Dejounte Murray deal: Dealt to ATL

[pokeKingCurtis]

Dejounte Murray added a "clover" emoji in his headline bio on instagram.

Celtics.

Lol. I love that the players have added an element to the off-season. Not just rumors and wondering, but players actively messing with fan-bases.

It's fake right? (Think so based on offseasons in recent past).

Might be the only advantage of not being in the States as a Celtics fan. Not having to look at the schmarmy faces of some of these obnoxious talking heads (even likeable guys like Perk are putting on an act to drive ratings, can't imagine being bombarded with that).

[GreenlyGreeny]

I don't know.  Would we move Tatum to PF permanently? 

Timelord / Horford
Tatum / Grant
Brown / McDermott
Smart / White
Murray

The big question is, does Murray put us over the top?  He's a spotty shooter who has had one very good year.

Would we be better off doing a three-way for Collins?

Murray is the facilitator who will not turn the ball over and put our guys in a position to succeed, putting them in a position to minimize the likelihood of turnovers, etc. Getting him for the TPE and picks, with an extension following, would literally be like a gift from the basketball gods. His defense is elite. His passing/facilitation is exceptional. He’s got chemistry with D-White and Udoka. We instantly have the best backcourt in the league and perhaps the best frontcourt by moving Tatum to the 4 and having Horford be our 6M Big, assuming Timelord stays healthy.

This is a lot better idea than going after Collins, who’s never been an all-star or really known as a great teammate by any account.

[GreenlyGreeny]

If todays rumors are true we aren't offering enough:

Speaking of first-rounders, the Spurs are asking for a bounty of them in any potential Murray trade, per LJ Ellis of Spurs Talk.

"San Antonio’s asking price for Murray is four first round draft picks with little to no protections," Ellis wrote in a story published Tuesday morning. "Alternatively, the Spurs want three minimally protected first rounders and two unprotected first round pick swaps."

They can shove it for that asking price

Is that what BKN gave up for James Harden? 3 first and 2 swaps?

Seems fair if you are giving up no talent in the deal. Keep all your current guys.

Jrue Holiday was 2 unprotected 1st and 2 swaps iirc

That’s a good baseline. Getting Murray would be like when the Bucks got Holiday. That piece to get them over the hump. We could really use him. Legit Big 3 if we land Murray, especially if we do it with just the TPE and picks. Murray/Smart/Brown/Tatum/Timelord with D-White, Horford, Batman, Pritchard and a MLE 3 off the bench? Elite, and imagine if Nesmith finally has that third year jump like Timelord did.

[Big333223]

I don't know.  Would we move Tatum to PF permanently? 

Timelord / Horford
Tatum / Grant
Brown / McDermott
Smart / White
Murray

The big question is, does Murray put us over the top?  He's a spotty shooter who has had one very good year.

Would we be better off doing a three-way for Collins?

I voted yes because I think if you can add that kind of talent without giving up a significant rotation piece you have to do it.

That said, I'd rather get into a three-way for Collins. I'd rather stay big then go small and Collins would be the perfect fit.

[A Future of Stevens]

 
Just learned Murray is a Klutch client. Interesting

[jbpats]

Just learned Murray is a Klutch client. Interesting

why does that matter?

[td450]

I don't know.  Would we move Tatum to PF permanently? 

Timelord / Horford
Tatum / Grant
Brown / McDermott
Smart / White
Murray

The big question is, does Murray put us over the top?  He's a spotty shooter who has had one very good year.

Would we be better off doing a three-way for Collins?

I voted yes because I think if you can add that kind of talent without giving up a significant rotation piece you have to do it.

That said, I'd rather get into a three-way for Collins. I'd rather stay big then go small and Collins would be the perfect fit.

There are two issues:

Defense
Buying into the role

If we bring in a 3rd star, it will define the team for some time.

If the coaches felt Collins can improve enough on defense, (he's got some talent, but he's pretty average right now) and if he would be happy as a 3rd wheel, then he'd be great, because we would have a longer term solution for replacing Horford.

Signing Collins does still leave the single biggest issue with the team unresolved: running the offense under playoff pressure. That may fix itself if Tatum and Smart improve there and Brown becomes more disciplined too, but that's a pretty big risk.

Murray is ready to fit our defense day one, and he will almost certainly improve the offensive flow dramatically. He'll also probably love the role he would get. Smart could still fit, but I doubt he would respond well to getting exactly the role he wanted all along and then losing it after just one year, where he did come through.

Its nice to stay big, but replacing Horford with an average defender breaks the team's identity. I wouldn't do that unless the coaches really believed in Collins.

[radiohead]

If Murray comes over does that mean Smart slides back to the bench? TL-Al-JT-JB-Murray?

[A Future of Stevens]

Just learned Murray is a Klutch client. Interesting

why does that matter?

Them steering AD away from us has always left a sour taste in my mouth. (Worked out well for us, but that's not what I am talking about.)

[mef730]

If you acquire Murray, you have to move Smart elsewhere.

Just tinkering around I came up with this

Celtics - Murray, McDermott, LeVert
Cavaliers - Smart, Stauskas, Morgan
Spurs - Love, Nesmith, Pritchard, Cavs 23, Bos 23, Bos 25, swap Bos 24

So Post-Trade Boston's 2-Deep roster

PG - Murray, White
SG - Brown, LeVert
SF - Tatum, Grant
PF - Horford, McDermott
C - Rob, Theis

Deep Bench/2W - FA, Kornet, Fitts, Ryan, Thomas, Hauser, Davison

That is a lot to give up, but that team would check all of the boxes upgrading not only the 3rd player from Smart to Murray, but also adding quality depth (and some shooting) to the bench in LeVert and McDermott (who both hopefully can stay healthier coming off the bench). 

