Kemba Walker to Boston

mikeot

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Honestly I’m not expecting a Hayward deal because I think that Stevens wants his player there, and Hayward’s a pretty good bet to keep getting better (as he did all of last year). I’m expecting Boston to backfill with a scrap heap big.
$4-5M gets you a better-than-scrap big, yes?
 

nighthob

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Why the F would I prefer Myles Turner to a 90% Hayward.
Because it opens up cap space to add players to your roster and Turner is the definition of the rim-protecting stretch 5 that teams want. The idea would be that with Tatum, Brown, Smart, and Langford you have your wing spots covered. Hayward is not an ideal big wing for the 4 spot, and you might be able to find a 3&D guy to put there with Kemba and Tatum providing the scoring (presuming that Tatum improves).
 
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Devizier

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Genuinely surprised that this is happening. Thought for sure Charlotte would want to hang on. Maybe the feeling isn't mutual.
 

benhogan

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I think that they’d also like the return of a hometown hero. Plus as a complete non-FA destination they’d also like some help for Oladipo. I suspect Indiana’s is going to be a lot closer to Orlando’s during the Fultz trade, even if Hayward only ever returns to 90% of the player he was in Utah, that’s still better than the Pacers are generally going to do on the free agency market, and 90% of Hayward is a good running mate for their current star.
Some of the local Indy guys suggested Hayward going there for Sabonis & more.(I posted yesterday)

If Kemba is real then I think Turner's (or a 5 that can rim protect) defense becomes imperative.

If Pritchard demands Brown, would a Brown/Yabu/Rozier S&T for Turner work cap wise (Indy also wants a PG to play alongside Oladipo)
 

luckiestman

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Because it opens up cap space to players to your roster and Turner is the definition of the rim-protecting stretch 5 that teams want. The idea would be that with Tatum, Brown, Smart, and Langford you have your wing spots covered. Hayward is not an ideal big wing for the 4 spot, and you might be able to find a 3&D guy to put there with Kemba and Tatum providing the scoring (presuming that Tatum improves).
Because he’s 6 years younger, substantially cheaper, and a budding DPOY candidate who can shoot. Plus he fills the biggest hole in the roster.

I’m still keeping Gordo. He was a top 15 player before he got hurt. He looked physically better toward the end of the year. I think his confidence comes back and we are back in business. You need 8 guys and bigs are out there for small dollars.
 

bosockboy

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I’m still keeping Gordo. He was a top 15 player before he got hurt. He looked physically better toward the end of the year. I think his confidence comes back and we are back in business. You need 8 guys and bigs are out there for small dollars.
Especially after seeing Paul George’s recovery from similar injury.
 

OurF'ingCity

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Didn't Jackie Mac just write about this being a problem? PT/Starting/Shot issues between MaMo, Tatum, Hayward, Brown, Smart?
Well, one of those (MaMo) is gone if they are signing Kemba. And I suspect he might have been the catalyst for a lot of the issues given that he has been repeatedly publicly vocal about wanting to start and get his minutes, etc.
 

HomeRunBaker

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They have two (MKG and Wiliams). Zeller and Batum are signed for another year. They have $97m committed without Kemba and probably no-one good enough to be the fourth starter on a Championship team except him. Even if they can duck the luxury tax, they'd be committed to spending beyond the cap in a small market on a team with no prospect of being higher than a sixth seed - but with Kemba raising their floor to about sixth-worst. If Kemba walks they're probably the worst team in the NBA. Perhaps they can avoid the tax, but they'd still be in NBA purgatory.
There is the business side of this though as the Hornets are not looking to build a championship team......they are simply looking to compete if I can read through their transactions over the past dozen years. I lived in Charlotte and when people are disinterested in this team they don't show up to the games while spreading negativity to the point of it being toxic and it has the look of a franchise ready to fold......I've seen this when Bob (Cat) Johnson was able to trick taxpayers into paying for an arena that they voted against and didn't want.

They have consistently been in the bottom 30% of the league in home attendance while in purgatory......falling into an anemic and non-competitive state could have a debilitating effect on this franchise. For a small market team like Charlotte, marginal success is crucial.
 

mcpickl

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Didn't Jackie Mac just write about this being a problem? PT/Starting/Shot issues between MaMo, Tatum, Hayward, Brown, Smart?
This wouldn't be an issue this year I wouldn't think. Adding Kemba and a room exemption big, and subtracting Kyrie, Horford, Baynes, Morris and Rozier should leave all four of the remaining guys plenty of opportunity/minutes.

