Report: Celtics working on plan to land Paul George, Gordon Hayward
Are the Boston Celtics trying to build a superteam from scratch?
The Celtics are "pursuing an aggressive summer plan" that includes signing free agent Gordon Hayward and acquiring Paul George in a trade, sources told The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Boston would want to secure a Hayward commitment before making a trade with the Indiana Pacers for George, but fear the Pacers may not want to wait past July 1 to move their franchise player, according to Wojnarowski.
The Celtics possess a wealth of assets to send Indiana in a deal, making them an attractive trade partner. Another potential issue for Boston is the believed position that George intends to flee to the Los Angeles Lakers when he hits free agency next summer. However, Wojnarowski reports the Celtics "have a growing confidence" that they could sign George long term.
Boston has been linked with unrestricted Utah Jazz free agent Hayward for some time. Failing to sign him could reportedly lead the Celtics to pursue Blake Griffin as a secondary option.
Landing two All-Star forwards like George and Hayward would be a huge coup for Boston, and at least move the needle somewhat towards the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East. Team president Danny Ainge has pulled off similar feats in the past, such as acquiring both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the summer of 2007 - something that sparked the Celtics to their last NBA title.
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