In a matter of a few weeks, as Jimmy Butler wound up in Minnesota, as Paul George was dealt to Oklahoma City and as Blake Griffin re-signed with the Clippers, the Boston Celtics went from a team with seemingly endless options to having just one option.
It was Gordon Hayward or bust.
On the Fourth of July, Boston fans rejoiced as it was reported that Hayward will indeed sign with the Celtics on a four-year, $128 million deal. It's hard to overstate the significance of this move for the Celtics -- not just because Hayward is a top-20 player who vaults Boston into at least the conversation for Eastern Conference supremacy, but again, because of the urgency of this summer.
For starters, next year, Isaiah Thomas will go from making less than $7 million a year to somewhere north of $30 million. When you have a fringe MVP-level player on a scrub contract AND the No. 1 overall pick in the same year, the stars have aligned in a way that almost never happens in the NBA. If Danny Ainge had come out of this offseason with nothing more than yet another draft pick to show (and not even the No. 1 pick, at that, after he traded that to Philly), it would've been a really big missed opportunity that might not show up again.
Hayward ensures that won't happen, and in fact, swings Boston appreciably upward. He's the second go-to scorer the Celtics have long needed next to Thomas, and his all-around game blends seamlessly with the ensemble identity that has made the Celtics the only halfway viable counter to the superteam movement. Pretty simply, a team full of good players just added a great one, and that pushes you into a different class.
According to SportsLine projections, Boston will go from 52.1 wins to 54.5, and would see its chances to win the NBA title increase by 0.6 percent.
| Boston Celtics | Wins | Win % | Playoffs | East seed | NBA title odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before Hayward | 52.1 | 63.50% | 99.80% | No. 2 | 3.90% |
With Hayward | 54.5 | 66.50% | 99.90% | No. 2 | 4.50% |
Impact | 2.4 | 2.90% | 0.10% | -- | 0.60% |
Those numbers don't necessarily reflect the full scope of what Hayward does for Boston. Over the long haul is one thing, but in the playoffs, in possession basketball, a few buckets at the right time can make a huge difference. And Hayward can get buckets.
Does this move make the Celtics legit title contenders? Probably not. They still lack rim protection and Hayward does little, if anything at all, to address their rebounding deficiency. But again, great players (and yes, Hayward is a borderline great player) fill a lot of holes that don't necessarily show up on paper. A guy like Hayward just makes your whole team walk taller, and the momentum of this move counts for something against a Cleveland team that doesn't have many options for getting better.
If the Celtics' No. 1 seed a year ago was a bit deceiving in terms of their true championship potential, Hayward probably raises them to the fringes of real contention. Meanwhile, the Cavs, who still can't offload Kevin Love and are perhaps in danger of losing LeBron next year, are looking even more stagnant on the heels of the first star to actually move from West to East this summer.
For Boston, this is the best of both worlds. Hayward is a big upgrade right now but also a bridge to perhaps an even brighter future. Remember, Boston has the Nets' pick next year and also a protected Lakers first-round selection. Both picks could end up in the top five. And they just drafted No. 3 overall selection Jayson Tatum, who hit a game-winner in his Summer League debut.
Before the Hayward agreement, the Celtics were probably going to need a little more out of Tatum than a 19-year-old rookie is ready to give. Now, without depending on it, Tatum looks like an NBA ready scorer who can afford to find his footing. For so many reasons, this is a slam-dunk signing for Ainge, whose asset-hoarding ways have struck a delicate debate between those who feel this team is ready to win now and those who agree with the patience. Now, both sides of the argument get their way. The Celtics didn't give anything up, and they still got their guy.
Credit Ainge for that. He is true to what he believes, true to this team that he has put together and isn't done building. And he isn't going to compromise that for any kind of short-sighted move. Ainge has had his eyes on Hayward for a long time. And he got him. When you draw it up on paper, this is how it's supposed to look.