2021 Draft

[W8ting2McHale]

We have so many needs:

Replacement Starting PG
Starting Power Forward
Decent back up Center, who can cover strong centers like Embiid, Jokic

I think Danny will package Smart  with our first round pick to fill one of those needs (hopefully a really good starting point guard)...

Any thoughts on who player would be?  Smart plus the 16th pick should get us someone young, but with potential.

Here's who I see as an even talent-swap.  Not saying their teams would agree...

Dejounte Murray
John Collins
De'aron Fox (if we also included someone like Romeo, Nesmith, or Pritchard)
Domontis Sabonis

Lonzo Ball, in a sign and trade.

I am warming up to the idea of Lonzo in green. He would give us length and passing at the point, while playing above average defense. Something we really haven’t had since Rondo was here. Smart can play defense and run an offense, but I want someone that can run an offense and play defense. There is a difference.

[Vermont Green]

We have so many needs:

Replacement Starting PG
Starting Power Forward
Decent back up Center, who can cover strong centers like Embiid, Jokic

I think Danny will package Smart  with our first round pick to fill one of those needs (hopefully a really good starting point guard)...

Any thoughts on who player would be?  Smart plus the 16th pick should get us someone young, but with potential.

Here's who I see as an even talent-swap.  Not saying their teams would agree...

Dejounte Murray
John Collins
De'aron Fox (if we also included someone like Romeo, Nesmith, or Pritchard)
Domontis Sabonis

Lonzo Ball, in a sign and trade.

I am warming up to the idea of Lonzo in green. He would give us length and passing at the point, while playing above average defense. Something we really haven’t had since Rondo was here. Smart can play defense and run an offense, but I want someone that can run an offense and play defense. There is a difference.

I am not entirely clear on the sign and trade rules but many have pointed out that you cannot accept a sign and trade player if you are over the Tax Apron unless the player you send out gets you under the apron.  And if you do that, you still become hard capped.  The internet seems to support this:

The team receiving the player cannot have a payroll that exceeds the so-called "apron"—a designated level above the NBA luxury tax threshold—after the trade. A team with a payroll above the apron can only receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the transaction drops that team's payroll below the apron. Once the transaction is complete, the team receiving the player is hard capped at the apron for the entire season.

This means we cannot sign and trade for Ball, John Collins, Markkanen, etc. unless we trade away enough salary to get under the apron and stay under the apron.  This probably means trading Walker with taking back very little salary to get under the apron at the end of the sign and trade deal and also not signing Fournier so we stay under the apron.

The Bulls in theory could sign and trade Markkanen to the Celtics for say $15M and we could send back Kemba Walker ($36M).  They have cap space to do this and it would get us about around $15M or $20M under the tax, maybe enough to sign Fournier.  In theory, Chicago could do this but I don't see why they would and I can't think of any other teams that would be in a position to a similar S&T.  And even if Chicago did this, we would be hard capped and may not even be able to fill up our roster.

It took me a while to get this but it is very unlikely that we are able to take on anyone in a sign and trade.

[nickagneta]

We have so many needs:

Replacement Starting PG
Starting Power Forward
Decent back up Center, who can cover strong centers like Embiid, Jokic

I think Danny will package Smart  with our first round pick to fill one of those needs (hopefully a really good starting point guard)...

Any thoughts on who player would be?  Smart plus the 16th pick should get us someone young, but with potential.

Here's who I see as an even talent-swap.  Not saying their teams would agree...

Dejounte Murray
John Collins
De'aron Fox (if we also included someone like Romeo, Nesmith, or Pritchard)
Domontis Sabonis

Lonzo Ball, in a sign and trade.

I am warming up to the idea of Lonzo in green. He would give us length and passing at the point, while playing above average defense. Something we really haven’t had since Rondo was here. Smart can play defense and run an offense, but I want someone that can run an offense and play defense. There is a difference.

I am not entirely clear on the sign and trade rules but many have pointed out that you cannot accept a sign and trade player if you are over the Tax Apron unless the player you send out gets you under the apron.  And if you do that, you still become hard capped.  The internet seems to support this:

The team receiving the player cannot have a payroll that exceeds the so-called "apron"—a designated level above the NBA luxury tax threshold—after the trade. A team with a payroll above the apron can only receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the transaction drops that team's payroll below the apron. Once the transaction is complete, the team receiving the player is hard capped at the apron for the entire season.

