When you can add a guy who immediately becomes your worst three point shooter, you simply have to make the move.Why would Niko entice anyone to do anything?
That's the pro-Niko case, for sureWhen you can add a guy who immediately becomes your worst three point shooter, you simply have to make the move.
Lose Jaylen and a BRK pick?whitesoxdave@barstoolWSD 3m3 minutes ago
Jaylen Brown, Kelly Olynyk among additional pieces discussed in return to the Bulls
One of the many reasons I'm sticking with my no-deal belief.Lose Jaylen and a BRK pick?
Same, but there was mention the pick could be protected. If it's Brown + Nets pick (top 3 protection) for Butler? Nets pick rolls over to next year if top 3.One of the many reasons I'm sticking with my no-deal belief.
I'd probably do that one but would prefer George for a Jaylen/Nets pick combo. All depends on how Ainge views the 2017 draft class vs. next year, assuming Chicago would be ok with 2017 protection.Same, but there was mention the pick could be protected. If it's Brown + Nets pick (top 3 protection) for Butler? Nets pick rolls over to next year if top 3.
I don't know how I'd feel about that deal.
I don't even know if protecting the pick like that is possible, where they would trade BK18 if BK17 falls in the protected zone. If possible, that's a scary potential value swing.Same, but there was mention the pick could be protected. If it's Brown + Nets pick (top 3 protection) for Butler? Nets pick rolls over to next year if top 3.
I don't know how I'd feel about that deal.
I think most of us agree that nobody beats Golden State as currently constituted but a turn of an ankle or some other injury changes everything.Granted I don't see as much of the Western Conference as I should, but if you're the Celtics why do you trade away assets/picks to reach the finals, only to run into the Warriors once you get there?
I would wait until @WhiteSoxDave tweets about Bojan until you start taking this Woj guy serious.Adrian Wojnarowski @WojVerticalNBA 17m17 minutes ago
Teams pursuing Brooklyn’s Bojan Bogdanovic suggest they’re ramping up on offers, process moving closer to Nets choosing best available deal.
Except that just last year Curry got hurt, Draymond got suspended and the Cavs overcame a 3-1 series deficit to the beat the best regular season of all time in the NBA Finals. You don't build your roster hoping someone gets hurt, but you don't avoid making moves hoping the road to a championship gets easier in the future. You take every opportunity that presents itself to make your roster incrementally better.A plan that is based around someone getting hurt is doomed to fail. Thompson and Green have been iron men, Curry's ankle stuff is long gone, and Durant shows no ill-effects from his foot issue (and has never really been hurt otherwise). They're as good a bet as any to be really strong for at least the next 3-4 seasons, which would be the exact window you're committing to by cashing in all the chips now*.
*If you acquire Butler, you have to move the rest asap.
I don't disagree with the sentiment, just the timing. It took a fluke suspension for a superteam with the GOAT to eke out a series win over a contender for GOAT team that added a historically good player. It's pure fantasy to look at this and think the Celtics have any kind of reasonable chance to win a title this year. You can wait for the summer and make incremental improvements that don't cost exponential prices.Except that just last year Curry got hurt, Draymond got suspended and the Cavs overcame a 3-1 series deficit to the beat the best regular season of all time in the NBA Finals. You don't build your roster hoping someone gets hurt, but you don't avoid making moves hoping the road to a championship gets easier in the future. You take every opportunity that presents itself to make your roster incrementally better.
Ric BucherVerified account@RicBucher Feb 19Ric Bucher just said the Celtics were 1 of 4 teams that had meaningful discussions with the Kings about DMC.
Orlando is basically Sacramento East. They would have made great trade partners.What would the point of Orlando acquiring him have been?
The Cavs overcame that deficit because they have, arguably, the greatest basketball player of all time on their roster.Except that just last year Curry got hurt, Draymond got suspended and the Cavs overcame a 3-1 series deficit to the beat the best regular season of all time in the NBA Finals. You don't build your roster hoping someone gets hurt, but you don't avoid making moves hoping the road to a championship gets easier in the future. You take every opportunity that presents itself to make your roster incrementally better.
Ok, so you take the long approach and watch IT/Horford lose effectiveness right as the new young core is (hopefully) ready to take over and you're in the same exact position as you are now. And that's assuming lotto luck and making the right picks. At some point you have to play a hand and I'm perfectly fine cashing in some of the chips if the price for George/Butler is reasonable. Obviously, if the Bulls/Pacers get greedy, then you walk away and try again in the summer/next year, which is a luxury this team has and is why Ainge won't panic.The Cavs overcame that deficit because they have, arguably, the greatest basketball player of all time on their roster.
The Celtics don't have anything resembling a Lebron James on their roster right now, not even close, and trading for Jimmy Butler would not change that IMO.
You are correct but as Cellar-Door points out, the Celtics are primed to compete now and their window with this current cast is closing soon. As much as people are salivating at a perpetually good team with lots of draft picks coming up, if the Celtics get a few busts (which, again, isn't unreasonable given how hard it is to draft properly) they could just as easily be a middling team two to three years from now.The Cavs overcame that deficit because they have, arguably, the greatest basketball player of all time on their roster.
The Celtics don't have anything resembling a Lebron James on their roster right now, not even close, and trading for Jimmy Butler would not change that IMO.
Completely agree. I think that if you add Butler or PG you give this team a legit shot at the Finals. I'd hate to see the ping pong balls fall the wrong way and make these amazing assets essentially wasted.You are correct but as Cellar-Door points out, the Celtics are primed to compete now and their window with this current cast is closing soon. As much as people are salivating at a perpetually good team with lots of draft picks coming up, if the Celtics get a few busts (which, again, isn't unreasonable given how hard it is to draft properly) they could just as easily be a middling team two to three years from now.
We are really looking at a philosophical divide when evaluating potential trades. Either you come down on the side of believing the Celtics will draft well and the players will develop out in a reasonable time-frame. Or you believe that realized talent trumps prospective talent and that if you get a chance to improve incrementally for a reasonable price, you do it, regardless of whether you can contend with the best teams or not.
See, I give the Celtics a legit shot at making the finals as presently constructed. Love will probably not be 100%. Lebron is playing too many minutes. If they rest Lebron, the Celtics could easily steal the #1 seed. It wouldn't take a lot of things to break the Celtics' way. At Bovada right now you can get the Celtics at +400 to win the ECF.Completely agree. I think that if you add Butler or PG you give this team a legit shot at the Finals. I'd hate to see the ping pong balls fall the wrong way and make these amazing assets essentially wasted.
And what if Hayward says thanks but no thanks? What's your Plan B?For the record my "long" approach is to wait 25 more games, sign Hayward and keep all the picks for trades/cheap upside talent as needed. Not advocating sitting around and twiddling thumbs while guys age out. Butler/George will still be there this summer.
Curious as to why you think this.I think the Hayward ship has sailed.
I kind of agree. Everyone with sources in Utah seems to think that he's not interested in leaving, they can also give him more money. Celtics only get discussed because they have Brad Stevens. Also the new CBA screwed it up some, made it harder to clear a full max slot for him.Curious as to why you think this.
Revisit Butler, talk to Indy, talk to Griffin. Right now we're at "almost certain ECF loss." Butler gets you down to "likely ECF loss." I'm not so eager to pay a near-unheard of price for a non-superduper star for that.And what if Hayward says thanks but no thanks? What's your Plan B?