Could we be sellers at the deadline?

[Kuberski33]

And realistically, do we have anybody worth selling?

That is the key question. Apart from the Jays, the only players with any real trade value are Smart, TT, Theis (expiring contract) and maybe Time Lord - and in that order. 

With the rest of these guys, they'll have trade value when they start playing better and/or more consistently. 

So you decide who's part of the solution - and everyone else is available. But I'm thinking that Smart is going nowhere - especially given what has transpired over the past couple of weeks. For the rest I'd move them for any offer of equal value. 

We're stuck with Kemba - at least till he starts playing better.

[GreenCoffeeBean]

The problem with our ball stoppers is that they don’t get to the free throw line at nearly the same rate as Kobe or PP did. This might be part officiating/respect, but it’s also part craftiness and bad shot selection (throw up 3s instead of driving).

[Tr1boy]

As I've been saying for years, Boston should be doing everything possible to maximize the Jayson Tatum championship window.  If that means they sell, they should.  If that means they buy, they should.  If that means they do nothing, well maybe they shouldn't do that, but if that truly does, then they should.  This team needs to maximize Tatum.  They've needed to do it since basically the summer after his rookie year, and they just haven't done it.  Tatum is Boston's shot at a title.  Maximize his chances of leading the team to that goal.

You’re Tatum’s biggest fan — by far. Do you have any friends that are fans of other teams? You could use some perspective. Tatum is a nice piece but he isn’t LeBron. Tatum’s absolute ceiling is Kawhi or PG — a guy you still need considerable other all stars around to have a tiny shot at winning anything.

Earlier this week, Cowherd called him the 11th best player in the game.  ESPN at the start of the year had him at 9.  I live outside of Cleveland, and they would all basically trade their entire team for Tatum.  Tatum is a monster in the making and he is just 22 in year 4.

I don't know if Tatum is 9, 11 or even in the top 15, but to me, the important point is the one that I bolded. I always forget how young this guy is. Can't imagine what he's going to be like in his prime 5 years from now.

Mike

Yeah, that's why I think that trade proposal the other day was absolutely nuts.  You don't trade a guy like Tatum.  You try to find a guy like Tatum.

Do you also try to find a guy like Carmelo Anthony or Kyrie Irving??

I'm not saying Tatum will become either of these two.  But there are shades

He takes difficult shots when he doesn't have to at times.   He takes tough buzzer beaters instead of taking care of the possession better. 

I hope he learns and recognizes not to do this. But last night was another blunder going 4 for 20

Unnecessary turnovers/bad shots/momentum swings  ....   Lebron, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Leonard etc will make your team pay in the playoffs

[action781]

As I've been saying for years, Boston should be doing everything possible to maximize the Jayson Tatum championship window.  If that means they sell, they should.  If that means they buy, they should.  If that means they do nothing, well maybe they shouldn't do that, but if that truly does, then they should.  This team needs to maximize Tatum.  They've needed to do it since basically the summer after his rookie year, and they just haven't done it.  Tatum is Boston's shot at a title.  Maximize his chances of leading the team to that goal.

I agree with your general idea that we need to maximize the Tatum (I'd say Tatum & Brown) championship window.

But when is the optimal part of that window?  When they are in the primes of their careers, right?  It's pretty widely agreed upon that an NBA player's prime is between ages of 26-29.

So my thought is we need to ensure that we set ourselves up to maximize those seasons -- which begin around the 2022/23 season.  I think in order to maximize that window, we need to have a good supporting cast around Tatum & Brown.  Not necessarily superstars, but good role players.  I look at the continued development of our current young guys like Time Lord, Pritchard, Grant, Nesmith, and Romeo into solid NBA role players as the key support to maximize that window, along with retaining Smart, and landing other draft picks and MLE signings and trades at the time to fill the gaps.

This mentality is why I don't get too upset over losing streaks right now.  I think we're still in a development stage for this team, rather than a "title-or-bust" stage.  I think our best years are ahead of us and we can't make impulsive moves now that will set us up to be worse when our franchise players are in their primes.

Lebron and Durant will have aged quite a bit by that time too.  There will be new stars (Embiid, Jokic, Doncic) to contend with of course, but I don't foresee them becoming the all-time great players like Lebron and Durant will go down as.  This makes our championship probability even higher at that point, IMO.

[PhoSita]

What's there to sell?

Theis?

Even the young guys probably have limited value.


At best there may be a team or two that wants to dump some salary to save money.  You might be able to get a couple of second round picks using the TPE that way, but Ainge will probably want to save that for the summer.