This means we cannot sign and trade for Ball, John Collins, Markkanen, etc. unless we trade away enough salary to get under the apron and stay under the apron.  This probably means trading Walker with taking back very little salary to get under the apron at the end of the sign and trade deal and also not signing Fournier so we stay under the apron.

The Bulls in theory could sign and trade Markkanen to the Celtics for say $15M and we could send back Kemba Walker ($36M).  They have cap space to do this and it would get us about around $15M or $20M under the tax, maybe enough to sign Fournier.  In theory, Chicago could do this but I don't see why they would and I can't think of any other teams that would be in a position to a similar S&T.  And even if Chicago did this, we would be hard capped and may not even be able to fill up our roster.

It took me a while to get this but it is very unlikely that we are able to take on anyone in a sign and trade.

In the offseason cap holds count towards salary. So to get a Ball for Smart sign and trade done you probably have to salary dump Kemba and Thompson and renounce the rights to at least Fournier and maybe Kornet and Semi, too

So getting Ball, if he even would want to come here because, as we learned with Hayward, the player says who he will and will not be traded to, would cost:

Kemba
Thompson
Smart
Fournier

And maybe Semi and Kornet.

Seems like an awful lot to give up for Lonzo Ball. Especially given that Kemba, Smart and Fournier are all better all around basketball players.

[CFAN38]

In looking for indicators to help predicting prospect success I came up with the following hypothesis to test.       
      
"Non bigs with at least average positional size and ESPN recruiting rankings above a 94 are the safest group to draft from"       
      
Looking at prospects from 2014-2018 high school classes (number is their ESPN grade)       
      
2014   T Jones   97
2014   E Mudiay   97
2014   S Johnson   97
2014   J Jackson   97
2014   T Pinson   96
2014   K Oubre   96
2014   D Russell   96
2014   I Whitehead   95
2014   J Winslow   95
2014   J Berry   94
2015   B Simmons   97
2015   B Ingram   96
2015   J Brown   96
2016   J Jackson   97
2016   J Tatum   97
2016   L Ball   96
2016   D Fox   96
2016   M Fultz   96
2016   M Monk   96
2016   F Jackson   96
2016   T Ferguson   94
2016   J Isaac   94
2017   M Porter   97
2017   T Duval   96
2017   C Sexton   95
2017   G Trent   95
2017   K Knox   95
2018   R Barret   96
2018   C Reddish   95
2018   R Langford   95
2018   N Little   95
2018   K Johnson   94
2018   Q Grimes   94 (still in NCAA)
2018   A Simmons   94
      
Obviously there are a range of outcomes and many of these prospects have yet to reach their ceilings but of the 33 listed (Grimes isnt in NBA yet) I would only count 5 (Duval, Berry, Pinson, Whitehead, and Jackson) as non NBA players. Others like Langford, Little, Knox, and Ferguson I am not counting as busts because they have shown glimpses of NBA potential. Of those 33 players I count 12 (Russell, Simmons, Ingram, Brown, Tatum, Ball, Fox, Fultz, Isaac, Porter, Sexton, and Barrett) as having either already made an allstar game or they have the clear potential to make an allstar team or be a high level starter.       
      
      
Looking at the current NBA draft class with the #16 pick the Cs are projected in most mocks to have a few players available who fit this criteria.


J Johnson, ESPN 94 some mocks have him sliding but I would be shocked to see him outiside the top 10.

J Springer, ESPN 94 he is quickly becoming my favorite possible pick for the Cs. He is the youngest American in the draft, has great positional size and while not super explosive he is an elite lateral athlete. Waiting for his development is not idea but a Jrue Holiday like ceiling is not out of the range of possibilities for Springer. 

Z Williams, ESPN 95 after a lot of hype he showed flashes at Stanford but in general he disappointed. His shooting % and lack of strength worry me. The lack of strength makes him an unlikely Celtics pick but I would still be fine with the gamble at #16.

BJ Boston, ESPN 96 my feelings on Williams are the same for Boston. He disappointed on college but given the year we just had with Covid I would still make the gamble at #16 or be willing to trade back into the 20s to try to land him.

J Christopher ESPN 95 he had an inconsistent season and was limited to 15 games but showed glimpses of being an NBA scorer. Watching his game vs Villinova it isn't a stretch to imagine his ceiling be a 20ppg NBA player. 

