Trading Kemba for a couple of high end role players would be an interesting idea if Collins was acquired.
Less need for Kemba's shot creation. More need for glue guys.
I'd rather have Collins than Kemba long term.
Who is trading for Kemba? Meaning -- which team? It's very difficult to find a sensible one where: a) he's a "fit", and b) you wouldn't have to send out picks with him, or take back a contract just as cumbersome in the process.
I have a strong disagreement with anyone who views Kemba as a bad contract. That is grossly premature to put him in that category. He was a starter in the All-Star Game last year. He has only just returned from a long term injury. People are writing him off far too early.
Need to be patient and let it play out. Then re-evaluate his trade stock. That may happen in time for this year's trade deadline or it may not. It may not be until the summer that we can re-balance this team (with a Kemba trade) post-trade for John Collins.
I'm not writing Kemba off.
He's a small, aging scoring PG with knee problems with a $37.6MM player option in 2022/23. He's NOT going to be an easy guy to find a trade for, no matter how well he plays rest of this year.
Doesn't mean he can't turn things around and be of significant value to the Cs. But if your plan to remove salary should the Cs acquire Collins is to trade Kemba, my challenge would be: to who? If you have no buyers, you're screwd. If you have one buyer, you're getting a lousy deal. If you have two: maybe you can get a couple interesting role guys in trade, as suggested.
Chris Paul turns 36 in May, makes $41 million this year, and has a $44 million player option for next season. He fetched a 1st round pick from Phoenix (top 12 protected in 2022, with protections declining to unprotected in 2025). OKC took back Rubio's salary ($17-18 million this year and next), some cheap prospects, and Kelly Oubre Jr., whom they promptly moved for a protected 1st and a 2nd. Kemba is 30 -- he'll have value to the correct team.
Cool when Kemba turns into Chris Paul.... call me, we'll do lunch.
When people thought Chris Paul was cooked after his hamstring injuries at Houston he was still a tradeable asset. Even after having a career-worst year
Wasn't he traded for Russell Westbrook? Essentially, a bad contract for a bad contract.
Westbrook had significantly higher value before he left OKC. He was really durable unlike now, and his last season at OKC was one of his best defensively, hence why Houston gave up picks to get him
Westbrook was routinely mentioned as one of the worst (or at least potentially worst) contracts in the nba that offseason. He had 4 years remaining on a super super max deal and his efficiency was dropping.
Westbrook was also coming off an All-NBA season, and the difference between his value and Chris Paul's was seen as two protected pick swaps in 2024 and 2025, and a protected 1st in 2026 (i.e. the very distant future). And while Westbrook's contract was considered concerning, it was virtually the same as Paul's.
The point I was making above is that Kemba is 30. He is unlikely to be washed up, and it is unlikely that most GMs see it that way. It may be true that he is struggling to find his fit right now, and it also may be true that his best fit is not in Boston. But his contract is not negative-value. And if it
is negative value, such that Ainge would be required to send away picks if all he received in return were expiring contracts that would sit at the end of the bench, there is zero chance Ainge would trade him this year, because it would be far more useful to see if Kemba can get back to where he was with the J's last season than pay to move on.
Topic: Shams Says John Collins Is Obtainable... (Read 17434 times)