Gordon Hayward signs with Celtics: 5 questions we have

1.The Isaiah Thomas conundrum. Is he worth the max?

Isaiah Thomas runs the show in Boston, but for how long? Thomas, 29, will be an impending free agent after this upcoming season. Thomas will earn just $6.26 million in 2017-2018 and will be looking for a max $200 million type of deal in the near future. The problem is Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley will also be on the hook for new deals.

You can make the argument that undersized point guards typically don’t age well. Factoring in the serious hip injury Thomas suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals, it may be a sign of what’s to come in a long-term deal. Paying $200 million to Isaiah Thomas is out of the question. If he becomes adamant on getting a max type deal, trading Thomas may be in the teams best interest.

The darlings of the analytics actually view Marcus Smart in high esteem. Smart, 23, is regarded as a future All-Star level player according to ESPN’s Five Thirty-Eight website. Smart, who is already a premier defender, averaged 10.6 points per game a year ago. Personally, I think Smart can develop into a Kyle Lowry type of player.

Losing Avery Bradley isn’t really an option either. Bradley, who is an All-NBA type of defender, may realistically be the Celitics be player prior to the Hayward signing. Bradley, 26, averaged 14.2 points per game and has a 14.52 PER. Bradley is a reliable 3-point shooter (.390 percent) and fits exactly what Brad Stevens is trying to do.

Next: NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 offseason needs for the Boston Celtics

For the Celtics to hit their true potential, Isaiah Thomas may have to go. Paying Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley should be priorities over Thomas despite how electric he is. For now the Isaiah Thomas, Gordon Hayward show will be fun to watch.