* G Brown ESPN 95 he is a tougher one to predict in that he may be more of a PF then a wing in the NBA and will need to add strength to make that work. Of the 6 prospects I have listed I would gibe Brown both the highest ceiling and the lowest floor. 6'9 super athletes who can shoot the 3 are so valuable in the NBA that he is worth the gamble but I can see his development taking a while and the team will have to be patient.
       

[Ed Monix]

I believe he’s pushed himself past our pick on the mock draft boards but I’d love us to get Josh Giddey. He is almost exactly what we need, someone who can create and get everyone involved.

His 6’8 frame and high bbiq can easily compensate for his very average athleticism and playing him in a role similar to SGA as a two guard perhaps next to Smart can help him against smaller athletic guards.

Chad Ford: https://youtu.be/ktYSpjDlvzw

[Rikibellevie]

We have so many needs:

Replacement Starting PG
Starting Power Forward
Decent back up Center, who can cover strong centers like Embiid, Jokic

I think Danny will package Smart  with our first round pick to fill one of those needs (hopefully a really good starting point guard)...

Any thoughts on who player would be?  Smart plus the 16th pick should get us someone young, but with potential.

Here's who I see as an even talent-swap.  Not saying their teams would agree...

Dejounte Murray
John Collins
De'aron Fox (if we also included someone like Romeo, Nesmith, or Pritchard)
Domontis Sabonis

Lonzo Ball, in a sign and trade.

I am warming up to the idea of Lonzo in green. He would give us length and passing at the point, while playing above average defense. Something we really haven’t had since Rondo was here. Smart can play defense and run an offense, but I want someone that can run an offense and play defense. There is a difference.

I am not entirely clear on the sign and trade rules but many have pointed out that you cannot accept a sign and trade player if you are over the Tax Apron unless the player you send out gets you under the apron.  And if you do that, you still become hard capped.  The internet seems to support this:

The team receiving the player cannot have a payroll that exceeds the so-called "apron"—a designated level above the NBA luxury tax threshold—after the trade. A team with a payroll above the apron can only receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the transaction drops that team's payroll below the apron. Once the transaction is complete, the team receiving the player is hard capped at the apron for the entire season.

This means we cannot sign and trade for Ball, John Collins, Markkanen, etc. unless we trade away enough salary to get under the apron and stay under the apron.  This probably means trading Walker with taking back very little salary to get under the apron at the end of the sign and trade deal and also not signing Fournier so we stay under the apron.

The Bulls in theory could sign and trade Markkanen to the Celtics for say $15M and we could send back Kemba Walker ($36M).  They have cap space to do this and it would get us about around $15M or $20M under the tax, maybe enough to sign Fournier.  In theory, Chicago could do this but I don't see why they would and I can't think of any other teams that would be in a position to a similar S&T.  And even if Chicago did this, we would be hard capped and may not even be able to fill up our roster.

It took me a while to get this but it is very unlikely that we are able to take on anyone in a sign and trade.

In the offseason cap holds count towards salary. So to get a Ball for Smart sign and trade done you probably have to salary dump Kemba and Thompson and renounce the rights to at least Fournier and maybe Kornet and Semi, too

So getting Ball, if he even would want to come here because, as we learned with Hayward, the player says who he will and will not be traded to, would cost:

Kemba
Thompson
Smart
Fournier

And maybe Semi and Kornet.

Seems like an awful lot to give up for Lonzo Ball. Especially given that Kemba, Smart and Fournier are all better all around basketball players.

I don't understand that point... If we can find a team (SA) to take Kemba's contract for a cheap contract + pick(s) and find another team to take TT expiring, we would have again plenty of cap space + full MLE and be able to extend Fourneir (or create TPE) after ...
So signing one of this player + extending Fournier (or TPE) + Full MLE + the remains of the last TPE... Can give us the possibility of a biggest shake up (of course if we find teams) I guess...

[CFAN38]

I believe he’s pushed himself past our pick on the mock draft boards but I’d love us to get Josh Giddey. He is almost exactly what we need, someone who can create and get everyone involved.

His 6’8 frame and high bbiq can easily compensate for his very average athleticism and playing him in a role similar to SGA as a two guard perhaps next to Smart can help him against smaller athletic guards.

Chad Ford: https://youtu.be/ktYSpjDlvzw

I agree,  I like Giddey but cant see him making it to #16. Ball and to a lesser extent Hampton have probably made teams much more confident in Giddey's transition for Austalia to the NBA. I cant see him getting past GS with their 2nd lottery pick and depending on how the lottery shakes out I guess he goes 8-12.

