Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA 56s56 seconds ago
Phoenix has traded Isaiah Thomas to the Boston Celtics, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
Phoenix has traded Isaiah Thomas to the Boston Celtics, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
Isaiah Thomas traded to the Celtics
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Marc Stein @ESPNSteinLine 6m6 minutes ago
Sixers posied to acquire Isaiah Thomasand future first round picks
Marc Stein @ESPNSteinLine 6m6 minutes ago
Sixers posied to acquire Isaiah Thomasand future first round picks
Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA 21s21 seconds ago
For Isaiah Thomas, Boston will send Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round pick via Cleveland to Phoenix, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
For Isaiah Thomas, Boston will send Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round pick via Cleveland to Phoenix, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
2016 first round draft pick from Cleveland
Cleveland's 1st round pick to Boston protected for selections 1-10 in 2016, 1-10 in 2017 and 1-10 in 2018 and unprotected in 2019 [Boston-Brooklyn-Cleveland, 7/10/2014]
Cleveland's 1st round pick to Boston protected for selections 1-10 in 2016, 1-10 in 2017 and 1-10 in 2018 and unprotected in 2019 [Boston-Brooklyn-Cleveland, 7/10/2014]
2016 first round draft pick from Cleveland
Cleveland's 1st round pick to Boston protected for selections 1-10 in 2016, 1-10 in 2017 and 1-10 in 2018 and unprotected in 2019 [Boston-Brooklyn-Cleveland, 7/10/2014]
Cleveland's 1st round pick to Boston protected for selections 1-10 in 2016, 1-10 in 2017 and 1-10 in 2018 and unprotected in 2019 [Boston-Brooklyn-Cleveland, 7/10/2014]
Perfectly good use of one of FOUR picks next year. Cleveland's could easily be the worst, figure they will be better than Dallas next year.
James Toscano @Jimmy_Toscano 3m3 minutes ago
Thomas and Bradley are close friends. Grew up together in Tacoma, WA. Wrote this for @celticsblog two years ago! http://www.celticsblog.com/2013/1/31/3936278/washington-based-brotherhood-for-bradley-thomas-and-terry …
Thomas and Bradley are close friends. Grew up together in Tacoma, WA. Wrote this for @celticsblog two years ago! http://www.celticsblog.com/2013/1/31/3936278/washington-based-brotherhood-for-bradley-thomas-and-terry …
The Social Chair said:
Not new for us! Don't understand what this means about Smart though. I really, really don't think he's an NBA 2 guard.
teddykgb said:
Plays bulldog game-changing defense against anybody/everybody, shares ballhandling duties in a pass-heavy offense, hits open jumpers (35% 3pt on the season after a dreadful start) and picks his offensive spots while being an emotional leader on the team. Now with a backcourt partner who is better than Bradley or Turner at scoring.
I love watching Thomas play. On the offensive end of the floor of course. He is probably the Cs first guy who can create his own shot since Pierce departed.
Grin&MartyBarret said:
His shot, for starters, but realistically he only looks comfortable to me with the ball in his hands. He doesn't move off the ball well when he's not dribbling it and he's not a catch and shoot player. He's taken the ball to the hoop a bit more in recent weeks, but he doesn't seem to have #2 guard scorers instincts to me. I'd add to that that his size as a PG is somewhat what makes him interesting, he can use his combination of size and speed to play some great defense. Adding a 5'9 PG basically relegates him to guarding the 2.
I suppose I can see a future where he's Avery Bradley MK II, but he's got to seriously improve his shot to get even there.
edit: I guess I shouldn't be overly surprised by this. The team has given heavy minutes to Evan Turner and his awful penchant for 14 ft jumpers all season and especially in key moments in the game, so it seems there was something there they didn't like. I'm also bummed by what this may mean for James Young, who has that very definable NBA shot that could make for an incredible NBA 2/3 if they can find a way to get him going. Maybe they project Young as more of a 3 than a 2 (he's tall enough).
I'm not a big Thomas fan among other reasons because of his D. However, I don't see much of a problem with him for the price. They need someone who can score off the dribble at some point, and Thomas makes a decent 3 guard rotation guy since he'll be paired with a good defender at all times.
teddykgb said:
Guy is shooting 35% from three and 38% from three since the New Year. And he's taking over 4 a game, so it's not like it's just a small sample size thing. His shot's looked more than okay to me; in fact, I'm pretty sure he leads all rookies in 3 point shooting.
teddykgb said:
I think you're way too caught up in defining positions for all of these guys right now. Young needs to work on adding to his one NBA tool (though it's the right one to have) before a trade for a point guard can make you bummed for his future.
I like this a lot for the Celts.
