BR Report: Celtics interested in acquiring Lauri Markkanan?

[slamtheking]

I say Chicago would take Smart in a sign & trade

I'm sure they would, I'd probably make them take Edwards as well just for some more salary relief and to get further away from the hard cap line.

Smart + Edwards for Markkanen (4 yrs, 60 million)

That seems like a good trade for both teams and is in the right range of money for Markkanen

seems like a fair deal with LM earning a fair pay and we unload the very unproductive Edwards. 

this would seem to put an end to the idea of signing Beal in free agency next offseason.  wonder if Washington would view Markanen as a better trade piece than Smart for a mid-season deal

[Vermont Green]

I say Chicago would take Smart in a sign & trade

I'm sure they would, I'd probably make them take Edwards as well just for some more salary relief and to get further away from the hard cap line.

Smart + Edwards for Markkanen (4 yrs, 60 million)

That seems like a good trade for both teams and is in the right range of money for Markkanen

I am not so sure that Chicago would take that.  This is their current roster status:

PG:  Ball, White, Dotson
SG:  Levine, Caruso, Green

They also have DeRozan who is a SG/SF combo who is in the mix.

Why would they take on what, $16M more salary at the PG/SG/Combo position?  Neither Smart or Edwards has any fit with their current roster.  Smart is good value back for Markkanen but there is just no fit.  Gotta find a 3rd team for Smart or something I think.

What CHI really wants is a team with a TPE so they can take back a first round pick (or so it seems based on reports).  We are not that team.  That is why I am starting to think CHI is just going to wait to see if he takes the QO.  Seems like that would be toxic in terms of chemistry or whatever but probably better than taking back a lot of salary in players they don't really need.

What if we swung Smart out west to a team like the Warriors or Pelicans, and they have an asset to the Bulls to balance out their roster?

Yes, to me, that is what would be needed if you want to swap Smart for Markkanen.  If this can be done, I feel it is a risky but good deal.  We end up hard capped.  I like it but I doubt the Celtics do it.  You have to really believe in Markkanen to do it.  At $15M for Markkanen, that to me is a contract that could always be traded in the future if necessary but if you do this, you are doing it with the hope that Markkanen is part of the future core, not something to trade later.  Tradable does mitigate the risk but what you want is a good complimentary piece for the team ideally.  No sense trading Smart for just an asset.

[Moranis]

I say Chicago would take Smart in a sign & trade

I'm sure they would, I'd probably make them take Edwards as well just for some more salary relief and to get further away from the hard cap line.

Smart + Edwards for Markkanen (4 yrs, 60 million)

That seems like a good trade for both teams and is in the right range of money for Markkanen

I am not so sure that Chicago would take that.  This is their current roster status:

PG:  Ball, White, Dotson
SG:  Levine, Caruso, Green

They also have DeRozan who is a SG/SF combo who is in the mix.

Why would they take on what, $16M more salary at the PG/SG/Combo position?  Neither Smart or Edwards has any fit with their current roster.  Smart is good value back for Markkanen but there is just no fit.  Gotta find a 3rd team for Smart or something I think.

What CHI really wants is a team with a TPE so they can take back a first round pick (or so it seems based on reports).  We are not that team.  That is why I am starting to think CHI is just going to wait to see if he takes the QO.  Seems like that would be toxic in terms of chemistry or whatever but probably better than taking back a lot of salary in players they don't really need.

I think Smart fits in well there backing up Ball and LaVine.  And I know they like White, but they did just sign Ball, Caruso, and DeRozan so they obviously don't trust him that much. 

And sure maybe they do add a 3rd team or move on from Smart later in the season, but it isn't like Smart can't be traded or doesn't have value. 

[Vermont Green]

I say Chicago would take Smart in a sign & trade

I'm sure they would, I'd probably make them take Edwards as well just for some more salary relief and to get further away from the hard cap line.

Smart + Edwards for Markkanen (4 yrs, 60 million)

That seems like a good trade for both teams and is in the right range of money for Markkanen

I am not so sure that Chicago would take that.  This is their current roster status:

PG:  Ball, White, Dotson
SG:  Levine, Caruso, Green

They also have DeRozan who is a SG/SF combo who is in the mix.

Why would they take on what, $16M more salary at the PG/SG/Combo position?  Neither Smart or Edwards has any fit with their current roster.  Smart is good value back for Markkanen but there is just no fit.  Gotta find a 3rd team for Smart or something I think.

What CHI really wants is a team with a TPE so they can take back a first round pick (or so it seems based on reports).  We are not that team.  That is why I am starting to think CHI is just going to wait to see if he takes the QO.  Seems like that would be toxic in terms of chemistry or whatever but probably better than taking back a lot of salary in players they don't really need.

I think Smart fits in well there backing up Ball and LaVine.  And I know they like White, but they did just sign Ball, Caruso, and DeRozan so they obviously don't trust him that much. 

And sure maybe they do add a 3rd team or move on from Smart later in the season, but it isn't like Smart can't be traded or doesn't have value.

I agree that at $14M, Smart has value.  It just doesn't seem that CHI is looking for that kind of a deal.  And I am not even sure that the Celtics would do it.  I think if a team with a TPE offered CHI a pick, they would take that in a second.  Something like that with CHA I think was reported (CHA declined).  ORL has a $17M TPE but I don't think they would want Smart either (glut of guards).  They might take Markkanen directly but not sure if he wants to be there long term. 

I am intrigued by Markkanen.  I think it would be good if they could figure something out.  Tough though with the hard cap.

[BudweiserCeltic]

For the Bull's perspective, they have little interest in adding salary.

Secondly, beyond a pick, not sure WHY the Celtics would send anything of value (namely players that can be very good contributors) in such a trade.