[nickagneta]

We have so many needs:

Replacement Starting PG
Starting Power Forward
Decent back up Center, who can cover strong centers like Embiid, Jokic

I think Danny will package Smart  with our first round pick to fill one of those needs (hopefully a really good starting point guard)...

Any thoughts on who player would be?  Smart plus the 16th pick should get us someone young, but with potential.

Here's who I see as an even talent-swap.  Not saying their teams would agree...

Dejounte Murray
John Collins
De'aron Fox (if we also included someone like Romeo, Nesmith, or Pritchard)
Domontis Sabonis

Lonzo Ball, in a sign and trade.

I am warming up to the idea of Lonzo in green. He would give us length and passing at the point, while playing above average defense. Something we really haven’t had since Rondo was here. Smart can play defense and run an offense, but I want someone that can run an offense and play defense. There is a difference.

I am not entirely clear on the sign and trade rules but many have pointed out that you cannot accept a sign and trade player if you are over the Tax Apron unless the player you send out gets you under the apron.  And if you do that, you still become hard capped.  The internet seems to support this:

The team receiving the player cannot have a payroll that exceeds the so-called "apron"—a designated level above the NBA luxury tax threshold—after the trade. A team with a payroll above the apron can only receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the transaction drops that team's payroll below the apron. Once the transaction is complete, the team receiving the player is hard capped at the apron for the entire season.

This means we cannot sign and trade for Ball, John Collins, Markkanen, etc. unless we trade away enough salary to get under the apron and stay under the apron.  This probably means trading Walker with taking back very little salary to get under the apron at the end of the sign and trade deal and also not signing Fournier so we stay under the apron.

The Bulls in theory could sign and trade Markkanen to the Celtics for say $15M and we could send back Kemba Walker ($36M).  They have cap space to do this and it would get us about around $15M or $20M under the tax, maybe enough to sign Fournier.  In theory, Chicago could do this but I don't see why they would and I can't think of any other teams that would be in a position to a similar S&T.  And even if Chicago did this, we would be hard capped and may not even be able to fill up our roster.

It took me a while to get this but it is very unlikely that we are able to take on anyone in a sign and trade.

In the offseason cap holds count towards salary. So to get a Ball for Smart sign and trade done you probably have to salary dump Kemba and Thompson and renounce the rights to at least Fournier and maybe Kornet and Semi, too

So getting Ball, if he even would want to come here because, as we learned with Hayward, the player says who he will and will not be traded to, would cost:

Kemba
Thompson
Smart
Fournier

And maybe Semi and Kornet.

Seems like an awful lot to give up for Lonzo Ball. Especially given that Kemba, Smart and Fournier are all better all around basketball players.

I don't understand that point... If we can find a team (SA) to take Kemba's contract for a cheap contract + pick(s) and find another team to take TT expiring, we would have again plenty of cap space + full MLE and be able to extend Fourneir (or create TPE) after ...
So signing one of this player + extending Fournier (or TPE) + Full MLE + the remains of the last TPE... Can give us the possibility of a biggest shake up (of course if we find teams) I guess...

Here are the Celtics salaries for next year:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/BOS.html

In 2021-2022 here are the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds: $112 million and $136.6 million. The apron a team would be hardcapped at is about $6 million over the luxury tax.


They have $134 million in contracts and dead money for 12 players. The Celtics also have the following cap holds that count as salary until renounced or until a player signs with a team:

$11 TPE from Hayward S&T
$26.1 million for Fournier
$2.9 for Kornet
$16 million for Semi
$1.5 million for Tacko
$1.5 million for Waters
$2.7 million for their 1st round pick.

So let's say you want to sign a player for around $25 million. Your salary plus cap holds would need to get below $87 million. So you need to salary dump Kemba, probably with your 1st round pick. Then salary dump Thompson, probably for a couple 2nd rounders. Then cut Parker, saving $2.1 million.