With Smart/Thomas you are looking at an unusual set up to be sure but one that could work when you consider the skill set of each.
I would have the line up be
PG: Thomas (because of height really)
SG: Smart
But then I would use Smart as the "PG" type and be the main facilitator and use Thomas as a main scoring option. I know this is a bit of a risk but this was a very low price for a player of his calibre and IMO that contract will go from good to great when you consider the salary cap should go up quite a bit in upcoming years.
With Smart/Thomas you are looking at an unusual set up to be sure but one that could work when you consider the skill set of each.
I would have the line up be
PG: Thomas (because of height really)
SG: Smart
But then I would use Smart as the "PG" type and be the main facilitator and use Thomas as a main scoring option. I know this is a bit of a risk but this was a very low price for a player of his calibre and IMO that contract will go from good to great when you consider the salary cap should go up quite a bit in upcoming years.
Grin&MartyBarret said:
Precisely. Smart's handles would also have to improve substantially for him to be an elite point guard. Playing at the 2 hides his deficiencies much better.
Thomas' defense is certainly nothing to write home about, but the guy hustles, and he can flat-out score. He's going to be a joy to watch on a team that's sorely been lacking in the joy department.
This team is still a long way away, but it's the little moves like this that will hopefully add up. We got that pick from Cleveland by effectively clearing cap space for them, and now we've flipped it into three and a half years of an elite scorer. Isaiah Thomas might not save this franchise by playing here, but combined with a few pick, and a couple of players, he might turn into something bigger and better in the near future. Or he might ride out his contract. Time will tell.
EDIT: Grammatical errors; neurosis.
ESPNForsberg Chris Forsberg
Thomas signed modest four-year, $27 million deal this summer. Money actually decreases each year. Mere $6.3 mil in 2017-18.
Thomas signed modest four-year, $27 million deal this summer. Money actually decreases each year. Mere $6.3 mil in 2017-18.
Well this does jive with Danny's comment about adding talent. Young (26), team friendly contract, proven NBA talent and we gave up just a late 1st rounder. Hard to dislike this trade. I guess the roster fit is a question mark, but I agree upthread that he can coexist with Smart and Bradley.
SB and Fishy1 are right. Thomas is a very good offensive player but the trade looks even better when you consider how he fits in the Celtics back-court. He will quickly become a fan favorite in Boston.
Ace deal. They give up Thornton and the 25th-ish pick in a draft where they have three (??) others for one of the better contracts in basketball. Cool.
I <3 u Danny.
I <3 u Danny.
As Ainge said on the radio the other day, the Celtics needs more backcourt scoring and Thomas fits the bill. Add in the cheap contract that actually decreases each season and this is a very very good deal.
Thomas is small and gets pushed around by larger guards but with Bradley and Smart, Stevens will have a greater flexibility in his matchups.
Solid beginning of the turn towards contender status.
Thomas is small and gets pushed around by larger guards but with Bradley and Smart, Stevens will have a greater flexibility in his matchups.
Solid beginning of the turn towards contender status.
Cellar-Door said:
He basically gives you the same production as Kyrie Irving at that price. Good pick up by Ainge.
As it currently stands, the assets from the KG/Pierce trade have so far gotten the C's Young, Zeller, and now Thomas. Not too bad, and that's all before they get a chance to use the future picks that were expected to be the best parts of the deal.
Gosh. It's like the anti-thesis of the prior pre KG and RA dark days. Yes things are dark and this is a lottery team, but they've got legit young NBA quality talent and a war chest of picks and salary space. I've got the faith in trader Danny, we're going to pull this off. Also, I'm so glad I'm not a Wolves fan.
Hard to argue with the plan given what Ainge had to work with over the past few seasons.DrewDawg said:
I actually like Thomas a lot as a player, but even if you're not a Thomas fan, I think there's a pretty good chance that Ainge could flip Thomas for a late first rounder any time in the next three years, which is essentially the price they paid for him. Especially if he puts up inflated numbers on an offensively-starved Celtics team. Considering they have three first rounders already in 2016, I think this move qualifies as good asset management, whether Thomas is ultimately a piece of the puzzle or not.
Michael Dyer @Mike_Dyer13 40m40 minutes ago
So the C's-Nets deal, updated, = this:
C's trade: Pierce/KG/Terry (all gone)
C's receive: Wallace/Young/Thomas/Zeller/2016 1st/2018 1st
Michael Dyer @Mike_Dyer13 21m21 minutes ago
Celtics average age now 24.9.
5 picks in this year's draft, 9 in next year's
Huge Rondo trade exception still out there.
Look out.