[Moranis]

For the Bull's perspective, they have little interest in adding salary.

Secondly, beyond a pick, not sure WHY the Celtics would send anything of value (namely players that can be very good contributors) in such a trade.

The Celtics have trade a fair amount of salary if they acquire someone via sign and trade so pretty much either Smart or Richardson would have to go in the trade.  If Smart doesn't sign his extension, I think Boston will move him.  Plus, Boston could use a PF and I do think Markkanen can play that position. 

[BruceBanner18]

For the Bull's perspective, they have little interest in adding salary.

Secondly, beyond a pick, not sure WHY the Celtics would send anything of value (namely players that can be very good contributors) in such a trade.

Agreed. The point would be to buy low

[BudweiserCeltic]

For the Bull's perspective, they have little interest in adding salary.

Secondly, beyond a pick, not sure WHY the Celtics would send anything of value (namely players that can be very good contributors) in such a trade.

The Celtics have trade a fair amount of salary if they acquire someone via sign and trade so pretty much either Smart or Richardson would have to go in the trade.  If Smart doesn't sign his extension, I think Boston will move him.  Plus, Boston could use a PF and I do think Markkanen can play that position.

I just don't think we need to do send that much value to get him if Markkanen wants to come here, which is the key.

[Moranis]

For the Bull's perspective, they have little interest in adding salary.

Secondly, beyond a pick, not sure WHY the Celtics would send anything of value (namely players that can be very good contributors) in such a trade.

The Celtics have trade a fair amount of salary if they acquire someone via sign and trade so pretty much either Smart or Richardson would have to go in the trade.  If Smart doesn't sign his extension, I think Boston will move him.  Plus, Boston could use a PF and I do think Markkanen can play that position.

I just don't think we need to do send that much value to get him if Markkanen wants to come here, which is the key.

Salary has to leave to acquire him though.  so it sounds like you just don't want to acquire him, which is a perfectly fine position to take, but if Boston were to acquire him, Richardson or Smart is headed out that door and as the team is currently constructed, I rather send out Smart if he doesn't sign an extension.

[goCeltics]

I was reading the sign and trade rules, from larry coon faq, and since the Celtics used the tax payer mle to sign Dennis they CAN NOT receive a player in a sign and trade, discussion is mute. See
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q92

[Vermont Green]

For the Bull's perspective, they have little interest in adding salary.

Secondly, beyond a pick, not sure WHY the Celtics would send anything of value (namely players that can be very good contributors) in such a trade.

The Celtics would have to send out matching salary to make the trade work and also to get under what would become a hard cap.  Hard to do that without sending out something of value.  CHI is not going to take back $15M of salary cr@p.  They are better off with Markkanen at the $9M QO or just letting him sit out the season (which he wouldn't do).

This is why with every day that goes by it is looking more and more like Markkanen with play for CHI for the QO (at least to start the season) and then become an UFA the following season.  A potential chemistry disaster but Markkanen will be playing for a contract.

[JBcat]

Because of the sign and trade hard cap rules I’d rather just revisit the idea during the season for a trade if he is still on the Bulls and picked up the qualifying offer.

[BudweiserCeltic]

For the Bull's perspective, they have little interest in adding salary.

Secondly, beyond a pick, not sure WHY the Celtics would send anything of value (namely players that can be very good contributors) in such a trade.

The Celtics have trade a fair amount of salary if they acquire someone via sign and trade so pretty much either Smart or Richardson would have to go in the trade.  If Smart doesn't sign his extension, I think Boston will move him.  Plus, Boston could use a PF and I do think Markkanen can play that position.

I just don't think we need to do send that much value to get him if Markkanen wants to come here, which is the key.

Salary has to leave to acquire him though.  so it sounds like you just don't want to acquire him, which is a perfectly fine position to take, but if Boston were to acquire him, Richardson or Smart is headed out that door and as the team is currently constructed, I rather send out Smart if he doesn't sign an extension.

Not all salary is created equal and I'm not positive that at this point we need to match salary as I think the Bulls (depending on how they order things) could have cap space so we could send less salary + $5 million (as in the contract need to be within that range) if we send enough out that we stay under the tax after the trade. This is a potential possibility, though not certain if that's possible anymore.

Yes at this point I'm not certain on who I'd prefer on the team, but you guys are treating this as it's Smart or nothing or as if he was the first choice to move.

In the end we have players like Dunn (if healthy) that can somewhat play the Smart role as it is to a lesser extent.

It'd be easier with a third team involved though.

[Roy H.]

I was reading the sign and trade rules, from larry coon faq, and since the Celtics used the tax payer mle to sign Dennis they CAN NOT receive a player in a sign and trade, discussion is mute. See
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q92

Interesting.  What an odd rule.  Have we officially inked Schroeder yet?

The team cannot receive a player in a sign-and-trade if they have used the Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (see question number 25) that season. ...

These teams are free to send players to other teams in sign-and-trade transactions, or to receive players in sign-and-trade transactions who weren't signed-and-traded themselves. Also, the restriction applies only to the sign-and-trade transaction itself -- teams are free to acquire players who had been signed-and-traded in earlier transactions.

It seems like we could S&T for Markannen and then use the Taxpayer MLE, but we *can't* use the Taxpayer MLE then S&T for Markannen. 

We'd also be able to sign Schroeder to a $5.9 million deal using the Full MLE, and then S&T for Markannen at any time.

I'm sure there's some perspective under which this makes sense, but I'm not seeing it.

[liam]

Because of the sign and trade hard cap rules I’d rather just revisit the idea during the season for a trade if he is still on the Bulls and picked up the qualifying offer.

Midseason trade may be better because by then we may have a better idea of team needs.