That cuts $47.9 in salary, gets rid of your 1st round cap hold and gets you to $86.1 in salary, around $26 million under the cap with only 

But you still have your cap holds. To use all that $26 you need to renounce all the cap holds meaning you lose the $11 million TPE and can not use your rights to bring back Fournier, Kornet, Semi, Waters or Tacko. You could only re-sign the using cap space or the room extension at $4.9 million

And even after renouncing all those players and holds and trading away Kemba, Thompson, your 1st rounder and 2 second rounders and cutting Jabari you only have $26.1 million in cap  and the room extension to make the team better. But now you have only 9 players under contract and until you get enough players back on the team you now have 3 $1 million empty roster slot holds which now reduces your cap space to $23.1 million.

So that player you sign for the cap space and whoever you get in that room exception better be dang good because in doing things this way you lose:

Kemba
Thompson
Parker
Fournier
Kornet
Semi
Tacko
Waters
Your 1st round pick
2 2nd round picks
The $11 million Hayward TPE
The taxpayers MLE

All for who? Who is so good that it's worth giving all that up for? Because I've looked at the free agent list and don't see anyone the team could realistically sign that would be worth losing all those assets

[Tr1boy]

delete

[Rikibellevie]

We have so many needs:

Replacement Starting PG
Starting Power Forward
Decent back up Center, who can cover strong centers like Embiid, Jokic

I think Danny will package Smart  with our first round pick to fill one of those needs (hopefully a really good starting point guard)...

Any thoughts on who player would be?  Smart plus the 16th pick should get us someone young, but with potential.

Here's who I see as an even talent-swap.  Not saying their teams would agree...

Dejounte Murray
John Collins
De'aron Fox (if we also included someone like Romeo, Nesmith, or Pritchard)
Domontis Sabonis

Lonzo Ball, in a sign and trade.

I am warming up to the idea of Lonzo in green. He would give us length and passing at the point, while playing above average defense. Something we really haven’t had since Rondo was here. Smart can play defense and run an offense, but I want someone that can run an offense and play defense. There is a difference.

I am not entirely clear on the sign and trade rules but many have pointed out that you cannot accept a sign and trade player if you are over the Tax Apron unless the player you send out gets you under the apron.  And if you do that, you still become hard capped.  The internet seems to support this:

The team receiving the player cannot have a payroll that exceeds the so-called "apron"—a designated level above the NBA luxury tax threshold—after the trade. A team with a payroll above the apron can only receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the transaction drops that team's payroll below the apron. Once the transaction is complete, the team receiving the player is hard capped at the apron for the entire season.

This means we cannot sign and trade for Ball, John Collins, Markkanen, etc. unless we trade away enough salary to get under the apron and stay under the apron.  This probably means trading Walker with taking back very little salary to get under the apron at the end of the sign and trade deal and also not signing Fournier so we stay under the apron.

The Bulls in theory could sign and trade Markkanen to the Celtics for say $15M and we could send back Kemba Walker ($36M).  They have cap space to do this and it would get us about around $15M or $20M under the tax, maybe enough to sign Fournier.  In theory, Chicago could do this but I don't see why they would and I can't think of any other teams that would be in a position to a similar S&T.  And even if Chicago did this, we would be hard capped and may not even be able to fill up our roster.

It took me a while to get this but it is very unlikely that we are able to take on anyone in a sign and trade.

In the offseason cap holds count towards salary. So to get a Ball for Smart sign and trade done you probably have to salary dump Kemba and Thompson and renounce the rights to at least Fournier and maybe Kornet and Semi, too

So getting Ball, if he even would want to come here because, as we learned with Hayward, the player says who he will and will not be traded to, would cost:

Kemba
Thompson
Smart
Fournier

And maybe Semi and Kornet.

Seems like an awful lot to give up for Lonzo Ball. Especially given that Kemba, Smart and Fournier are all better all around basketball players.

I don't understand that point... If we can find a team (SA) to take Kemba's contract for a cheap contract + pick(s) and find another team to take TT expiring, we would have again plenty of cap space + full MLE and be able to extend Fourneir (or create TPE) after ...
So signing one of this player + extending Fournier (or TPE) + Full MLE + the remains of the last TPE... Can give us the possibility of a biggest shake up (of course if we find teams) I guess...

Here are the Celtics salaries for next year:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/BOS.html

In 2021-2022 here are the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds: $112 million and $136.6 million. The apron a team would be hardcapped at is about $6 million over the luxury tax.


They have $134 million in contracts and dead money for 12 players. The Celtics also have the following cap holds that count as salary until renounced or until a player signs with a team:

$11 TPE from Hayward S&T
$26.1 million for Fournier
$2.9 for Kornet
$16 million for Semi
$1.5 million for Tacko
$1.5 million for Waters
$2.7 million for their 1st round pick.

