What about Brad?

[Vermont Green]

Another aspect is the trading of picks.  Brad traded out of the #25 pick (and landed at #38) and traded #32 (drafting Shulga and Williams).

I have been super frustrated with his drafting. I also think he trades back so he doesn't get criticized for his picks!! The later you go in the NBA draft, the more of a total crap shoot!! Never trade the #25 pick for total crap like he did. Just no excuse for that, love Brad, but, bring in someone you have confidence in for the draft and just stay out of it!

To be fair, as noted above, the trade ended up being pick #25 for Walsh and 4 future seconds.  I can't say right now if BOS won or lost that trade but I think it is a bit harsh to declare the trade an abject failure on its face.  There is a point where enough second round picks is enough.  I think we currently own 3 in 2026, but many others have been traded away in past trades or have complicated protections.

[Goldstar88]

Another aspect is the trading of picks.  Brad traded out of the #25 pick (and landed at #38) and traded #32 (drafting Shulga and Williams).

I have been super frustrated with his drafting. I also think he trades back so he doesn't get criticized for his picks!! The later you go in the NBA draft, the more of a total crap shoot!! Never trade the #25 pick for total crap like he did. Just no excuse for that, love Brad, but, bring in someone you have confidence in for the draft and just stay out of it!

To be fair, as noted above, the trade ended up being pick #25 for Walsh and 4 future seconds.  I can't say right now if BOS won or lost that trade but I think it is a bit harsh to declare the trade an abject failure on its face.  There is a point where enough second round picks is enough.  I think we currently own 3 in 2026, but many others have been traded away in past trades or have complicated protections.

That was a bad trade, IMO. Sasser was selected #25, he?s a rotation player for Detroit. Then you have Sheppard at #26(rotation player for Indy).Sensabaugh at #28 (starter for Utah). Strawther was #29 (rotation player for Denver). Teams are finding solid players in the late first round.

[No Nickname]

Is drafting Brads Achilles heal as GM? This years draft looks like another swing and miss. Hugo has some potential,  but it seems like he should be stashed overseas or full time in Maine. The other guys just stink. Scheierman, last years 1st round pick looks like a bust.

The guy I wanted Reynaud, who the Kings got, hasn't played much this preseason.

The other one, Kalkbrenner, who the Hornets got, has been averaging about 10/8 over three preseason games.

Admittedly, they're preseason games, which are about as accurate a real world analysis as Summer League.  But it's still interesting the Kalkbrenner seems to be doing well for a pick in that range.

[Roy H.]

Another aspect is the trading of picks.  Brad traded out of the #25 pick (and landed at #38) and traded #32 (drafting Shulga and Williams).

I have been super frustrated with his drafting. I also think he trades back so he doesn't get criticized for his picks!! The later you go in the NBA draft, the more of a total crap shoot!! Never trade the #25 pick for total crap like he did. Just no excuse for that, love Brad, but, bring in someone you have confidence in for the draft and just stay out of it!

To be fair, as noted above, the trade ended up being pick #25 for Walsh and 4 future seconds.  I can't say right now if BOS won or lost that trade but I think it is a bit harsh to declare the trade an abject failure on its face.  There is a point where enough second round picks is enough.  I think we currently own 3 in 2026, but many others have been traded away in past trades or have complicated protections.

That might be true if we got value for the second rounders.  For instance, one of the picks from the Sasser trade turned into #32 this year.  If Brad hit on a player at that spot, then you could say that it was a good trade.  But when you trade that #32 for garbage picks, it undermines the value coming back.

[Moranis]

The Sasser trade was Sasser (25 in 2023) for Nnaji (31 in 2023), 2025 2nd (32 -  Noah Penda), and a 2026 2nd. The Celtics then turned around and traded Nnaji for Colby Jones (34 in 2023) and Mouhamed Gueye (39 in 2023).  They then traded Jones for Jordan Walsh (38 in 2023) and 2024 2nd (54 - Anton Watson) and Gueye for a 2027 2nd. They traded the Penda pick for Amari Williams (46 in 2025), Max Shulga (57 in 2025), a 2026 2nd, and a 2027 2nd.

So all said and done, Brad turned the 25th pick in 2023 into

Jordan Walsh
Amari Williams
Max Shulga
Anton Watson (waived already)
2026 2nd
2026 2nd
2027 2nd
2027 2nd

So still 4 unused 2nd rounders, though Sasser is clearly an upgrade on the players actually drafted to this point. 