Will be a really thin team unless some other trade comes along.
 

DannyDarwinism

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Especially after seeing Paul George’s recovery from similar injury.
Well- and this is one of the reasons I’m a little bit worried about GH- it’s apparently not that similar of an injury, according to at least one SoSHer MD. IIRC, Radsoxfan has repeatedly expressed caution at that comparison, essentially saying George’s injury was a cleaner break with a better prognosis.
 

Jimbodandy

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This wouldn't be an issue this year I wouldn't think. Adding Kemba and a room exemption big, and subtracting Kyrie, Horford, Baynes, Morris and Rozier should leave all four of the remaining guys plenty of opportunity/minutes.

Will be a really thin team unless some other trade comes along.
The rooks get some time in this scenario, plus TL. Team probably starts poorly but improves as guys figure shit out. It's sure an opportunity to see what an unleashed JB and JT can do when not surrounded by drama queens.
 

Auger34

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Kyrie's playoff intensity this year was truly inspiring. Sad Kemba can't match that.
The attention to detail, ability to follow assignments, stick with his man, and effort on close-outs was truly mind blowing. No chance Kemba can get there with his physical limitations but hopefully Brad can patch something together
 

mcpickl

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This scenario would be very interesting. Getting Kemba and keeping the MLE would be amazing.

I'm not suggesting the C's try to S&T Horford for a TPE or a non-Kemba player. I'm suggesting that Al going to the cap space team he seems to have already agreed with via S&T could become a 3-team trade where Boston receives S&T Kemba to preserve the full MLE and Mook's rights.

https://twitter.com/dangercart/status/1144242712956342273
This would also allow them to use the TPE they'll get for Baynes when that deal is official, the biannual exception, and their Bird/Early Bird rights on Morris/Rozier/Theis.

It would hard cap them at the apron but it would at least open up some options for filling out the bench.

Would be very complicated though.
 

nighthob

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I’m still keeping Gordo. He was a top 15 player before he got hurt. He looked physically better toward the end of the year. I think his confidence comes back and we are back in business. You need 8 guys and bigs are out there for small dollars.
Boston has too many scorers and not enough shooters. At some point you need to start converting some of them. On a team with Walker, Tatum, and Brown Hayward’s no longer going to be a top 20 player because the usage rate that made him that just isn’t going to be available in Boston.
 

cheech13

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The pessimist in me would say that this is leaking today because Walker's agent is trying to pressure Charlotte into offering a guaranteed fifth year. That's not to say I don't think he'll sign with Boston, but if Charlotte goes 5 years/$175-180 I think he'd be tempted to go back there.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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The last guy named Walker (not Bill, the one before him) was a pretty good fit here. Based on that track record, this seems like a good signing (if it happens).
 

Trotski

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Still need to figure out how to replace Al. I know they were linked to Vucecic at some point already. Is that a possibility if Kemba comes? I could tolerate a starting 5 of Kemba, JT, JB, Hayward and Vucecic. It's going to be amazing when this team wins 55 games next season with no Al and no Kyrie. The lovefest will start all over again.
 

RedOctober3829

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Still need to figure out how to replace Al. I know they were linked to Vucecic at some point already. Is that a possibility if Kemba comes? I could tolerate a starting 5 of Kemba, JT, JB, Hayward and Vucecic. It's going to be amazing when this team wins 55 games next season with no Al and no Kyrie. The lovefest will start all over again.
No, Vucevic is not possible if Kemba comes. Celtics only have enough cap room for one max guy. Only way to acquire players is through trades or any exceptions they may have.
 

bakahump

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Someone please roadmap me a way to get to Kemba, Jayson, Jalen, Gordon and Vuc with Smart on the bench?

I want to go but not sure we can get there.
 

ifmanis5

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The Kyrie relationship was a bad breakup:
https://twitter.com/AdamMKaufman/status/1144271557084270592
“[Kyrie] Irving, the source said, has yet to give the team the official word he will not be returning to Boston, but the source added that at this point, it is unclear whether the #Celtics would want him back regardless.” Kemba Walker train is chugging.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/celtics/2019/06/27/from-kemba-walker-kyrie-irving-terry-rozier-here-latest-celtics/YU1zmUfu3mne4LO1rIt58K/story.html
 

Light-Tower-Power

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Kemba coming back to New England would be such a cool story. I wasn’t sure about how he’d fit in with the Jays and Hayward but I’m onboard at this point. Team would instantly become so much fun again.
 

