I'd want a lot more than just "belief."
Do the Celts even have the ability to put the best trade package out there?
If the Knicks offer #3 + Knox + the picks they got from Dallas + Robinson, can the Celts top that?
What if the Lakers offer Kuzma + #4 + Hart + Ball? Throw in Ingram, if he's cleared 100%.
Maybe the Celts win out if they offer #14 + #20 + #22 + Memphis 2020/2021 + Tatum + Brown ....
That's an awful lot to give up for what could easily end up as a one year rental.
Yes, they can make the best offer, it’s a question of if the best offer is too high of a cost to pay.
And if I’m Griffin, I want Tatum + Brown + Sacto + LAC picks, though I might settle for Tatum, Smart + Memphis plus the 2 picks. Maybe demand RW3 too but prolly not as a dealbreaker.
The thing is, I know why we as Celtics fans feel that the Celtics have the best offer. We look at Tatum and Brown and we see them as potential future stars.
Does a GM of another NBA team see them that way, or do they look like "known quantities" as compared to the exciting mystery box of a top 5 pick?
From a PR standpoint, I think it's easier as a GM to sell a trade that brings back a top 4 pick in the draft because fans are going to be excited about potential.
Pelicans fans might look at Tatum and Brown and just see two young players who have done some exciting things but are not a sure thing to ever make an All-Star team. Of course, a top 4 pick has a lower likelihood of turning into one player that even has the potential of making an All-Star team.
Fans can rationalize the trade that brings back the top 4 pick because at least there's a "chance" of that pick turning into a superstar. A trade for two B / B+ young wings probably feels like the "safe bet."