The Cavs clear a ton of cap room to re-sign Sexton and then have an excellent trio of guards in Garland, Smart, and Sexton to go along with their triple 7 footers in Allen, Mobley, Markkanen while still having Okoro, Osman, Agbaji, and Wade for bench depth.

The Spurs take on Love for the year to clear out McDermott, but pick up 3 1st's and 2 recent 1st rounders to really amp up their rebuild.


Trade at least in theory would make sense for all 3 teams, though I'm not sure any of them do it.

I'd hate to lose Smart, but that's a hell of a lineup if they could pull it off.

Mike

[Sophomore]

If Murray comes over does that mean Smart slides back to the bench? TL-Al-JT-JB-Murray?

Personally, in that scenario I think Smart should be traded. If you want to play Smart, Murray, and Rob together, that’s one non-shooter and two minus shooters. Not how you want to surround the Js, I think. Maybe Ime has a genius-level plan for the offense that would make that closing lineup work, but I think teams would really pack the paint and we would have trouble with scoring and turnovers.

Ideally, if you can, you would flip Smart (pains me to write that) for a sharpshooting 3 and D forward.

[Dchuck]

If Murray comes over does that mean Smart slides back to the bench? TL-Al-JT-JB-Murray?

Personally, in that scenario I think Smart should be traded. If you want to play Smart, Murray, and Rob together, that’s one non-shooter and two minus shooters. Not how you want to surround the Js, I think. Maybe Ime has a genius-level plan for the offense that would make that closing lineup work, but I think teams would really pack the paint and we would have trouble with scoring and turnovers.

Ideally, if you can, you would flip Smart (pains me to write that) for a sharpshooting 3 and D forward.

Agreed.  But I just want to get Murray here first.  If we could get him with the TPE, get him here and figure it out after.  The opportunity to get a 25 yr old allstar with his skill set cannot be overlooked.

[LilRip]

If you acquire Murray, you have to move Smart elsewhere.

Just tinkering around I came up with this

Celtics - Murray, McDermott, LeVert
Cavaliers - Smart, Stauskas, Morgan
Spurs - Love, Nesmith, Pritchard, Cavs 23, Bos 23, Bos 25, swap Bos 24

So Post-Trade Boston's 2-Deep roster

PG - Murray, White
SG - Brown, LeVert
SF - Tatum, Grant
PF - Horford, McDermott
C - Rob, Theis

Deep Bench/2W - FA, Kornet, Fitts, Ryan, Thomas, Hauser, Davison

That is a lot to give up, but that team would check all of the boxes upgrading not only the 3rd player from Smart to Murray, but also adding quality depth (and some shooting) to the bench in LeVert and McDermott (who both hopefully can stay healthier coming off the bench). 

The Cavs clear a ton of cap room to re-sign Sexton and then have an excellent trio of guards in Garland, Smart, and Sexton to go along with their triple 7 footers in Allen, Mobley, Markkanen while still having Okoro, Osman, Agbaji, and Wade for bench depth.

The Spurs take on Love for the year to clear out McDermott, but pick up 3 1st's and 2 recent 1st rounders to really amp up their rebuild.


Trade at least in theory would make sense for all 3 teams, though I'm not sure any of them do it.

I'd hate to lose Smart, but that's a hell of a lineup if they could pull it off.

Mike

Same thoughts. I love Smart but we upgrade our playmaking without a huge drop off on defense and we get a really good upgrade on the bench in Levert. Boston’s all-in for sure with this trade but we were already in the finals. I don’t see why the team shouldn’t strike when the iron is hot

Get one more shooter and this is the most loaded the team has been since Kyrie-GH.

[Ilikesports17]

I don't know.  Would we move Tatum to PF permanently? 

Timelord / Horford
Tatum / Grant
Brown / McDermott
Smart / White
Murray

The big question is, does Murray put us over the top?  He's a spotty shooter who has had one very good year.

Would we be better off doing a three-way for Collins?

Murray is the facilitator who will not turn the ball over and put our guys in a position to succeed, putting them in a position to minimize the likelihood of turnovers, etc. Getting him for the TPE and picks, with an extension following, would literally be like a gift from the basketball gods. His defense is elite. His passing/facilitation is exceptional. He’s got chemistry with D-White and Udoka. We instantly have the best backcourt in the league and perhaps the best frontcourt by moving Tatum to the 4 and having Horford be our 6M Big, assuming Timelord stays healthy.

This is a lot better idea than going after Collins, who’s never been an all-star or really known as a great teammate by any account.

White and Murray have played together but specifically didn’t fit well 

[vjcsmoke]

Dejounte Murray is absolutely a great player for the Celtics to look into getting.  He's a real floor general and has stepped up his game recently.  3 1st round picks seems the standard price to get a guy like this, we might have to give up more in terms of players though.  And I'd probably want to at least lottery protect the 2027 pick.  I don't see us picking earlier than 20's for 23/25 so that's fine.  But 5 years from now, who knows?

Deal 1: Murray into our TPE for our firsts in 23/25/27. For the sake of hypothetical, let’s say all picks are unprotected. Remove top 1 protection on the 28 swap we already owe them from the White deal.

Deal 2: Salary matching Pritchard and Theis for McDermott.

Combined, comes pretty dang close to Spurs reported requested ask. We get Murray and a bench shooter and use the TMLE on best available 4/5.

Would you do it?

Murray has 2 years 34 mil left total on his contract.
McDermott has 2 years 27 mil total on his contract.