[GreenEnvy]

I would love to get Thompson off the team. For anything. He serves little purpose (always thought it was a terrible signing, dumping Kanter to bring in the same skillset for twice the price, while hard capping us).

I’d rather Williams get a lot more burn. If this is a lost season, I rather Grant and Tacko get a few extra minutes too, to see if they deserve a roster spot next season.

[PhoSita]

I think they should try to get value, if possible, for Theis, Thompson, and Semi.  Probably talking about second round picks at best.

The rest of the season should be about resting the main guys and finding as much time as reasonably can be allocated to Pritchard, Rob, Nesmith, and Langford (when he's back).

I'd also love to see Kemba play limited minutes (20-25) that allow him to look as good as possible in fewer minutes and hopefully rebuild some of his potential trade value.  If he's a positive trade asset this off-season that would be huge.

[Humble G]

I am waiting to see how the team does once  Smart comes back. He isnt an allstar or superstar but I feel he has a huge impact for this team.



But a thought cross my mind about trading thompson to the Nets for Dinwiddie.
Would the nets do that? Looking to win this year, they need another big, and TT has report with Kyrie.....so maybe

Would Boston be interested in Dinwiddie? He says he is trying to comeback this year. Plus if we do ship out Kemba this year or offseason, Dinwiddie could be a nice starting PG???

[Birdman]

Getting Smart back and add a Barnes or someone else will definitely help us

[Kuberski33]

I think they should try to get value, if possible, for Theis, Thompson, and Semi.  Probably talking about second round picks at best.

If they cut Semi loose today he might get signed by someone that's looking to add a better wing defender - but I seriously doubt anyone parts with any asset to get him.  The chance that a project guy you pick in the 2nd round may develop is more enticing than a guy who's reached his peak and is not a regular rotation player on any good team.

[PhoSita]

I think they should try to get value, if possible, for Theis, Thompson, and Semi.  Probably talking about second round picks at best.

If they cut Semi loose today he might get signed by someone that's looking to add a better wing defender - but I seriously doubt anyone parts with any asset to get him.  The chance that a project guy you pick in the 2nd round may develop is more enticing than a guy who's reached his peak and is not a regular rotation player on any good team.

Yeah, this is part of the problem right now.  There's very little positive trade value to be found on the roster apart from the top guys.

[PhoSita]

The problem with our ball stoppers is that they don’t get to the free throw line at nearly the same rate as Kobe or PP did. This might be part officiating/respect, but it’s also part craftiness and bad shot selection (throw up 3s instead of driving).

This is a very astute point.  You can run a successful offense that is slow / patient and iso-heavy, but you need to get to the line a lot.

[Moranis]

The problem with our ball stoppers is that they don’t get to the free throw line at nearly the same rate as Kobe or PP did. This might be part officiating/respect, but it’s also part craftiness and bad shot selection (throw up 3s instead of driving).

This is a very astute point.  You can run a successful offense that is slow / patient and iso-heavy, but you need to get to the line a lot.

Brown and Tatum are a lot better shooters and more efficient.  Brown this year has a TS% of 59.2, do you know who never came close to a TS% that high, Kobe.  Pierce didn't hit that until he was playing with KG.  Kobe for his career had a 55 TS% while Pierce was better, but certainly not elite at 56.8%. Brown and Tatum are both right now right around Piece and they haven't come close to the prime efficiency.   Kobe and Pierce did generate more FT's Kobe 38.2 for FTr and Pierce at 44.1.  Brown and Tatum won't eclipse those numbers, but because they are quite simply much better shooters, they don't need to to be more effective and efficient scorers. 

[PAOBoston]

What exactly would they be selling?

[BoulderMike]

At $9.3 M next year, I don't think Tristan Thompson has any value.  HOWEVER, we could find someone to accept his contract, which would help Wyc's concern to stay under the luxury tax.  If we find someone that will take him, we should unload him, IMO. The only way we get rid of Kemba, IMO, is by attaching a 1st round pick.  I'd do that, but Danny won't.

And realistically, do we have anybody worth selling?

That is the key question. Apart from the Jays, the only players with any real trade value are Smart, TT, Theis (expiring contract) and maybe Time Lord - and in that order. 

With the rest of these guys, they'll have trade value when they start playing better and/or more consistently. 

So you decide who's part of the solution - and everyone else is available. But I'm thinking that Smart is going nowhere - especially given what has transpired over the past couple of weeks. For the rest I'd move them for any offer of equal value. 

We're stuck with Kemba - at least till he starts playing better.