Rumor: Pacers are listening to trade offers for Domantas Sabonis

[bellerephon]

I’d trade Smart not Brown. With regret, but Jaylen is so versatile and seems like he can break out big this year.

I disagree, Brown for Sabonis makes sense. Sabonis is a promising young big, a position the Celts really have a need at, while Jaylen plays a position they have some depth at. If they do make the trade, they can start Smart, which works well I think. I really like Brown a lot, but I wonder if we tend to overvalue our own players.

[bellerephon]

I’d trade Smart not Brown. With regret, but Jaylen is so versatile and seems like he can break out big this year.

I would not trade Smart, he's an elite defender on a good contract, and the team leader.

I could see Hayward being traded for Sabonis or another big man though, or Langford and a pick.

I really can't see a Hayward for Sabonis trade at all. Making the money work would be immensely difficult. I also tend to think it's hard to pin down Hayward's value. He's had a tough two years, and we just don't know if he can come all the way back. If he can come back, however, then Indy would have gotten a real steal. Hayward back at 100% is significantly better than Sabonis. I don't think it's a possibility.

[Fierce1]

Brown for Sabonis makes the most sense.

Don't trade Marcus Smart.
Smart gives the Celts an elite defender.

[Atzar]

I don’t know if Brown would be at the top of Indy’s list of targets.  Not that he lacks adequate value, but they already have Oladipo, Warren, and Lamb at the wing spots.  That’s pretty solid.

I feel like they’d be looking for a 4 - somebody who would have an easier time coexisting with Turner than Sabonis does.

[Fierce1]

I don’t know if Brown would be at the top of Indy’s list of targets.  Not that he lacks adequate value, but they already have Oladipo, Warren, and Lamb at the wing spots.  That’s pretty solid.

I feel like they’d be looking for a 4 - somebody who would have an easier time coexisting with Turner than Sabonis does.

Popovich was on to something when he played Brown at the 4 with Team USA.

Brown was playing with Turner with Brown being the 4 and Turner the 5.

If the Pacers don't want Brown then a 3rd team could be involved.

[Celtics4ever]

Popovich was on to something when he played Brown at the 4 with Team USA.

Brown was playing with Turner with Brown being the 4 and Turner the 5.

Newsflash, we did poorly in Fiba.  Brown out the four did not work out for us that well.

[Fierce1]

Popovich was on to something when he played Brown at the 4 with Team USA.

Brown was playing with Turner with Brown being the 4 and Turner the 5.

Newsflash, we did poorly in Fiba.  Brown out the four did not work out for us that well.

Playing the 4 is nothing new for for Jaylen.
He was playing 3 and 4 in college.

[Fierce1]

Langford for Sabonis also works.

Celts just have too many players that play the same position.

If Brown and the Celts can agree on a contract extension, that means Langford will never get playing time.

I think the Celts will have to choose between Langford and Brown.
Keeping both just doesn't make sense.

[saltlover]

Popovich was on to something when he played Brown at the 4 with Team USA.

Brown was playing with Turner with Brown being the 4 and Turner the 5.

Newsflash, we did poorly in Fiba.  Brown out the four did not work out for us that well.

Brown playing the four and not winning, while correlated, might not have a causal relationship.

[Fierce1]

I think everybody will be happy if 2 things happen.

1. Brown and the Celts agree to a contract extension.
I don't believe Brown is a max player, so if Brown agrees to a 100m for 4 years deal, that's a good deal for the Celts.

2. Giving up Langford, instead of Brown, for Sabonis solves the Celts' problem of needing a quality big man.

Right now the Pacers don't have leverage because they're going to lose Sabonis for nothing once Sabonis becomes a RFA in the summer.

There will be a team out there that will offer Sabonis big money.
So I think the Celts can acquire Sabonis in a trade if Ainge is interested.

[bellerephon]

I think everybody will be happy if 2 things happen.

1. Brown and the Celts agree to a contract extension.
I don't believe Brown is a max player, so if Brown agrees to a 100m for 4 years deal, that's a good deal for the Celts.

2. Giving up Langford, instead of Brown, for Sabonis solves the Celts' problem of needing a quality big man.

Right now the Pacers don't have leverage because they're going to lose Sabonis for nothing once Sabonis becomes a RFA in the summer.

There will be a team out there that will offer Sabonis big money.
So I think the Celts can acquire Sabonis in a trade if Ainge is interested.

I have a hard time believing the Pacers would consider Romeo for Sabonis, that's a huge gamble on their part. No one even knows if Romeo will even be an NBA level player, Sabonis is already a quality big that can stretch the floor. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I were Danny, I'd be stunned if the Pacers even thought about it.

[ETNCeltics]

Smart is the heart of this team. IMO, there is nothing short of a monster AD type trade we batted around the last year that could pry him from Boston.

If Indiana doesn't want to sign Sabonis to a big deal, why would they want Jaylen in a trade when he has the same contract status.

IMO, any trade with them would require the Memphis pick.

[bellerephon]

Smart is the heart of this team. IMO, there is nothing short of a monster AD type trade we batted around the last year that could pry him from Boston.

If Indiana doesn't want to sign Sabonis to a big deal, why would they want Jaylen in a trade when he has the same contract status.

IMO, any trade with them would require the Memphis pick.

It's not that they don't want to sign Sabonis because he can't play, it's because he doesn't fit well with Myles Turner. It may be that they have decided that the two of them don't mesh well and that they might be better served by trading Sabonis for a player that fits their roster better. I'm not sure if Brown is that player, in truth I don't know anything about Indy's roster, but Sabonis' talent is not the problem.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Clearly an overlooked problem is that Sabonis is in line for a big contract next summer, along with Brown (if he wasn't included).

It would likely be a one-year rental. You can't pay everyone.

[hpantazo]

I think everybody will be happy if 2 things happen.

1. Brown and the Celts agree to a contract extension.
I don't believe Brown is a max player, so if Brown agrees to a 100m for 4 years deal, that's a good deal for the Celts.

2. Giving up Langford, instead of Brown, for Sabonis solves the Celts' problem of needing a quality big man.

Right now the Pacers don't have leverage because they're going to lose Sabonis for nothing once Sabonis becomes a RFA in the summer.

There will be a team out there that will offer Sabonis big money.
So I think the Celts can acquire Sabonis in a trade if Ainge is interested.

I have a hard time believing the Pacers would consider Romeo for Sabonis, that's a huge gamble on their part. No one even knows if Romeo will even be an NBA level player, Sabonis is already a quality big that can stretch the floor. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I were Danny, I'd be stunned if the Pacers even thought about it.

Romeo has Indiana ties, they know him well. Also, he would be cost controlled for several years, solving their problem of paying Sabonis or Jaylen a large contract.