I think Hayward gets moved this offseason. Felt it all along.
He was a great get, but then Danny was able to snatch up Kyrie. Problem is it has taken 2 years to figure out that Gordon and Kyrie dont work together.
And between the 2 of them, Kyrie is the better player.
Heyward goes in the NO trade. He will take one for Brad. This being said no one really passes to him. I don't think the team trusts him.
There us a better chance of Boston coming back, winning this series and going on to win the title this year than there is New Orleans wanting any part of this version of Hayward and the $69 million still left on his contract.
This post season performance by Hayward has all but guaranteed he will be a Celtic next season.
I've always said the cleanest version of an AD trade involves sending out Hayward. You're right about NO not wanting him but I bet there's a third team out there willing to throw a pick and dead contracts to the Pelicans to take a flier on a former all star who will have a full year of healthy basketball between him and his injury.
Lots of teams will have cap space and some of them will not get their targets in free agency.
If NO wants Tatum or Brown as a centerpiece to the deal, no amount of trying to force Hayward on someone is going to change Griffin's mind. He said he wants a youngster with superstar potential, a veteran role player that would teach the youth how to be a pro and picks.
Sending Hayward somewhere else in a three way is not going to net the Pelicans a possible future superstar.
I'm not saying Tatum or Brown aren't in the deal. I'm saying, to make salaries work, including Hayward and routing him to a third team is the best way to make a deal happen and retain some depth.
Your point seemed to be that Hayward won't or can't be included because NO doesn't want him. I agree NO doesn't want him but for him to be included in the deal, NO doesn't have to take him.
Your scenario is far from clean because it forces New Orleans into moving even more parts, which they may not want to do, and receiving more parts they just do not want.
It also complicates things from Boston's end because we will most likely need to pay NO draft picks for Davis and even more picks to a third team for taking Hayward off our hands.
And that's if you can get someone who has decent parts to send to New Orleans that would be willing to take on his salary, at his demonstrated play level, for two years, for anything less than the best 1st round pick that Boston owns.
The cleanest trade for Davis involves Tatum, Smart and picks where you sign the picks then trade them. That happens to coincide with exactly what Griffin said he would want in a trade for Davis. Nice and clean. 2 teams. 1 player for 2 players and picks.