Free agents to pursue?

[Sophomore]

Malik Monk, Jalen Smith, Kyle Anderson.

We might be able to fit slo-mo into a TPE, but that would mean getting him in a sign and trade. We’d have to stay under the hard cap and I’m not sure that’s possible. No way we can get him for the taxpayer MLE.

[sgrogan]

Can anyone give me more on Jalen Smith?

I remember him being an interesting prospect when he was drafted.
PHO declined his 3rd yr rookie option and traded him.
He's played well since the trade to IND, he looked good against us.

With his recent play is the taxpayer MLE realistic?

[Celtics2021]

Can anyone give me more on Jalen Smith?

I remember him being an interesting prospect when he was drafted.
PHO declined his 3rd yr rookie option and traded him.
He's played well since the trade to IND, he looked good against us.

With his recent play is the taxpayer MLE realistic?

Probably realistic, if you’re asking whether he’ll get more than that.  Indiana won’t be able to offer even that much, since they’re restricted to the amount of the option that Phoenix declined.  Maybe there’s a rebuilding team like Detroit that would offer him a little more if they liked him as a prospect.  I’m not sold enough on his on-court value to be excited about signing him for the MLE.

[sgrogan]

Can anyone give me more on Jalen Smith?

I remember him being an interesting prospect when he was drafted.
PHO declined his 3rd yr rookie option and traded him.
He's played well since the trade to IND, he looked good against us.

With his recent play is the taxpayer MLE realistic?

Probably realistic, if you’re asking whether he’ll get more than that.  Indiana won’t be able to offer even that much, since they’re restricted to the amount of the option that Phoenix declined.  Maybe there’s a rebuilding team like Detroit that would offer him a little more if they liked him as a prospect. I’m not sold enough on his on-court value to be excited about signing him for the MLE.

Thanks, can you elaborate a little more. He's a slight guy, can he fill out physically? Do you think the 11 games in IND is a small sample size fluke?
 I don't know the player well, but in IND he's 7 rebs and 40% from 3 on 26 minutes.

Given the C's assets, I think we need to hit on a risk/reward move like this. I don't know if this is that move. I did think he played well against us.

[Celtics2021]

Can anyone give me more on Jalen Smith?

I remember him being an interesting prospect when he was drafted.
PHO declined his 3rd yr rookie option and traded him.
He's played well since the trade to IND, he looked good against us.

With his recent play is the taxpayer MLE realistic?

Probably realistic, if you’re asking whether he’ll get more than that.  Indiana won’t be able to offer even that much, since they’re restricted to the amount of the option that Phoenix declined.  Maybe there’s a rebuilding team like Detroit that would offer him a little more if they liked him as a prospect. I’m not sold enough on his on-court value to be excited about signing him for the MLE.

Thanks, can you elaborate a little more. He's a slight guy, can he fill out physically? Do you think the 11 games in IND is a small sample size fluke?
 I don't know the player well, but in IND he's 7 rebs and 40% from 3 on 26 minutes.

Given the C's assets, I think we need to hit on a risk/reward move like this. I don't know if this is that move. I did think he played well against us.

In general I don’t think he has the lateral mobility to keep up on the perimeter, and the way the C’s play defense he’s find himself out there enough for that to matter.  I also think sample size is an issue — he had a good week-and-a-half in Phoenix, but he ultimately got booted out of the rotation by Bismayck Biyombo, whom Phoenix had only recently signed to a Covid 10-day.  He has some potential, but I don’t think he’s ready to be in the rotation of a contender at this point.  I’d have been fine with getting him at the deadline and keeping him for his more limited Bird rights, but we only have MLE and he’s not the guy I’d pick for it.

[sgrogan]

Can anyone give me more on Jalen Smith?

I remember him being an interesting prospect when he was drafted.
PHO declined his 3rd yr rookie option and traded him.
He's played well since the trade to IND, he looked good against us.

With his recent play is the taxpayer MLE realistic?

Probably realistic, if you’re asking whether he’ll get more than that.  Indiana won’t be able to offer even that much, since they’re restricted to the amount of the option that Phoenix declined.  Maybe there’s a rebuilding team like Detroit that would offer him a little more if they liked him as a prospect. I’m not sold enough on his on-court value to be excited about signing him for the MLE.

