The Gordon Hayward and picks for Kevin Love trade is not a "rumor," it's one reporter's "idea"

The Celtics had interest in Kevin Love back in the day when he was younger, less injured, a better player, and big men had a bigger role



Well this is how false rumors get started. A reporter or blogger will float an idea for a trade. Someone will then say, "Hey did you hear that rumor?" Eventually people take it as fact.

The writer for Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz, literally titled his article, "5 Blockbuster Trade Ideas Early in NBA Free Agency."

Next, websites just looking for clicks call it a legit rumor:
If a reporter comes up with hypothetical trades, does that make them "rumors"?

Celtics fans start talking about it as a rumor and eventually more legit organizations like the Celtics tv station come out with this rumor alert:



Again worth noting their source for the rumor was a writer's IDEA. If you're curious what the idea was, which again is not a rumor. It's just the same as you or I spit firing trade ideas in the comments section it was this:

Boston Celtics Receive: F/C Kevin Love

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: SF Gordon Hayward, 2020 first-round pick, 2022 first-round pick (lottery protected)

Personally Love is about to start a new 4 year contract and Hayward only has two years left on his. Hayward is also younger and reports are he looks very good this summer, finally getting a chance to workout for real following his horrific injury. Love of course also missed most of last year following his own major injury.

Since the Celtics would be giving up the younger former all-star on the shorter contract not sure why they'd be coughing up the additional assets in two first rounders.

If Love can bounce back to his former all-star self he'd make a fine addition to a contender with his floor spacing and passing, but he's a defensive liability and doesn't protect the hoop. Not sure you can waste $30 mil a year in cap space on such a player in today's NBA. In the end I think the contract is what makes Love a no go for the Celtics.

Be on the lookout for unsubstantiated rumors. Here at Celtics Life, we do post on most rumors with a source and let you decide how accurate they are, but we're careful not to conflate rumors with ideas. This was a reporter's idea. Not a bad idea... if you're the Cavs.

Replace "tumor" with "rumor":


Related: Boston Celtics 'very happy' with Gordon Hayward's off-season progress