So let's say you want to sign a player for around $25 million. Your salary plus cap holds would need to get below $87 million. So you need to salary dump Kemba, probably with your 1st round pick. Then salary dump Thompson, probably for a couple 2nd rounders. Then cut Parker, saving $2.1 million.

That cuts $47.9 in salary, gets rid of your 1st round cap hold and gets you to $86.1 in salary, around $26 million under the cap with only 

But you still have your cap holds. To use all that $26 you need to renounce all the cap holds meaning you lose the $11 million TPE and can not use your rights to bring back Fournier, Kornet, Semi, Waters or Tacko. You could only re-sign the using cap space or the room extension at $4.9 million

And even after renouncing all those players and holds and trading away Kemba, Thompson, your 1st rounder and 2 second rounders and cutting Jabari you only have $26.1 million in cap  and the room extension to make the team better. But now you have only 9 players under contract and until you get enough players back on the team you now have 3 $1 million empty roster slot holds which now reduces your cap space to $23.1 million.

So that player you sign for the cap space and whoever you get in that room exception better be dang good because in doing things this way you lose:

Kemba
Thompson
Parker
Fournier
Kornet
Semi
Tacko
Waters
Your 1st round pick
2 2nd round picks
The $11 million Hayward TPE
The taxpayers MLE

All for who? Who is so good that it's worth giving all that up for? Because I've looked at the free agent list and don't see anyone the team could realistically sign that would be worth losing all those assets

Gosh I didn't understand we should loose Fournier Birds Right, the rest of Hayward TPE and MLE,just to create some cap space; I thought Bird rights were automatic, TPE was timelined but an aquisition and MLE was just variable with your tax situation but also automatic... It is a heavy system that I never totally understood. If we ain't loose TPE, MLE and Evan BR, I would be 100% for that idea, but not loosing all financial marge and so much players... See if Ainge can mix something; I guess Philly was also in a quiet hard situation but found a way to make quiet moderate mooves that made big differences.
So you are right and we arn't in such a good place to make mooves... I prefered 5 mn ago when I ignored that.

[Somebody]

I'd be looking to trade our 1st and use the remainder of our TPE for Larry Nance Jr.

[perks-a-beast]

I'd be looking to trade our 1st and use the remainder of our TPE for Larry Nance Jr.

I like the idea of combing the remaining TPE and our 1st rounder for an established veteran, but there has to be someone better than Larry Nance out there, right?

[CFAN38]

I'd be looking to trade our 1st and use the remainder of our TPE for Larry Nance Jr.

I like the idea of combing the remaining TPE and our 1st rounder for an established veteran, but there has to be someone better than Larry Nance out there, right?

Nance would fill a major need for this team, they really need a 4/small ball 5 who can play high level minutes and be one of their top 5 guys. No idea how this could work cap wise but I would view an off season then netted Nance in place of Walker as a positive. I would be content with a Smart, Brown, Tatum, Nance, and R Williams starting lineup with Fournier as a high minute 6th man. I like the idea of finishing with Smart, Fournier, Brown, Tatum and Nance.

[Celtics4ever]

His 6’8 frame and high bbiq can easily compensate for his very average athleticism and playing him in a role similar to SGA as a two guard perhaps next to Smart can help him against smaller athletic guards.

That was true of Larry but not many other Celtics.  Usually non athletic guys struggle.

[footey]

We have so many needs:

Replacement Starting PG
Starting Power Forward
Decent back up Center, who can cover strong centers like Embiid, Jokic

I think Danny will package Smart  with our first round pick to fill one of those needs (hopefully a really good starting point guard)...

Any thoughts on who player would be?  Smart plus the 16th pick should get us someone young, but with potential.

Here's who I see as an even talent-swap.  Not saying their teams would agree...

Dejounte Murray
John Collins
De'aron Fox (if we also included someone like Romeo, Nesmith, or Pritchard)
Domontis Sabonis

Lonzo Ball, in a sign and trade.

I am warming up to the idea of Lonzo in green. He would give us length and passing at the point, while playing above average defense. Something we really haven’t had since Rondo was here. Smart can play defense and run an offense, but I want someone that can run an offense and play defense. There is a difference.

