Boston Celtics Rumors: Are More Trades Coming After Sending Avery Bradley To The Detroit Pistons?

The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade one of their key players in order to create the salary cap room necessary to sign Gordon Hayward to a max contract. The team has sent Avery Bradley and a 2019 second-round draft pick to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Marcus Morris, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Prior to the deal, there had been rumors that Boston could trade either Bradley, Jae Crowder or Marcus Smart. With Bradley gone, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Celtics are done making moves.

READ: Does Gordon Hayward Make The Boston Celtics Contenders?

Boston might not have any more need to shed salary, but they still aren’t good enough to be considered legitimate championship contenders. While adding Hayward improves their team, Bradley was an essential part of their starting lineup. He was arguably the team’s second-best player as they won 53 games a season ago, and he was named to the 2016 NBA All-Defensive first team.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the overwhelming favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2018 NBA Finals. LeBron James and Cleveland eliminated the Celtics from the 2017 playoffs in five games.

Bradley was likely moved because of his impending free agency in 2018. The team will have to spend big money if they want to hold onto Isaiah Thomas, who is also up for a new contract next summer, and keeping their backcourt together beyond the 2017-2018 season probably wasn’t realistic. Bradley is due $8.8 million in the upcoming season, and his salary will more than double when he hits the open market.

Swapping Bradley for a power forward doesn’t address the Celtics’ biggest weakness--if anything it makes it worse. Only three teams averaged fewer rebounds than Boston in the regular season, and Bradley, despite standing at just 6’2, was the team’s second-leading rebounder. Morris is a power forward, but he joins Boston’s Al Horford as one of the league’s worst rebounding big men, grabbing just 4.6 boards per game.

Kelly Olynyk, who averaged 4.8 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game for the Celtics last year, has signed with the Miami Heat.

Crowder could eventually be moved, though he’s the most valuable trade asset on Boston’s roster. Because he’s owed less than $22 million over the next three years without a player option, Crowder has one of the best contracts in the entire NBA. He started 72 games last year, averaging 13.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The small forward shot 46.3 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three-point range.

Smart was mentioned in trade rumors Thursday, and ESPN reported that Boston reached out to the New York Knicks about a possible deal. According to The New York Post’s Marc Berman, the Knicks had some interest in acquiring the point guard, though the price tag for him is unclear.

READ: Gordon Hayward Picks Boston Celtics, Twitter Reacts To Rumors

With Bradley on his way to Detroit, Smart could now go from the bench into Boston’s starting lineup. Thomas is the team’s starting point guard, though he could play alongside Smart, who isn’t nearly the same kind of scorer. Smart shot just 35.9 percent from the field in the 2016-2017 season, making 28.3 percent of his three-point attempts.

There had been reports that maybe Bradley, Crowder or Smart could go to the Utah Jazz as part of a sign-and-trade for Hayward, but it no longer appears that the Jazz will get anything in return for the All-Star forward.