Options if AD to Boston Does NOT happen

[philr13]

I'm going to risk calling down the flames of blogdom upon me, and say that I think Irving will sign with Boston even if the AD trade doesn't happen. I have seen no sensible basketball or business explanation for why he would sign anywhere else.

The Knicks are awful and they will still be awful with Irving on the team. Even he must realize that. Brooklyn is not going to re-sign Russell and then take the ball out of his hands and hand it to Kyrie.

If he signs with Boston he will get dollars, security, and a very good franchise situation. If after another season he is unhappy he can ask for a trade, again. It benefits both Irving and the Celtics to create a new contract, even if things don't work out in the long run.

If Irving signs, it then becomes clearer what the path forward is for Boston. The 2 most glaring weaknesses are back-up point guard and center. Rozier may be gone. Baynes is essential but can only play limited minutes. Baynes and Horford are getting on in years. Williams has potential but the jury is still out on him.

They can draft a point guard to develop. A trade with a team that is stocked with young centers could be the way to go. Charlotte and Sacramento come to mind. Maybe draft Bruno Fernando.

[SHAQATTACK]

I think before the smoke goes away  , we need to hear a more clear decision from KD himself on what he intends to do.

[jambr380]

But yeah, I don't think Anthony Davis will be in Celtics uniform this offseason. It's just been too much chitter-chatters all over the place. His dad saying the Celtics betrayed IT4 and stuff like that. Davis just doesn't look like he wants to commit to Boston and seems like he has his eyes set for LA anyways, at least from a mental standpoint. Even with all the Klutch Sports hype and stuff, Davis can just mention Boston in his list of preferred destinations but I don't think he has. He's keeping it simple with LA/NYK/MIL etc.

Pelicans can agree with the deal by taking Tatum and a bunch of assets, but the following year Davis would be walking.

I know it wasn't the most definitive statement, but AD did mention Boston as a possible destination.

Anthony Davis: 'I Never said Boston Wasn’t on my List'

https://thebiglead.com/2019/02/16/anthony-davis-celtics-trade-list/


He then followed that up with saying that all 29 teams are on his list, but that was more than likely just to cover himself from further scrutiny.

As for the thread topic itself, we would really need a humongous leap from Tatum or another star like KAT or even Drummond to become available for it not to be a total let down. Moving forward with a young superstar core is the awesomest of scenarios and I am going to pretend it is happening until the time comes for Danny to make the decision.

[Csfan1984]

I'm actually against trading for AD unless the cost is cheap. I want the C's to look into freeing up cap and gathering assets then signing AD in 2020. After you flip the assets to solidify your team.

[PhoSita]

I know you said you think Kyrie's gonna stay even if we don't trade for AD.  You could be right.  I think if he did stay in that scenario, it would be on a short term deal.  I really hope that doesn't happen.

I suppose the Celts might look at the possibility of trying to trade for Bradley Beal.  He seems like the next big name that might be on the block.

Kevin Love is also out there, but he's older, doesn't move the needle that much, and makes too much $$.


My plan would be this:


- Use all the picks

- Sign Horford to a long term deal at less AAV

- Expect Kyrie to leave

- Look for cost-effective point guard options to fill the hole at PG left by Kyrie and (hopefully) Rozier

- Move forward with [Smart - Brown - Hayward - Tatum - Horford]

[Walker Wiggle]

At the risk of sounding redundant:

1) Re-sign Irving.
2) Extend Horford.
3) Let Rozier and Morris walk.
4) Run it back.

It's important to note this is not a "treadmill" situation. The team should continue to improve simply because so many of its top players are young. Horford is the only player on the back-nine of his career. Hayward is still only 29 (and will hopefully be 100%). Irving is 27. Smart is 25. Brown is 22. Tatum is 21. Let these guys age, develop, and grow together, and you can still always keep your eyes and ears open for the next disgruntled superstar.

[footey]

At the risk of sounding redundant:

1) Re-sign Irving.
2) Extend Horford.
3) Let Rozier and Morris walk.
4) Run it back.

It's important to note this is not a "treadmill" situation. The team should continue to improve simply because so many of its top players are young. Horford is the only player on the back-nine of his career. Hayward is still only 29 (and will hopefully be 100%). Irving is 27. Smart is 25. Brown is 22. Tatum is 21. Let these guys age, develop, and grow together, and you can still always keep your eyes and ears open for the next disgruntled superstar.

This is too rational.

[Donoghus]

At the risk of sounding redundant:

1) Re-sign Irving.
2) Extend Horford.
3) Let Rozier and Morris walk.
4) Run it back.