DJnVa

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Someone please roadmap me a way to get to Kemba, Jayson, Jalen, Gordon and Vuc with Smart on the bench?

I want to go but not sure we can get there.
We can't get there. Kemba and Vuc are max guys. We can't sign 2 of them.
 

OurF'ingCity

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Right, if Kemba comes, the options for getting a big man are pretty much limited to finding someone willing to take the "room" exception (I think rumored to be around $4.7 million?) or some portion of it, or trade for somebody. The problem with the trade route is that they are already pretty thin roster-wise, so trading for a big man would just open up a hole elsewhere. So assuming they use the entire room exception on a big man, their roster would look like this:

Bigs: FA relatively-cheap big man; Time Lord; Yabu.

Wings: Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Semi, Romeo, Grant Williams

PG: Kemba, Smart

That's 11 players so they would need one more vet-min guy to fill out the roster - I would expect that might be a big man as well, but could also be a 3PG in a Larkin/Wanamaker/etc. role.
 

lovegtm

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The pessimist in me would say that this is leaking today because Walker's agent is trying to pressure Charlotte into offering a guaranteed fifth year. That's not to say I don't think he'll sign with Boston, but if Charlotte goes 5 years/$175-180 I think he'd be tempted to go back there.
I would have said the same, but "focused" is really strong language from Woj. Charlotte is also a dumpster fire, with no real prospects to improve during his next contract, even from longshot young guy upside.
 

cheech13

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There aren't a ton of big men that will be available for the room exception or less this offseason. You're probably looking at guys like Ed Davis, Kosta Koufos, Robin Lopez, Javale, Boban, and Kyle O'Quinn. Those guys are fine but if you are truly trying to contend I think that a trade makes more sense. I think Capela is a fit, although I can see why others disagree.
 

DJnVa

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There aren't a ton of big men that will be available for the room exception or less this offseason. You're probably looking at guys like Ed Davis, Kosta Koufos, Robin Lopez, Javale, Boban, and Kyle O'Quinn. Those guys are fine but if you are truly trying to contend I think that a trade makes more sense. I think Capela is a fit, although I can see why others disagree.
What about Aron Baynes?
 

lovegtm

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What about Aron Baynes?
I could easily see him being back in a wink-wink deal, as mentioned above. The thing about Baynes though, as popular as he is here (including with me), is that he has had a lot of trouble staying on the floor. He'd be nice to get back, but he's not the long or even medium-term solution at the 5.
 

Captaincoop

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There aren't a ton of big men that will be available for the room exception or less this offseason. You're probably looking at guys like Ed Davis, Kosta Koufos, Robin Lopez, Javale, Boban, and Kyle O'Quinn. Those guys are fine but if you are truly trying to contend I think that a trade makes more sense. I think Capela is a fit, although I can see why others disagree.
With the Room Exception you could be in play for guys like Noel, Kanter, WCS, Taj Gibson, Poirier...there could be a good piece of the puzzle in there somewhere.
 
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ehaz

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You’d need Smart ++ to get Vucevic in a S&T but since you need to renounce Morris/Rozier in the first place to sign Kemba, I’m not sure how salary matching could even work.
 

lovegtm

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You’d need Smart ++ to get Vucevic in a S&T but since you need to renounce Morris/Rozier in the first place to sign Kemba, I’m not sure how salary matching could even work.
Seems they're looking more at Capela, which makes more sense on a Kemba team imo, since you already have elite scoring and a weak link on defense.
 

BaseballJones

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Right, if Kemba comes, the options for getting a big man are pretty much limited to finding someone willing to take the "room" exception (I think rumored to be around $4.7 million?) or some portion of it, or trade for somebody. The problem with the trade route is that they are already pretty thin roster-wise, so trading for a big man would just open up a hole elsewhere. So assuming they use the entire room exception on a big man, their roster would look like this:

Bigs: FA relatively-cheap big man; Time Lord; Yabu.

