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The Boston Celtics were the pre-season favorites to reach the NBA finals. The Eastern Conference is wide open following LeBron James' move to Los Angeles, and Boston looked to be best equipped to become the new dominant force of the division.
In their opening game of the season, the Celtics destroyed the Philadelphia 76ers, and it looked like everything was falling into place. The Boston team has however struggled since then, and they will consider their 9-8 record as a huge disappointment. The Celtics also currently have a stacked roster, so here are three players that may soon exit the team.
#3 Jabari Bird
Shooting guard Jabari Bird was the 56th pick of the 2017 NBA draft. In his debut season with the Celtics, Bird played in just 14 games, and he didn't feature at all in the playoffs. The 24-year-old has yet to play during the current season, and he recently made headlines for being charged with domestic violence.
The Celtics currently have much better young prospects, and Bird himself needs to find a team that will give him game time. This trade would suit both parties.
#2 Terry Rozier
Terry Rozier was drafted by the Celtics back in 2015, and he has since become somewhat of a fan favorite. Many Celtic fans refer to him by his nickname 'Scary Terry', and the point-guard had his best season yet in 17/18. Despite the arrival of Kyrie Irving, Rozier still featured heavily, averaging 25.9 minutes a game.
The 24-year-olds' playtime has been decreased so far this season, and Rozier is reportedly unhappy with his current situation. Due to the ability and age of Rozier, the Celtics would be able to get good assets in return, so he may be considered expendable to the organization.
#1 Gordon Hayward
Gordon Hayward's NBA career has stumbled over the last 18 months, and this has been due to two reasons. Firstly, Hayward suffered a horrific injury in the opening minutes of his Celtics debut, which forced him to miss the remainder of the season. The 28-year-old made a full recovery, however, he is still not at his sharpest, and it may take another few months before he is back in peak physical condition.
The second reason for his struggles can be attributed to Hayward's style not fitting in with the Celtics. He has fallen behind the young Celtics core during his lay-off, and Hayward has recently been relegated to the bench. This is something that the small forward would have never expected when he signed his four-year, $128 million contract in 2017.
Hayward still has significant trade value, although he seems to have been left behind by the Celtics young revolution. A lot of people are speculating about an impending trade, so now Hayward faces a huge challenge to save his Celtics career.