It's important to note this is not a "treadmill" situation. The team should continue to improve simply because so many of its top players are young. Horford is the only player on the back-nine of his career. Hayward is still only 29 (and will hopefully be 100%). Irving is 27. Smart is 25. Brown is 22. Tatum is 21. Let these guys age, develop, and grow together, and you can still always keep your eyes and ears open for the next disgruntled superstar.

I'd agree that's not a treadmill team.

[smokeablount]

No AD? I feel sick.

Pass the Pepto in this direction when you're done bro.

[gpap]

I could see us going after Beal

Now that the Wizards seem to be in a little disarray with the firing of their GM, a potential Beal deal would seem a little more likely.

[Silky]

I don't see Beal.

I mean we already have a glut of wings, so unless it involved Hayward, whats the point.

The main weakness is a big.

The backup PG spot, IMO, should be Patrick Beverly's. Him and Smart as off the bench defense on the wings will completely wear out the opposing pg/sg. Especially of those guys have to guard Kyrie as well.

Wings
Irving, Beverly, Wannamaker
Brown, Smart, Vince Carter (lle)
Tatum, Hayward, Semi
Horford, Theis, Yabu
Baynes, Williams

That leaves potentially trading brown or tatum along with Yabu and Semi for a younger bigman to start at center.

If Taum is traded then Hayward starts and Vince moves to backup SF.
If Brown is traded then Smart starts at SG and Vince becomes backup SG.

Whatever happens the team has a bigman hole that needs filled.
Nurkic, Turner, Carter Jr, Favors, Bamba, Vucevic, Valancuinas, Drummond, Cousins, Towns.

Lots of good quality bigmen out there, and that isnt counting guys in the draft that could theoretically step right in and start. (Hayes, Porter, Gafford, Fernando, Reid, Bassey)

[GreenEnvy]

If Kyrie resigns, I see no way Ainge doesn’t go all-in for the guy he’s been targeting for a long time.

Even if that means Tatum and Brown/Smart and basically all the picks. He’s going to get him.

Sure NOP can pit Lakers and Celtics against each other, but we have the best young player in Tatum and a bevy of better picks they can’t match. We may have to give up a little more, but we still can’t be outbid by the Lakers.

It would be pretty easy to fill out a roster around Kyrie/Hayward/Horford/Davis (and probably either Smart or Brown and Baynes) using exceptions and minimums.

[gpap]

I don't see Beal.

I mean we already have a glut of wings, so unless it involved Hayward, whats the point.

The main weakness is a big.

The backup PG spot, IMO, should be Patrick Beverly's. Him and Smart as off the bench defense on the wings will completely wear out the opposing pg/sg. Especially of those guys have to guard Kyrie as well.

Wings
Irving, Beverly, Wannamaker
Brown, Smart, Vince Carter (lle)
Tatum, Hayward, Semi
Horford, Theis, Yabu
Baynes, Williams

That leaves potentially trading brown or tatum along with Yabu and Semi for a younger bigman to start at center.

If Taum is traded then Hayward starts and Vince moves to backup SF.
If Brown is traded then Smart starts at SG and Vince becomes backup SG.

Whatever happens the team has a bigman hole that needs filled.
Nurkic, Turner, Carter Jr, Favors, Bamba, Vucevic, Valancuinas, Drummond, Cousins, Towns.

Lots of good quality bigmen out there, and that isnt counting guys in the draft that could theoretically step right in and start. (Hayes, Porter, Gafford, Fernando, Reid, Bassey)

We don't have a pure shooting guard. Marcus is a point guard playing the 2 out of necessity. Brown, Tatum, Hayward and Morris are all small forwards (with Marcus sometimes playing power forward, again out of necessity.)

I agree on needing a big man. Believe me, no arguments there.

[Silky]

If Kyrie resigns, I see no way Ainge doesn’t go all-in for the guy he’s been targeting for a long time.

Even if that means Tatum and Brown/Smart and basically all the picks. He’s going to get him.

Sure NOP can pit Lakers and Celtics against each other, but we have the best young player in Tatum and a bevy of better picks they can’t match. We may have to give up a little more, but we still can’t be outbid by the Lakers.

It would be pretty easy to fill out a roster around Kyrie/Hayward/Horford/Davis (and probably either Smart or Brown and Baynes) using exceptions and minimums.

Ainge will not overpay.

I am sure he wants Davis, Alot, but without commitment and even with commitment he will not overpay.

I dont think anyone in the history of the NBA would have been traded for even close to the perceived value of the assets that are being tossed about for Davis.

[jambr380]

Beal would be great, but maybe we do more of a three-way thing where Beal goes to DET, Drummond goes to the Cs, and players/picks go to WAS. We would still have the same issue of putting enough salary together so Smart would likely have to go. And if we are able to preserve Tatum, Jaylen Brown would likely be in the mix...leaving us with a need at SG.

Oh, well, that probably isn't going to work.