Wings: Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Semi, Romeo, Grant Williams

PG: Kemba, Smart

That's 11 players so they would need one more vet-min guy to fill out the roster - I would expect that might be a big man as well, but could also be a 3PG in a Larkin/Wanamaker/etc. role.
Go with Edwards as the 3rd PG - cheap, and potentially explosive off the bench. The thing with Grant Williams is that he probably can defend most of the bigs in today's NBA. Quick enough to defend them on the perimeter, and strong enough to hold his own on the block. Obviously the very best big post players will give him trouble (like Embiid probably) but that would be true for almost anyone.
 

cheech13

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What about Aron Baynes?
Aaron Baynes can't go back to Boston. He'd have to get traded to another team then get released before he'd be eligible to return to Boston.

Dedmon if he will take the MLE is the guy
Dedmon seems to be the target of every team with money that wants a reliable big man. I don't think he signs for anything less than the full MLE.

With the Room Exception you could be in play for guys like Noel, Kanter, WCS, Taj Gibson, Poirier...there could be a good piece of the puzzle in there somewhere.
Noel and WCS for sure. Didn't see them on the FA list I was using, probably because Noel has an option he hasn't declined yet and WCS is restricted. Either would be a good choice, but they come with severe limitations. Kanter I can't see at that figure. Portland will bring him back if he's available for the taxpayer MLE, but I'd expect him to get more than that.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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This thread is premature imho. As others have pointed out, Charlotte is kind of a mess but I can't see them let Walker go without making a big push. I think cheech is spot on - Woj is carry someone's water to stoke the Kemba market.
 

Captaincoop

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I would love to take a flyer on Noel if the Celtics were located somewhere other than 15 minutes from where he grew up. Always a little wary of putting a character issues guy back around his friends and family every day.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Can they bring Theis back using the non-Bird exemption after renouncing him? I think they’d be capped at 120% of his previous year salary so it would depend on what his market is, but that’s a way to add a veteran depth big. From CBA FAQ:
NON-BIRD EXCEPTION -- This is also a component of the Veteran Free Agent exception. Its name is somewhat of a misnomer, since Non-Bird really is a form of Bird rights. Players who qualify for this exception are called "Non-Qualifying Veteran Free Agents" in the CBA. They are veteran free agents who are neither Qualifying Veteran Free Agents nor Early Qualifying Veteran Free Agents, and include the following:
  • Players who finished the season with a given team, who have played no more than one season without clearing waivers or changing teams as a free agent.
  • Players who were Early Bird free agents, but whose team renounced its right to use the Early Bird exception to re-sign the player.
  • Players who were to be Larry Bird or Early Bird free agents, were playing on one-year contracts, and were traded mid-season.
This exception allows a team to re-sign its own free agent to a salary starting at up to 120% of his salary in the previous season (not over the maximum salary, of course), 120% of the minimum salary, or the amount needed to tender a qualifying offer (if the player is a restricted free agent -- see question number 42), whichever is greater. Raises are limited to 5% of the salary in the first year of the contract, and contracts are limited to four seasons when this exception is used.
A partial season counts as a full season for the tenure calculation related to Bird rights. If a team signs another team's free agent to a Rest-of-Season contract mid-way through the season, then at the end of that season the player is a non-Bird free agent.
Starting January 10 of each season, this exception begins to reduce in value. See question number 26 for details.
 

RedOctober3829

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This thread is premature imho. As others have pointed out, Charlotte is kind of a mess but I can't see them let Walker go without making a big push. I think cheech is spot on - Woj is carry someone's water to stoke the Kemba market.
They will hamstring themselves for years if they sign Walker to anywhere near the supermax. Why would they do this?
 
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mcpickl

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Can they bring Theis back using the non-Bird exemption after renouncing him? I think they’d be capped at 120% of his previous year salary so it would depend on what his market is, but that’s a way to add a veteran depth big. From CBA FAQ:
No, That's an exception.

Only exception allowed for a team that used cap space is the room exception and minimums.
 

mauf

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I would love to take a flyer on Noel if the Celtics were located somewhere other than 15 minutes from where he grew up. Always a little wary of putting a character issues guy back around his friends and family every day.
I don’t remember people having concerns about Noel’s character. What’s the nature of those concerns?
 

cheech13

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They will hamstring themselves for years if they sign Walker to anywhere near the supermax. Why would they do this?
They're bad whether they have Kemba or not and letting him go won't give them any financial relief. I can see both sides of the argument, but letting your only good player walk for nothing is generally not a thing teams do. At the very least they could sign him and then trade him in a year for some other assets that might be useful in a future rebuild. Losing him in free agency is a franchise crippling loss. They'd be a half decade away from any kind of relevance.