Thanks, can you elaborate a little more. He's a slight guy, can he fill out physically? Do you think the 11 games in IND is a small sample size fluke?
 I don't know the player well, but in IND he's 7 rebs and 40% from 3 on 26 minutes.

Given the C's assets, I think we need to hit on a risk/reward move like this. I don't know if this is that move. I did think he played well against us.

In general I don’t think he has the lateral mobility to keep up on the perimeter, and the way the C’s play defense he’s find himself out there enough for that to matter.  I also think sample size is an issue — he had a good week-and-a-half in Phoenix, but he ultimately got booted out of the rotation by Bismayck Biyombo, whom Phoenix had only recently signed to a Covid 10-day.  He has some potential, but I don’t think he’s ready to be in the rotation of a contender at this point.  I’d have been fine with getting him at the deadline and keeping him for his more limited Bird rights, but we only have MLE and he’s not the guy I’d pick for it.

TP

[CFAN38]

I personally think adding a guy that can plug into the Horford role should be a priority this offseason. Horford isn't getting any younger, and shoring that spot up for the future could really lock in this team's potential long term.

I'm not sure if any of the free agents fit the bill, unfortunately. I know most of us crave a guy like John Collins. But assuming that's not possible, I'm not sure who else is out there?

Long term Al role will be interesting to watch play out. Post AL Grant  Williams maybe fine as a 5th starter with White, Theis, and a wing with some scoring pop coming off the bench.

I could also see BS using AL expiring and picks to make a play for for a Collins or Siakam type?

[Celtics2021]

With regard to the big MLE or TPE, that obviously depends a lot on Horford, both in how we perform in the postseason and also possibly what Horford wants to do.  I don’t think he’d be up for a pay cut to save the owners money (nor should he with how he’s been playing), but I can seen him being willing to resign for the minimum if the front office presented him with the situation that “We can sign player X for Y dollars, but doing that pegs us to the hard cap, and we’re over it if you don’t take the pay cut.” 

To be more specific, if Al were willing to be waived and resigned for the minimum, the Celtics would have about $10 million in space under the hard cap for a free agent if they filled out the rest of their roster with minimum salaries (including at least one second-rounder). If they trade Nesmith and are willing to go with 14 players for most of the season, they could get a free agent in a S&T starting at around $13 million.

[LilRip]

Covington is not someone I have ever really been interested in.  Not sure if I am missing something.  He isn't skilled enough to play as a wing is he (or any more so than Grant Williams).  He is a tad bigger than GWill but is he really any better?  I don't see him as a Horford replacement in any case if that is the idea.

Covington:   8 pts   5.5 rebs    35% 3pt   in 28 min  (combined LAC and POR)
GWilliams:   8 pts   3.5 rebs    44% 3pt   in 24 min

Batum is interesting though, I hadn't really considered him.  Only 33 (seems to have been around for ever) and has been remarkably consistent the last couple of seasons:

Batum:   8 pts   4.5 rebs    40% 3pt   in 26 min  (on average last 2 seasons)

Batum I see principally as a back up wing but has versatility to be a swing forward.  Seems like he would be really good to slot in as our 3rd wing behind Tatum and Brown.  He can see most of his minutes as a wing, his natural position, but could be used in a number of other ways to supplement that.  Not a bad idea/target.

I've always liked RoCo, he's kind of the typical 3&D guy. For his career he's a league average 3pt shooter, although streaky. On offense he is a stand in the corner guy that doesn't attack close-outs. He's a good defender with 1 all-defense selection.

I think the comparison to Grant is fair, as I think they would play a similar role. Grant is the more efficient offensive player, but , even at 32 I think RoCo is better defensively, guarding both up and down better than Grant. As a tandem I think they could handle handle the PF spot. RoCo wouldn't be my first choice, but I wouldn't hate him being here.

I do agree that what happens with Al is the linchpin to off-season.

RoCo is a roamer rather than a lockdown 1:1 defender. I think he’d do well in a team where the top guys (Jays+Smart) are all great to elite in single coverage because he plugs up the outlet passing lanes