What player would make sense to give up picks for at this stage in the rebuild? If the Wolves decide to go the rebuild route with Wiggins would you give up picks for Pekovic? Sign and trade for Bledsoe? An overpaid big like Smith or Sanders?
Would you give up a pick for a stop gap center? I think that if we are giving up picks it needs to be for someone who will be in the teams future plans.
(1) I wouldn't give up picks for Pekovic. A defensively limited plodder of a center. Does not provide what the team needs and lacks upside. Expensive contract ($12mil per annum) which limits future moves. Not interested.
(2) Bledsoe isn't interesting to me because Rondo is already here. If Rondo were to be traded, then yes, I'd be happy to give up picks to get Bledsoe.
(3) I am not interested in Josh Smith due to high salary + presence of Sully/Olynyk. If not for young PFs already here, I'd be happy to give up picks to get Smith. But with Sully/Olynyk here, I want a bigger upgrade (like K-Love) for cost of trade (assets given up + cap flexibility decrease + harming Sully/Olynyk's development).
So both PF and PG are problem positions in my eyes in terms of giving up assets for talent there. PG near impossible. PF possible but high requirement.
(4) Larry Sanders. I'd be happy to gamble on Sanders. He has lots of potential as defender/rebounder. Lots of athleticism which is very nice in center. Helps compensate for Sully/Olynyk at PF or possible slow footed future recruit (K-Love?).
(5) A stop gap center?
I liked Asik because he was both a stop-gap option but also had possibility to be a long term fit if things lined up well for Celtics (eg if Ainge got K-Love, then paying Asik big contract was fine in my book ... but without big name recruit, paying Asik big contract was problematic).
Once you go below Asik's caliber of player, it's hard to see any stop-gap options being worthwhile enough to give up draft picks.
A young guy with upside like Kanter would be a possibility.
A really low first rounder, like the Clips pick, giving that up for a passable starter could be okay. Not a really valuable pick. Have too many draft selections anyway. But while I am (somewhat) open to that option, I am struggling to see any players I would actually do that deal for. So many overpaid centers floating around. A Robin Lopez type would be doable. Mozgov? I don't know.
Edit: Ezeli. I'd happily give up the Clips pick for Ezeli. Young center. Small upside. Cheap contract. Stopgap option who could be long term starter if top players are at non-center position.