The Boston Celtics are reportedly considering a trade that would bring in four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson. The deal would involve sending Sam Hauser to the Miami Heat in exchange for Thompson, Nikola Jovic, and Caleb Martin. Here's what you need to know about the potential move. The Celtics' recent form has been lackluster, with a 0-0-5 record in their last five games. ## What happened?
The hypothetical move could be a big win for all three teams, especially for a top-heavy Miami Heat team that could desperately use some shooting and bench depth. As for the Mavericks, they can send Thompson to a title contender instead of playing him as the third or fourth guy off the bench on a young team preparing for the Cooper Flagg era. ## Why the Celtics Do It
Sam Hauser has proven to be a very reliable long-range shooter for the Celtics for several seasons now. Last year, the sharpshooter started in 49 out of his 78 games for Joe Mazzulla, filling in admirably well for the injured Jayson Tatum. He made 2.5 threes a game at an excellent clip of 39% and played serviceable defense with his 6-foot-7 frame and underrated athleticism. However, some analysts feel that southpaw Baylor Scheierman is ready to take a leap and take over Hauser’s role in his third year, making the latter dispensable, especially for a proven winner like Thompson. ## Klay Thompson Ready to Move On
Thompson has sent several hints to the Mavericks that he’s ready to move on. During his Fanatics Fest appearance recently, the former Splash Brother went as far as to say that it “would be nice to end” the final year of his contract with the Golden State Warriors rather than play with a young Mavericks team going in a different direction. Last season, Thompson averaged a career-low 21.7 minutes while starting just eight games for the Mavs. He also logged career-lows in points (11.7), FG% (.393), field goal attempts (10.6), rebounds (2.1) and assists (1.4). Yet, he made 2.9 threes at a good clip of 38%, proving that he can still be an excellent shooter off the bench for a contender. On the Celtics, Thompson could be an excellent addition to the bench unit of Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Luke Garza, Ron Harper Jr. and new acquisitions Mike Conley and Mitchell Robinson. The C’s are expected to start Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta.
