Use of TPE if we get Embiid?

[Irish Stew]

I guess that I am missing the point of bringing in Asik as a one year rental if Embiid won't be ready until late in the season at the earliest. If you are bringing in Embiid then there is no Love trade possible so you would be going young and probably moving Rondo for 7 or 8. Asik is 28 and clearly wants starter minutes and would never get them here long term. In addition, why would we bring in a one year veteran rental that would improve our record and devalue next years draft choice if next year is also a rebuild year as we await a healed Embiid and have added two more rookies besides him at 7 or 8 and 17. If we are lucky enough to get Embiid, we are really pointing towards the 2015-2016 season to be a serious playoff team.

[Future Celtics Owner]

I guess that I am missing the point of bringing in Asik as a one year rental if Embiid won't be ready until late in the season at the earliest. If you are bringing in Embiid then there is no Love trade possible so you would be going young and probably moving Rondo for 7 or 8. Asik is 28 and clearly wants starter minutes and would never get them here long term. In addition, why would we bring in a one year veteran rental that would improve our record and devalue next years draft choice if next year is also a rebuild year as we await a healed Embiid and have added two more rookies besides him at 7 or 8 and 17. If we are lucky enough to get Embiid, we are really pointing towards the 2015-2016 season to be a serious playoff team.

well we can use Asik at the deadline for a trade chip or to get assets. If we do trade Rondo and Green, asik is not gonna do much anyway

[Evantime34]

If we are using our best asset to select a player that probably won't contribute a ton this year then it doesn't really make sense for us to get close or go into the tax. That is unless, we draft Embiid but also make a deal to pick up an asset now to help convince Rondo to stay.

On one hand if they pick Embiid, I could see them moving Rondo to complete the rebuild. On another hand I could see them taking on more salary to convince Rondo to stay. For example if they could do Josh Smith for Jeff Green or Gerald Wallace and a pick in addition to drafting Embiid, I can see them using the TPE to pick up an asset now while still holding onto future assets.

[saltlover]

I guess that I am missing the point of bringing in Asik as a one year rental if Embiid won't be ready until late in the season at the earliest. If you are bringing in Embiid then there is no Love trade possible so you would be going young and probably moving Rondo for 7 or 8. Asik is 28 and clearly wants starter minutes and would never get them here long term. In addition, why would we bring in a one year veteran rental that would improve our record and devalue next years draft choice if next year is also a rebuild year as we await a healed Embiid and have added two more rookies besides him at 7 or 8 and 17. If we are lucky enough to get Embiid, we are really pointing towards the 2015-2016 season to be a serious playoff team.

Okay, I think part of what matters is what you're paying to get Asik.  If the price is nothing other than be willing to take on his salary for a year, as it's been rumored to be, the what's the reason to NOT take him?  Embiid isn't playing next year all that much.  Someone has to get starters minutes.  You want Rondo to stay, you don't tank.  If you don't want Rondo to stay, you're not competing in 2015-2016.

Rookies rarely make an impact on contending teams, especially when they're coming out of school as freshmen and sophomores.  They offer some depth, generally, but two rookies this year and two next year don't make this team a contender.  Players like Asik help.  Getting Sully to a power forward position full-time, to see what he's like there, helps.  Twiddling thumbs for a year because we drafted an injured player is pointless.  Frankly, if we're being honest or rational with our expectations, we shouldn't expect Embiid to be a very good NBA player in 2015-2016 either.  If we can get Asik at low-cost of assets, we should get him.  And we should consider re-signing him afterwards.  We can keep him until Embiid can pass him on the depth chart.  You want a winning team, you get the best players and play them.  You don't wait around for what might be.

[footey]

I'd be interested in going after Asik with the TPE anyway.

Embiid has this foot injury that will keep him out a long while. Probably miss training camp and first part of the season. Lack conditioning after that. So his first year is going to be less than ideal anyway. And to begin with, Embiid is pretty raw anyway. I don't think Embiid would be ready to start even if he was healthy. So I would be happy to bring him off the bench for the first year or two of his career.

Also, having a strong defensive big with strong defensive fundamentals who plays with physical toughness would be good to have alongside Embiid. Someone who can show Embiid by example how he needs to play (in those areas). It would also help bring Embiid along in a winning atmosphere / culture.

So yeah, I think Asik still makes a lot of sense for Boston even if they take Embiid.

But to the extent we trade for Asik with the hope of keeping him long term, it does not make much sense, since he has made it clear he wants to go where he will be a starting center.  He would basically be a very expensive one year rental, which does not make much sense to me unless we were also somehow still able to swing Love trade (sans the 6 pick), and compete next year.

[Surferdad]

I'd be interested in going after Asik with the TPE anyway.

Embiid has this foot injury that will keep him out a long while. Probably miss training camp and first part of the season. Lack conditioning after that. So his first year is going to be less than ideal anyway. And to begin with, Embiid is pretty raw anyway. I don't think Embiid would be ready to start even if he was healthy. So I would be happy to bring him off the bench for the first year or two of his career.

Also, having a strong defensive big with strong defensive fundamentals who plays with physical toughness would be good to have alongside Embiid. Someone who can show Embiid by example how he needs to play (in those areas). It would also help bring Embiid along in a winning atmosphere / culture.

So yeah, I think Asik still makes a lot of sense for Boston even if they take Embiid.

But to the extent we trade for Asik with the hope of keeping him long term, it does not make much sense, since he has made it clear he wants to go where he will be a starting center.  He would basically be a very expensive one year rental, which does not make much sense to me unless we were also somehow still able to swing Love trade (sans the 6 pick), and compete next year.

All this talk of Asik, but if we can draft Embiid I might try to resign Hump for 2 years instead.  Basically a placeholder so spend less while you're at it.  Then put the TPE to another use.

[MBunge]

If you are bringing in Embiid then there is no Love trade possible so you would be going young and probably moving Rondo for 7 or 8.

Rondo is NOT getting traded for the 7 or 8.  This idea has taken on a life of its own and it doesn't at all fit Ainge's MO.  If Ainge trades Rondo, he's NEVER getting Love.  Or Melo.  Or LaMarcus Aldridge.  Or Marc Gasol.  Or really any first-tier free agent.  If Ainge trades Rondo, he's locking himself and the franchise into a 3 to 5 year rebuilding plan with no way out.  Nothing in Ainge's history supports him doing that.  No draft pick this year, outside Wiggins, Parker or Embiid, is going to be as valuable an asset as Rondo...at least not for the next 2 to 3 years.

If all Ainge's plans fall through AND Rondo tells him he won't resign, Rondo will be moved at the trade deadline.  It's NOT going to happen now.

Mike