After a hectic Fourth of July that had fans of both the Celtics and the Jazz on edge for hours, Danny Ainge and Co. finally got the star they'd been after this offseason, as Gordon Hayward finally announced himself that he was indeed going to rejoin Brad Stevens and play for the Boston Celtics.
Yet less than a day later, the Celtics could once again be on the hunt for another big addition. According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics' original plan this offseason was to sign Hayward, and then try to trade for Paul George. But with the Pacers preempting them by dumping George to the Thunder, that plan is now out the window.
However, perhaps there is still hope for the Celtics trading for a star after acquiring Hayward. Per a report from Chris Mannix, league executives believe that the Celtics could trade for Marc Gasol, as the Grizzlies' future is in flux. Via The Vertical:
The trade market for stars has momentarily dried up. One player worth keeping an eye on, two league executives told The Vertical: Memphis' Marc Gasol. The Grizzlies lost Zach Randolph, Tony Allen could be next out the door, and if you were filling out your Western Conference playoff bracket today, Memphis probably wouldn't be in it. Would the Grizz move the 32-year-old Gasol for a ready-made rebuilding package of players and picks? Would Boston - which has to be wary of putting together a team that would beat Cleveland but still get pulverized by Golden State - be interested? Again, worth watching.
The Grizzlies did let Zach Randolph walk, and they still have some decisions to make with Tony Allen and JaMychal Green. Perhaps they could decide to tear things down, but that seems more like a decision they would make in the middle of the season if things aren't going well rather than right now.
Memphis just re-signed Mike Conley to a monster deal, Gasol is still one of the best big men around, and even in a strengthened West, the Grizz will be competitive.
If any team was capable of putting together a package worthy of prying Gasol from the Grizzlies, it would be the Celtics. But as we've seen these past few weeks, Ainge is not exactly willing to part with his most-prized assets, which are what it would take to get the big Spaniard.
So we'll see. As Mannix says, it's worth keeping an eye on, but it doesn't seem like there's anything imminent here. If anything, this sounds like some executives seeing the Grizzlies perhaps about to change directions, the Celtics loaded with assets, and putting two and two together.
