Right--they'd have to move off Conley. It just doesn't make sense.
Puzzled, though interested a bit, by Gasol rumors.
Puzzled, though interested a bit, by Gasol rumors.
2017 Celtics Offseason: News and General Discussion
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Regarding Gasol:
Can we please, please, please avoid another protracted trade discussion in which posters suggest offers for an elite player that don't involve the Celtics giving up any of their top assets? If Brown, Tatum or the Brooklyn pick aren't on the table, Memphis isn't coming to the table.
The Grizzlies aren't going to deal Gasol for Bradley, Smart and Crowder. Bradley and Smart are both guys that will get paid a lot soon. They'd just be trading for the right to be cap strapped by worse player, and Jae Crowder. Even including the SAC/LAC pick with that doesn't magically make that sensible for Memphis.
Can we please, please, please avoid another protracted trade discussion in which posters suggest offers for an elite player that don't involve the Celtics giving up any of their top assets? If Brown, Tatum or the Brooklyn pick aren't on the table, Memphis isn't coming to the table.
The Grizzlies aren't going to deal Gasol for Bradley, Smart and Crowder. Bradley and Smart are both guys that will get paid a lot soon. They'd just be trading for the right to be cap strapped by worse player, and Jae Crowder. Even including the SAC/LAC pick with that doesn't magically make that sensible for Memphis.
I'm sorry that this hurts your sensibilities but after the deals just consummated for Jimmy Butler and Paul George which were generally considered pu-pu platter deals I don't see why it's so far fetched to suggest something similar in this case.
Realizing that the players are different and have a different level of control and that the teams are different I don't see why we can't discuss something like Dunn and LaVine level talent along with a mid-first for Butler.
Memphis would still have to take all 3 for the salaries to match. There is no reason to talk about Marc Gasol to Boston because it just doesn't work cap wise. It requires the Celtics to move like 6 players for 1.
The more I think about it, the more I think we'll see something like Jae Crowder for Glenn Robinson III.
I told you why already. Because from a salary standpoint it makes no sense. Dunn and LaVine, regardless of what you think of them as players, are on their rookie deals, as will be the picks acquired. Smart has another year on his rookie salary, and Bradley's a year away from being a UFA. That's why it make no sense for Memphis.
Further differentiating the Butler situation from the Gasol one: Chicago backed themselves into a corner on Butler by dangling him for two years. Memphis has had exactly zero conversations about Marc Gasol; they aren't starting the discussions with the garbage Celtics fans are willing to send in their best-case-scenario fever dreams.
To be fair, LaVine is in the same exact spot Smart is in contract wise. Chicago will have the thrill of paying a guy on 2 months of games after surgery. And he's not going to be cheap.
Yeah, in today's NBA I'm not sure it's a great idea to have ~$50M in salary tied up in two slowish big men.
doesn't Chris Wallace still run that team? can hope for another bad trade by him
The report sounds more to me like, should Memphis decide to rebuild, Boston has the kind of assets they would want.
Better off hoping Memphis falls off a cliff on their own and reap the benefits of an unprotected pick in 2021 (I'm an optimist).
I'd be pretty surprised if that pick lasted until 2021 given that there is only top 8 and 6 protection in the years before. Of course, if they dump Gasol and/or Conley before 2019, or they don't age well, then it may be possible.
Yeah Gasol makes no sense. They would have to trade all of Bradley, Crowder and Smart (for salary-matching purposes) and, presumably, multiple picks/young players on top of that (otherwise why would Memphis agree). Since I don't think the Celtics want to do either of those things, I don't see how this trade happens even ignoring the problems Gasol's contract would create for the Cs cap situation moving forward.
Mason Plumlee looks like a guy the Celts may want to kick the tires on. Nothing amazing, but a big body and was a top 30 NBA rebounder.
Does Mason Plumlee give the C's anything they aren't already getting in Zizic? Seems like they are fairly comparable but I admit I don't know a ton about Plumlee's game besides what the stats show.
Where's Plumlee's market value now? I know Portland traded him because they couldn't come to an agreement on an extension last fall but this offseason hasn't been especially robust for big men with his skill set. Still, he's restricted and I don't think that Boston could come up with the necessary cap room to make Denver blink.
He's an above average passer. But even if new big's skills are duplicative, its fine. New big and Zivic are the equivalent of fifth starters. The Celts new traditional bigs to give the team minutes during the regular season and preserve Horford from too much pounding. Come the playoffs, they are not playing significant minutes unless dictated by a specific match up.
People are really assuming a lot about Ante Zizic. He is 20 years old and hasn't played a single game in the NBA. Lets slow our roll as they say.
Wasn't it said that the Utah Summer League is played at altitude? Might explain a fair bit about Zizic's 'conditioning' issues here.
Would like to see the guy being coached by Stevens rather than whoever's handling Summer League first before judging.
Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto 20m20 minutes ago
Jamal Crawford would consider joining the Celtics, if bought out by the Hawks, a source told Basketball Insiders.
Jamal Crawford would consider joining the Celtics, if bought out by the Hawks, a source told Basketball Insiders.
Re Crawford, his true shooting has gown down and his turnovers gone up for three consecutive seasons. He will be 37. Not sure how I would feel about him on the team, although their second unit will (still) need some shot creation.
I don't think he's the answer.
