Do Cs even make playoffs next year....

[nickagneta]

I think the C's make the playoffs but I am convinced Horford is coming. But even if he doesn't the C's can still bring Sully, Zeller, Amir and Jerebko back and put out the same team as the year before but with a year of growth from the youth. So if the C's duplicate what they did last year or even lose 1-3 games less, which four teams under them that didn't make the playoffs are going to pass them to kick them out of the playoffs?

Indiana and Detroit. Yeah. Probably or maybe.

Charlotte isn't any better and might be worse so no. I don't see that Washington or Chicago have made their teams better, so no.

Which means two teams from Orlando, Milwaukee and New York, who have improved their teams, would need to get a lot better. Orlando would have to be 11 games better next year, Milwaukee 12 games better and NY 13 games better and that's assuming a Celtic win total of just 45 wins, which I think is extremely low even if they just bring back the same team with ET gone and replaced by Brown. And the youth(Smart, Rozier, Hunter, Mickey) are going to be another year better.

So yeah. If the C's get Horford I think they could be a 50+ win team. If they come back with the same team as described above, they are a 45-48 win club and probably in a 7th to 4th seed. Barring major injuries, I see the C's making the playoff and giving the Nets a pick somewhere between 17-22.

This. With a scarcity of quality free agents and most teams having plenty of  cap space, most of the East is going to be 'as you were'. I'd be disappointed not to get Horford but that doesn't mean the sky is falling if we don't get him.

Ainge said it himself. He wants to keep our "core" together and add a STAR but if all options, trades, lottery order and pick, and FA signings do not happen nor go our way then he has to take the team forward still....but in a more youthful direction focused on talent and not USURPER vets that kill player development, inflate our regular season wins, and ultimately leave us and in a worse place.

Our team is more valuable split up than staying together. With all of our players and assets we can get legit undervalued talent to pair with CBS.

IT and AB= only 2 more years on deals(def worth more if we traded them now than dealing with the 2 munchkins come contract time, which they could walk or we pay them max money.....not a championship team)

KO= should maximize his value and trade him now

Crowder= very valuable and what a trade with him included would bring back is more valuable to us long-term aka winning championships

Amir and JJ= use our cap space and their contracts to help teams facilitate salary dumps( we get the dumps) and get legit players back.
*some ideas centered around us taking a player on a real bad contract and using Amir and JJ and our cap space.
1) would be another deal with PHO, kinda like the IT trade/acquisition, we take on Tyson Chandlers 3 year contract and also the 3 year contract of ERIC BLEDSOE and we give them Amir/ and JJ
2) Taking on Pekovics contract for Zach Lavine


Smart= if he can't get better as a shooter we need to trade him. I would love to try and get okafor with a deal including Smart. Philly has the 2017 LAL(top3 protected) and the Heats 2017 unprotected picks.

So in other words....TANK!

Big surprise that that advice is coming from you FCO, you've only been advocating doing this for like 3-4 years