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After an exhilarating contest, the Boston Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart came up big in the overtime thriller, but could not get the Celtics over the finish line. The Celtics missed an injured Gordon Hayward in this game, but reports suggest that he will be back for the Game 3. Hayward's current deal expires next season, and according to various NBA trade rumors, he might be off to a new destination.
NBA Trade Rumors: Should the Houston Rockets trade for Gordon Hayward?
After a promising end to their regular season, the Houston Rockets had a hard time in the NBA playoffs. After a gruelling victory over the OKC Thunder in the first round, the Rockets got pulverized by the LA Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Soon after the playoff exit, Mike D'Antoni chose to test the free agency market. NBA trade rumors suggest that multiple players from the Rockets will be on the move this off-season.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Head coaches Houston Rockets should target to replace Mike D'Antoni
With that said, the Rockets have a strong core of players in James Harden, Russell Westbrook, PJ Tucker, and Robert Covington. With this group, the Texas-based team will look to make another attempt at winning the coveted NBA championship ring.
However, with the Celtics' Gordon Hayward hitting the free agency market next season, a trade to the Houston Rockets can be on the cards. The Rockets lack a solid front-court player, and Hayward checks all the boxes. He can play on and off the ball, and can provide the extra scoring and playmaking punch that the Houston Rockets require when James Harden is off the floor.
Hayward would be an excellent floor spacer, with his 42.5 percent mark on catch-and-shoot threes this season. His 6’7″, 225-pound frame would also fit Houston’s switch-everything defense.
It remains to be seen if any NBA trade rumors link Gordon Hayward to the Houston Rockets in the near future.
Guess the Lakers players!
