing link to help salvage the production they lost with Gallinari’s injury.