Celtics need to keep one of IT/Gordon on the floor at all times.
Salt Lake City is at 4000' and they've been there now for 4-5 days. Altitude shouldn't be an issue.
It's all a question of what else is out there - if Crawford was willing to sign for the vet minimum he could be in play. But I suspect someone else will offer him more and he will go elsewhere; I think I have read he is friends with Isaiah, but the Celtics aren't quite at the point that Golden State is where people will willingly take less money to play on the team, I don't think.
Please no. When he is going good, there is no question that Crawford can light up a gym. However he is a volume scorer who rarely gives the ball up once he gets it, even if his look isn't that great, is a turnstile on defense and is showing signs of serious decline. The other thing to note is that for all of his notoriety as a shooter, the guy has been at or above this year's league average on three pointers (35.8%) only three times over the past seven seasons.
There simply is no compelling reason to give this guy minutes over any of the youngsters or other rotation players, especially since he is a damn singularity once the basketball hits his hands.
But his warping of gravity will slow IT's aging process relative to the rest of the players on the floor, which is a big plus.
I should have just quoted your post because you used less words but as soon as I saw the Tweet mentioning Crawford and Celtics I lost the ability to read rationally. And yes, as a side benefit, Crawford's event horizon might prevent Thomas from aging as rapidly and might actually suck in a help defender or two.
I still wouldn't give the guy minutes that would be better spent letting someone else...anyone else, get some run.
One remaining hole on the roster is a starting 5, who can give the team 15-20 minutes and limit Horford's minutes at the 5 during the regular season to crunch time. Looking at the remaining FA's: Whithey and Reed seem like they could be had for the room exception. Aaron Baynes would be a nice fit, but presumably he wants more given that he just opted out of $6.5 mm. Splitter would be good upside play, but you would have to pair him with someone whose body you could trust.
The ideal player for this role is Dewayne Dedmon but it's not likely he would only accept the room exception
According to Pritchard, Danny never made an offer for PG. http://www.1070thefan.com/blogs/ride-jmv/kevin-pritchard-opens-about-paul-george-pacers-future-franchise
Bulls pulled the QO off Joffrey Lauvergne, which is a weird thing for a team going nowhere to do with a fairly promising young big. So you can add him to the list of available bigs.
I wonder what Alex Len is going to bet. He certainly has the size and he's young with some skill. I'm sure Brad could maximize the situations where he plays and he's still growing as a player.
Has Hayward been "officially" signed and/or introduced yet? I thought he was supposed to have a press conference last week.
Interesting didn't know that. A report came out today that they were going to do his intro in Vegas because the writers were out there.
Didn't see that, but Hayward was in Boston the other day, there were pics of him online, and Stevens flew back. Nothing saying they aren't flying out to Vegas. I imagine Celtics are off tomorrow.
So what are we looking at for a roster:
C: Horford, Baynes, Zizic
PF: Morris, Yabusele
Wings: Hayward, Crowder, Brown, Tatum, Nader, Ojeleye
PG: IT, Smart, Rozier
That's 14. I think Mickey and Jackson need to go to make salary room for Yabusele
The actual 10-man rotation figures to be Horford, Baynes, Morris, Hayward, Crowder, Brown, Tatum, IT, Smart, and Rozier.
Horford, Hayward, and IT will start, as will (probably) Crowder.
The other starter will likely be either Smart, Brown, or Baynes. The question is whether they intend to run with a small lineup by starting Horford at the 5 and Crowder at the 4, in which case they will go with Brown or Smart, or whether they want an actual center to start, in which case Baynes starts.
Baynes, whether he starts or not, will probably play an Amir Johnson type role in terms of minutes.
I don't see a whole lot in the way of playing time for Zizic, Yabusele, Nader, or Ojeleye - I'd guess that Zizic and Ojeleye (based on his summer league 3 and D-ing) are the two who will dress for most games and have the greatest shot at carving out a few minutes this year.
C: Horford, Baynes, Zizic
PF: Morris, Yabusele
Wings: Hayward, Crowder, Brown, Tatum, Nader, Ojeleye
PG: IT, Smart, Rozier
That's 14. I think Mickey and Jackson need to go to make salary room for Yabusele
The actual 10-man rotation figures to be Horford, Baynes, Morris, Hayward, Crowder, Brown, Tatum, IT, Smart, and Rozier.
Horford, Hayward, and IT will start, as will (probably) Crowder.
The other starter will likely be either Smart, Brown, or Baynes. The question is whether they intend to run with a small lineup by starting Horford at the 5 and Crowder at the 4, in which case they will go with Brown or Smart, or whether they want an actual center to start, in which case Baynes starts.
Baynes, whether he starts or not, will probably play an Amir Johnson type role in terms of minutes.
I don't see a whole lot in the way of playing time for Zizic, Yabusele, Nader, or Ojeleye - I'd guess that Zizic and Ojeleye (based on his summer league 3 and D-ing) are the two who will dress for most games and have the greatest shot at carving out a few minutes this year.
I thought Morris would start at the 4 with Crowder and Hayward sort of interchangeably playing the 2 and 3.
Possible. I should have included that as an option. I think it would be more of Hayward at 2 and Crowder/Morris at the 3/4, though. What gives me pause is Morris being such a horrific rebounder - maybe he and Horford together in the starting lineup isn't a good idea.