Posssible Detroit trade

[crimson_stallion]

Hi guys,

Just a quick trade idea I thought of between Boston and Detroit which I think makes a lot of sense to both teams.

This year Detroit is $3M over the salary cap, however they have $17M in expiring contracts from Rodney Stuckey and Charlie Villenueva which means they will be $14m under the cap when next year starts...and on that basis, here is my trade idea:

1) Boston drafts Marcus Smart with the #6 pick in the draft

2) Boston makes the a trade with Detroit

Boston sends:
* Rajon Rondo ($12m)
* Gerald Wallace ($10m)
* Jarred Sullinger ($1.5m) or Kelly Olynyk ($2m)
Total asset value - $23.5M

Detroit sends:
* Greg Monroe ($13m, assuming he gets a agrees to a max contract sign-and-trade)
* 10.5M trade exception
Total asset value - $23.5M

Boston is now left with the following starting five (if keeping Olynyk):
PG - Marcus Smart (6'4", 226 lbs, 6'8" wingspan, 20 YO)
SG - Avery Bradley (6'3", 180 lbs, 6'7" wingspan, 24 YO) 
SF - Jeff Green (6'9", 235 lbs, 7'0" wingspan, 28 YO)
PF - Kelly Olynyk (7'0", 238 lbs, 6'10" wingspan, 24 YO)
C - Greg Monroe (6'11", 253 lbs, 7'2" wingspan, 24 YO)

Or (if keeping Sullinger):
PG - Marcus Smart (6'4", 226 lbs, 6'8" wingspan, 20 YO)
SG - Avery Bradley (6'3", 180 lbs, 6'7" wingspan, 24 YO) 
SF - Jeff Green (6'9", 235 lbs, 7'0" wingspan, 28 YO)
PF - Jarred Sullinger (6'9", 268 lbs, 7'1" wingspan, 24 YO)
C - Greg Monroe (6'11", 253 lbs, 7'2" wingspan, 24 YO)

Now I know this probably is not a condender from the get-go (it still leaves Boston without a rim protector) but there is a ton of potential because: 

1) The trio of Smart/Bradley/Green would probabl form one of the most potent perimeter defenses in the league...but in response to that:

2) Either front court tandem (Sully+Monroe or Olynyk+Monroe) would be very tough for most teams to handle

3) Our starting lineup an average age of 24 years old - tons of potential.  There are four guys on that team (Smart, Bradley, Sullinger/Olynyk, Monroe) who all have the potential to be absolute studs 2 years from now.

4) After this trade we would have three trade exceptions:
* $10m exception (from this trade)
* $12m exception (from Pierce trade)
* $2m exception (from Courtney Lee trade)

That's a LOT of flexibility for us to bring in another guy to fill a role.  We could (for example):

* Use the $12M exception to bring Tyson Chandler in from the Knicks, who the Knicks reportedly want gone.   

* Use that $10m exception (along with Joel Anthony and a future pick) to bring back Asik, since so many people here love him so much.

* Use the $12m exception to bring back KG, then sign Paul Pierce via free agency (for those sentimental types out there)

*   Use the $12m exception to bring back DeAndre Jordan (god knows what will happen with that organisation - he might want out)

The possibilities really are endless.  This then leaves us with the following roster:

PG - Marcus Smart
SG - Avery Bradley 
SF - Jeff Green
PF - Greg Monroe
C - Tyson Chandler / Omer Asik / Kevin Garnett / DeAndre Jordan / TBA

DeAndre would be the ultimate option, but even with the issues in LA that's probably just a dream.

Hell with the exceptions we have we could even use multiple combinations of those moves:
1. Use $12m exception to obtain Tyson Chandler as starting C
2. Use $10m exception (plus filler) to obtain Kevin Garnett as backup C
3. Sign Paul Pierce via free agency

That gives us this roster:

PG - Marcus Smart / Phil Pressey / #17 pick
SG - Avery Bradley / Jerryd Bayless
SF - Jeff Green / Paul Pierce
PF - Greg Monroe / Jarred Sullinger
C - Starting center (Chandler, Asik, Jordan) / Kevin Garnett

That starting 5 is not good enough to contend, but it's probably good enough to make the playoffs.  When you combine it with that crazy-deep bench (Pressey the only real weakness) that team might actually go further than you'd think.

In 2016 Chandler's contact is done, Pierce and KG retire, Boston cuts about $25m from it's salary cap.  Jeff Green also enters the final year of his contract, and becomes a valuable asset (a scorer on a $9m expiring contract). 

Could do a lot worse I think...

[knuckleballer]

That's too much talent to give up for Monroe.

[crimson_stallion]

You aren't giving up that talent for Monroe.  You're giving up that talent for Monroe, plus a $10m trade exception, plus shedding of Wallace's contract.

That's three MAJOR gains for a young team going through a rebuilding process.  Think of it this way...

1) In 2015 you can immediately get back to being a playoff team (especially in the crappy Eastern Conference) with this roster:
PG: Smart / Bayless / #17 pick / free agent / Pressey
SG: Bradley / Bayless
SF: Green / Pierce
PF: Monroe / Sullinger (or Olynyk)
C: Chandler / Garnett / Faverani

2) In 2016:
* Boston's young guys (Smart, Monroe, Sully/Olynyk, Bradley) potentially develop further
* Chandler's $14m contact expires
* KG and Pierce (min $13m combined) expire
* Bass ($7m) expires
* Jeff Green becomes a $9m expiring contract
* Boston sheds $34m in cap space to sign soem major free agents (think Carmello Anthony, Kevin Love, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh - all free agents in 2016)

This trade might not look amazing right now, but it puts us in a position where within two years we can be a top tier championship contender.

