Boston Celtics
“Your contract can be traded and it’s a part of the business too. You’ve got to realize that you can’t control it, actually.”
Hugo Gonzalez, who the Celtics took with the 28th pick of last year’s draft, showed some impressive flashes in his age 19 season. Finn Gomez for the Boston Globe
-
Mike Vrabel on Drake Maye, A.J. Brown, and questions about ‘conservative’ game plan
-
Celtics reportedly interested in Providence College product Devin Carter
There was a brief stretch this summer during the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes when Hugo Gonzalez’s name came up as a potential trade piece for the Celtics.
The 20-year-old Spanish guard ended up staying in Boston after the Bucks dealt Antetokounmpo to the Heat.
Gonzalez earned a role on the team as a rookie last year. It didn’t take long for him to get an introduction to what it’s like being involved in NBA trade rumors.
“It’s just something that you know when you’re going to the NBA,” Gonzalez told CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning. “You know that you can get traded. I wouldn’t be the first or the last person to get traded. It’s something you’ve got to know when you get to the NBA, get to the league. Your contract can be traded and it’s a part of the business too. You’ve got to realize that you can’t control it, actually.”
Gonzalez showed flashes of athleticism in a limited role last year. Brad Stevens said he is already one of the Celtics’ pound-for-pound strongest players and that Gonzalez’s athleticism has the potential to show up in big games.
However, he did not separate himself from the Celtics’ other young wings last year and he found himself on the outside looking in at the rotation during the playoffs. He only played in four of the Celtics’ seven games against Philadelphia in the first round last year and he did not score.
He said decision-making has been a point of emphasis during his work this offseason.
“Just keep doing the right thing, keep taking the best decision available,” Gonzalez said. “I would say the decision making so I can have a better impact on the floor and knowing that I can help the team in a lot of ways.”
Gonzalez was asked whether the Celtics’ decision to keep him gave him confidence about his future.
“We’re working for the same thing, we’re working for winning,” Gonzalez said. “They know that I’m going to have the confidence to win and the courage to be working hard every day, so that’s it.”
The Celtics have Gonzalez under team control for the next three seasons. He has a guaranteed year coming up this season, followed by team options each of the next two seasons.
Gonzalez said he enjoys being in Boston and is looking forward to the upcoming season.
“Boston is a great city,” Gonzalez said. “I really like it. It’s one of my favorites, not the favorite. In the NBA, I’ve been to almost all of [the cities]. I like it here. It’s really similar to what I can find in Europe. It made it easier for me to adjust last year. I just like it.”
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
