Christmas can come early for NBA fans. After a champion is crowned in June, the draft follows soon after with a fresh class of young players. And maybe more importantly, the offseason kicks off in July with so much palace intrigue over trades and free agency.
However, what comes with the excitement of getting new players in a summer deal is the hard truth of sending players out. Whether it’s a fan favorite (Marcus!) or a promising phenom (like Aaron Nesmith), there’s always a give-and-take in these
trades.
We polled our readers on who should be untouchable in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Trey Murphy III. The Celtics used their unproven depth at the wing to win 56 games last year and now, that success has made them attractive targets in trade season.
Need a savvy everyman and jack-of-all-trades? Baylor Scheierman could be your guy. Ron Harper Jr. could develop into a microwave scorer off the bench. Jordan Walsh is already an accomplished defender.
In the end, it was rookie sensation Hugo Gonzalez that our readers didn’t want to include in a potential package next month. Gonzalez fell out of the rotation by the end of the year and into the playoffs, but his upside in undeniable.
Back in 2006, then President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge refused to include Rajon Rondo in the deal that would bring Kevin Garnett to Boston. That duo would later raise Banner 17 to the rafters.
Could Gonzalez be that instrumental in a championship run or should Stevens even hesitate including him a deal that could net a known commodity? Well, the fans have spoken and named Hugo the “Most Likely To Be Back In Boston Next Season.”
Our friends at FanDuel don’t have a Mr. Untouchable category you can wager on, but if you want to bet on Boston, they’ve already got the Celtics at a +550 to raise the Larry O’Brien in 2027.