I can't think of many other trades out there that can give us this type of flexibility...at least not ones the other team would actually consider making.  Detroit is in a unique scenario because:

1) Their frontcourt rotation (Monroe, Drummond, Smith) has been an epic fail
2) Their current PG (Jennings) has been an epic fail
3) They will have abundant cap space next season

That makes them one of the few teams that would give up a young player with significant upside (Monroe) AND absorb Wallace's contract in return for Rondo and a PF that is expendable to us anyway...since we really don't need both Sully AND Olynyk. 

[Celtic Justice]

First of all, this is a terrible trade.  You're basically giving up all our players with value for Greg Monroe (who isn't a franchise type player).

Second of all, the money doesn't work.  Even if Detroit has a trade exception, you can't combine that with other players.

[StartOrien]

It's a very interesting trade for sure, I think the people immediately dismissing it aren't thinking about it enough. Shedding Wallace's contract is a pretty big deal.

That being said, while I'm not a 'you can't trade Sullinger,' I couldn't get behind it with him involved. Olynyk, however.

[PhoSita]

Rondo AND Sullinger just to get Monroe and shed Wallace's contract?  No thank you.  No.

[jambr380]

Rondo AND Sullinger just to get Monroe and shed Wallace's contract?  No thank you.  No.

I think there are other ways to shed Wallace's contract, but with Det, it would mostly be taking back either Smith or Jennings since trade exceptions can't be traded with players.

I do think there are trades to be made with Det, though. Something more simple like Green and #17 for Monroe. I would personally like to upgrade our current roster WITH Rondo rather than use him [and Sullinger] to get rid of only two years of Wallace.

[saltlover]

First of all, this is a terrible trade.  You're basically giving up all our players with value for Greg Monroe (who isn't a franchise type player).

Second of all, the money doesn't work.  Even if Detroit has a trade exception, you can't combine that with other players.

To correct a small point.  If Detroit had a 10.5 million trade exception (which they don't), this trade would technically work.  The trade exception could be used to absorb Wallace's contract, and Monroe's contract could be used to match Rondo and the young big we're sending.  But I might give up on rooting for the Celtics is this trade happened, because it would be terrible.  Absolutely dreadful.

[CFAN38]

its my understanding the TPE cant be used in combination with other players, only draft picks and $$

[the_Bird]

You can get clever and split a single trade into multiple smaller trades, though.  That's how you can effectively combine a trade exemption with other players.  For example, if we were to trade for Asik and Lin, we might acquire Asik using the TPE and Lin would be traded separately for Bass/picks/etc.   My understanding, too, is that the trade might be considered two separate trades from the perspective of the C's, but that Houston could consider it as one single trade if that was beneficial to them (if it created a TPE for them, for example). 

[jay]

If we are talking rondo and the #6 pick, I think we could go after Drummond.


Rondo, 5th pick, Sullinger

for

Drummond, Billups, Jerebko, 38th pick


We resign Bradley, they resign Monroe.


Rondo
MCW
McDermott or Gordon
Smith   Sullinger
Monroe


Drummond
Olynyk  Bass
Green
Bradley
Payton (17th pick)


Its a lot to give up, but Drummond is a center that you can actually build around. 

[D.o.s.]

Monroe is a defensively challenged probably-power forward who may have topped out at 15PPG and 9RPB. He's a good scorer from the low post and a solid passer, though.

I can't decide if I like this idea or not -- I dig the options, but I'm not sure how I feel about the pieces.

[Who]

It's a very interesting trade for sure, I think the people immediately dismissing it aren't thinking about it enough. Shedding Wallace's contract is a pretty big deal.

Why? What top free agent is going to want to come here to play with that team?

Cap space isn't much use if you can't spend it effectively.

Making trades for All-Star talent will be harder too because there isn't enough talent on the roster to convince them to stay (sign contract extensions).

It's a 30-35 win team (non-playoff team) that takes Boston out of the running for high lottery picks (top 5) and consistently has them in that 8-12 range in the draft.

[Chief Macho]

You really think Ainge is going to make Brad Stevens coach Smart?   I just don't think they want any part of him.

[saltlover]

its my understanding the TPE cant be used in combination with other players, only draft picks and $$

The issue with the TPE in this trade is not that.  The TPE can be used in multi-player trades -- you just have to split the trade into multiple deals.  That's how we got the exception to begin with -- in our trade with the Nets, we worked out the salaries such that we traded Pierce for Bogans, and Garnett and Terry for Wallace, Hump, and Joseph.  By trading Pierce 1-for-1 with Bogans, we we're granted the $10.5 million TPE.  So in a deal where we traded Rondo, we could get back a $15 million player that matched with Rondo, and a $10 million player that fit under the TPE.  It would just be structured as two separate deals, which is perfectly allowable.

The issue in this trade is that the TPE can be used by the Celtics to take on extra salary.  In this trade, however, it is being used by Detroit to take on extra salary (Wallace's).  That's not allowed.