I am not entirely clear on the sign and trade rules but many have pointed out that you cannot accept a sign and trade player if you are over the Tax Apron unless the player you send out gets you under the apron.  And if you do that, you still become hard capped.  The internet seems to support this:

The team receiving the player cannot have a payroll that exceeds the so-called "apron"—a designated level above the NBA luxury tax threshold—after the trade. A team with a payroll above the apron can only receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the transaction drops that team's payroll below the apron. Once the transaction is complete, the team receiving the player is hard capped at the apron for the entire season.

This means we cannot sign and trade for Ball, John Collins, Markkanen, etc. unless we trade away enough salary to get under the apron and stay under the apron.  This probably means trading Walker with taking back very little salary to get under the apron at the end of the sign and trade deal and also not signing Fournier so we stay under the apron.

The Bulls in theory could sign and trade Markkanen to the Celtics for say $15M and we could send back Kemba Walker ($36M).  They have cap space to do this and it would get us about around $15M or $20M under the tax, maybe enough to sign Fournier.  In theory, Chicago could do this but I don't see why they would and I can't think of any other teams that would be in a position to a similar S&T.  And even if Chicago did this, we would be hard capped and may not even be able to fill up our roster.

It took me a while to get this but it is very unlikely that we are able to take on anyone in a sign and trade.

In the offseason cap holds count towards salary. So to get a Ball for Smart sign and trade done you probably have to salary dump Kemba and Thompson and renounce the rights to at least Fournier and maybe Kornet and Semi, too

So getting Ball, if he even would want to come here because, as we learned with Hayward, the player says who he will and will not be traded to, would cost:

Kemba
Thompson
Smart
Fournier

And maybe Semi and Kornet.

Seems like an awful lot to give up for Lonzo Ball. Especially given that Kemba, Smart and Fournier are all better all around basketball players.

I don't understand that point... If we can find a team (SA) to take Kemba's contract for a cheap contract + pick(s) and find another team to take TT expiring, we would have again plenty of cap space + full MLE and be able to extend Fourneir (or create TPE) after ...
So signing one of this player + extending Fournier (or TPE) + Full MLE + the remains of the last TPE... Can give us the possibility of a biggest shake up (of course if we find teams) I guess...

Here are the Celtics salaries for next year:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/BOS.html

In 2021-2022 here are the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds: $112 million and $136.6 million. The apron a team would be hardcapped at is about $6 million over the luxury tax.


They have $134 million in contracts and dead money for 12 players. The Celtics also have the following cap holds that count as salary until renounced or until a player signs with a team:

$11 TPE from Hayward S&T
$26.1 million for Fournier
$2.9 for Kornet
$16 million for Semi
$1.5 million for Tacko
$1.5 million for Waters
$2.7 million for their 1st round pick.

So let's say you want to sign a player for around $25 million. Your salary plus cap holds would need to get below $87 million. So you need to salary dump Kemba, probably with your 1st round pick. Then salary dump Thompson, probably for a couple 2nd rounders. Then cut Parker, saving $2.1 million.

That cuts $47.9 in salary, gets rid of your 1st round cap hold and gets you to $86.1 in salary, around $26 million under the cap with only 

But you still have your cap holds. To use all that $26 you need to renounce all the cap holds meaning you lose the $11 million TPE and can not use your rights to bring back Fournier, Kornet, Semi, Waters or Tacko. You could only re-sign the using cap space or the room extension at $4.9 million

And even after renouncing all those players and holds and trading away Kemba, Thompson, your 1st rounder and 2 second rounders and cutting Jabari you only have $26.1 million in cap  and the room extension to make the team better. But now you have only 9 players under contract and until you get enough players back on the team you now have 3 $1 million empty roster slot holds which now reduces your cap space to $23.1 million.

So that player you sign for the cap space and whoever you get in that room exception better be dang good because in doing things this way you lose:

Kemba
Thompson
Parker
Fournier
Kornet
Semi
Tacko
Waters
Your 1st round pick
2 2nd round picks
The $11 million Hayward TPE
The taxpayers MLE

All for who? Who is so good that it's worth giving all that up for? Because I've looked at the free agent list and don't see anyone the team could realistically sign that would be worth losing all those assets

Hold on. If I trade Smart ($13.8 mm) TT ($9.7 mm) and first round pick for sign and trade with NO for Lonzo Ball at $23 mm per over 4 years, why would I need to trade Kemba, etc.??  Assuming we are willing to pay luxury tax.  Salaries match in trade.