[smicker16]

The Sasser trade was Sasser (25 in 2023) for Nnaji (31 in 2023), 2025 2nd (32 -  Noah Penda), and a 2026 2nd. The Celtics then turned around and traded Nnaji for Colby Jones (34 in 2023) and Mouhamed Gueye (39 in 2023).  They then traded Jones for Jordan Walsh (38 in 2023) and 2024 2nd (54 - Anton Watson) and Gueye for a 2027 2nd. They traded the Penda pick for Amari Williams (46 in 2025), Max Shulga (57 in 2025), a 2026 2nd, and a 2027 2nd.

So all said and done, Brad turned the 25th pick in 2023 into

Jordan Walsh
Amari Williams
Max Shulga
Anton Watson (waived already)
2026 2nd
2026 2nd
2027 2nd
2027 2nd

So still 4 unused 2nd rounders, though Sasser is clearly an upgrade on the players actually drafted to this point.

Yeah I think it?s tough to criticize him fully for his picks when his approach has been mainly to accumulate as many 2nds as possible.  That approach has not seemed to work but my guess is that was in order to be prepared to shed salary when we needed to or have some of those so we could include 2nds with some salary to get someone back that can contribute. That has not worked so far and overall the strategy has not worked but it feels like that has been his objective. Maybe that changes now that we have reset a bit now so will be interesting to see in future years what that looks like.

[wdleehi]

How much of that trade is about not getting locked into a 1st round pick salary when there was no playing slot?   


How many of these trades were about having more future trade pieces for the tinkering on the edges?   

[Roy H.]

How much of that trade is about not getting locked into a 1st round pick salary when there was no playing slot?   


How many of these trades were about having more future trade pieces for the tinkering on the edges?

The salary slot for the #25 pick was just over the vet minimum, so the cost savings were negligible.  And, Brad said he's been looking at the second apron penalties for years now, and knew he was going to have to blow up the team.  Why wouldn't he want to get cost-controlled talent on the team to develop?

I think we can all safely say, Sensabough + Filipowski (the Ainge picks) are a much better return than Walsh + Scheierman + Amari Williams + Max Shulga.

[Vermont Green]

How much of that trade is about not getting locked into a 1st round pick salary when there was no playing slot?   


How many of these trades were about having more future trade pieces for the tinkering on the edges?

The salary slot for the #25 pick was just over the vet minimum, so the cost savings were negligible.  And, Brad said he's been looking at the second apron penalties for years now, and knew he was going to have to blow up the team.  Why wouldn't he want to get cost-controlled talent on the team to develop?

I think we can all safely say, Sensabough + Filipowski (the Ainge picks) are a much better return than Walsh + Scheierman + Amari Williams + Max Shulga.

Yes, safe to say that Filipowski > Scheierman.  Clearly a very late first round miss by Stevens with a better choice was on the board.  This is a very clear and direct this for that.

As to Sensabough, he seems like a nice bench player, so far putting up some numbers on a bad team, but if you agree with the analysis by Moranis (I have not checked his math), it was Sensabough for Walsh, Watson, Williams, Shulga, and 4 future seconds.  Sure, Watson is gone, Walsh is tittering on being gone (but still only 21), I don't see much in Shulga, but I see Williams as a potentially decent bench big.  Plus we get 4 more seconds to try and get something useful or to help with future trades.  Grading this is not as straightforward.  Not a simple this for that.

[Roy H.]

How much of that trade is about not getting locked into a 1st round pick salary when there was no playing slot?   


How many of these trades were about having more future trade pieces for the tinkering on the edges?

The salary slot for the #25 pick was just over the vet minimum, so the cost savings were negligible.  And, Brad said he's been looking at the second apron penalties for years now, and knew he was going to have to blow up the team.  Why wouldn't he want to get cost-controlled talent on the team to develop?

I think we can all safely say, Sensabough + Filipowski (the Ainge picks) are a much better return than Walsh + Scheierman + Amari Williams + Max Shulga.

Yes, safe to say that Filipowski > Scheierman.  Clearly a very late first round miss by Stevens with a better choice was on the board.  This is a very clear and direct this for that.

As to Sensabough, he seems like a nice bench player, so far putting up some numbers on a bad team, but if you agree with the analysis by Moranis (I have not checked his math), it was Sensabough for Walsh, Watson, Williams, Shulga, and 4 future seconds.  Sure, Watson is gone, Walsh is tittering on being gone (but still only 21), I don't see much in Shulga, but I see Williams as a potentially decent bench big.  Plus we get 4 more seconds to try and get something useful or to help with future trades.  Grading this is not as straightforward.  Not a simple this for that.

Would you trade Walsh + Shulga + Williams + a few second rounders from playoff teams for Sensabough?  I sure would. 

I don't get the quantity over quality argument.  I'd rather have one solid player over six pieces of garbage.