So the C's-Nets deal, updated, = this:
C's trade: Pierce/KG/Terry (all gone)
C's receive: Wallace/Young/Thomas/Zeller/2016 1st/2018 1st
Michael Dyer @Mike_Dyer13 21m21 minutes ago
Celtics average age now 24.9.
5 picks in this year's draft, 9 in next year's
Huge Rondo trade exception still out there.
Look out.
IF a Thomas/Smart back court ends up not working out for whatever reason, the C's can always go back to starting Smart/Bradley and bring Thomas in as the main scoring option on the 2nd unit.
Considering the price and the reasonable contract he's on, this seems like a no brainer to me.
Considering the price and the reasonable contract he's on, this seems like a no brainer to me.
Why would Phoenix do this? They are in a playoff race also. Don't see how this move benefits them.
This doesn't even mention Boston being able to swap picks with Brooklyn in 2017 which is a huge chip as well.mabrowndog said:
theapportioner said:
I was just about to post this same thing. They cleared up the logjam with dealing Dragic, the pick is not going to be all that great, and IT2 is a better shooter except on 3's. Its not like that contract would hinder them at all, its a plus. Unless he was going all Delonte West 2.0 in Phoenix I cant come up with a reason
Great deal. No real downside.
My concern a year ago was that the C's did not have the same asset base from which to deal. Last time around, they had Pierce, Al Jefferson, and the #5 pick; those assets are what allowed Danny to assemble his big 3.
A few months ago, the C's had a bundle of first round picks, but no Al Jefferson and not even a bad facsimile of Pierce.
Now we have Thomas (if nothing else a legit NBA scorer and end of game option), Smart (still hard to say what he will be, but whatever it is he'll be good at it), Young, and still a bunch of picks.
It's not Pierce, Jefferson, and a #5 pick. But it's far closer to that than the situation 6 months ago.
Oh, and Brad Stevens has got to finally be happy about a Celtics trade.
My concern a year ago was that the C's did not have the same asset base from which to deal. Last time around, they had Pierce, Al Jefferson, and the #5 pick; those assets are what allowed Danny to assemble his big 3.
A few months ago, the C's had a bundle of first round picks, but no Al Jefferson and not even a bad facsimile of Pierce.
Now we have Thomas (if nothing else a legit NBA scorer and end of game option), Smart (still hard to say what he will be, but whatever it is he'll be good at it), Young, and still a bunch of picks.
It's not Pierce, Jefferson, and a #5 pick. But it's far closer to that than the situation 6 months ago.
Oh, and Brad Stevens has got to finally be happy about a Celtics trade.
theapportioner said:
Could it have something to do with the luxury tax? They're over after these deals, but have a lot of expiring contracts now (Thornton $8M, Wright $5M, Knight $5M, Green $3M, Williams $1M) to help get them under after the season. That's the only thing I can think of.
This is part of the 4-way deal. Phoenix is getting Knight out of it. If i thought I could re-sign him I'd trade Thomas for Knight 10 times out of 10.The Mort Report said:
Cellar-Door said:
Exactly. And the other element is that both Knight and Bledsoe can play off the ball. It makes their offense much more flexible and allows them to keep playing a true 2 PG system, where as going forward with just Thomas and Bledsoe effectively moved Bledsoe to the 2 permanently.
I like Thomas, I like the whole pizza guy shtick. Offensively no worries, doesn't play defense but that can be mitigated if he's on the floor with Bradley and Smart. Also means less Turner at point which is a good thing.
Love 'ya Trader Danny. Finally a player to be excited about watching even if possibly not longterm
Love the backlcourt flexibility. You can either use Thomas as an Offensive Microwave 6th man combo guard, or start with Smart, and have Smart defend the more offensive opposing guard. Both of then can play on or off the ball, and their development should benefit.
best part is that (at least for me), the light at the end of the tunnel emerges and the plan now makes perfect sense.
Love the backlcourt flexibility. You can either use Thomas as an Offensive Microwave 6th man combo guard, or start with Smart, and have Smart defend the more offensive opposing guard. Both of then can play on or off the ball, and their development should benefit.
best part is that (at least for me), the light at the end of the tunnel emerges and the plan now makes perfect sense.
The best part is that Knicks fans hate him and boo him because of his name already :lol:DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
I don't think this is wrong necessarily, but I'm also not so sure. Knight's never displayed this level of talent before. He's 23, so improvement is most plausible story, but its not crazy to me that he's also going to regress some.Cellar-Door said:
I'm also a big Thomas fan generally. With his cap number going down as the cap increases, its hard to imagine him not being a good trade asset down the road even if they want to move him.
bowiac said:
Scalabrine went on and on, when the Bucks hosted the Celts, about Knight's work ethic and his desire to be great.