When the Chicago Bulls traded Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the night of the 2017 NBA Draft, many wondered why the asset-rich Boston Celtics balked on acquiring the All-Star guard.
The case can be made that the T-Wolves didn’t give up much to land Butler. Similarly, many feel the Indiana Pacers traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for pennies on the dollar. So why, then, did the Celtics pass on those kinds of deals, only to part with a plethora of assets to acquire — for the time being — Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers?
In the case of George, the Celtics likely were concerned over his potential commitment to the franchise long-term. But when it came to Butler, the Celtics apparently were worried about how he would coexist with the team’s prized offseason signing.
“The Celtics had some concerns over how (Gordon) Hayward and Butler would mesh, both on the court and as personalities, sources say,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported Wednesday.
Whether Butler and Hayward’s personalities would mesh is a difficult thing to predict. But given both players are shooting guard-small forward hybrids, one certainly can understand why the Celts worried about how the players would coexist on the court.
Ultimately, the Celtics and their fans must be pleased with who the team brought in to play alongside Hayward.
But if that deal eventually gets voided, the door certainly opens to criticize Boston for how it approached the offseason.
Thumbnail photo via David Banks/USA TODAY Sports Images
