Jrue the odd man out?

[jambr380]

I don?t think anybody is expecting a full salary absorption for Jrue. The idea would be to acquire multiple players making around $26M and hopefully picks. Then using the picks we acquire to offload the contracts we get back. Maybe keep a player if he is cheap and rotation worthy.

You provide good examples of possibilities we might see. I could see Orlando also being interested, but it might be harder to offload KCP.

My point is basically that Jrue is good and other teams will desire him. There are ways to move off that huge contract while also benefiting us in the process.

[SparzWizard]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

Klay clearly hates Boston, he don't wanna come here.

[Vermont Green]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

Klay clearly hates Boston, he don't wanna come here.

I am not sure how much that matters and I don't really like Klay either, so send him to a 3rd team and have someone who wants a chance at a title come to Boston.

[Goldstar88]

Two teams that I think should be interested in Jrue are the Spurs and Rockets. Both have some nice pieces that the Celtics could use as well, such as Keldon Johnson and Jabari Smith Jr.

Rockets: Holiday, Green, Brooks, Thompson, Senguin

Spurs: Holiday, Vessell, Castle, Barnes, Wembanyama

Would be a significant upgrade for both teams.

[Roy H.]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

Klay clearly hates Boston, he don't wanna come here.

The bigger issue is that it leaves us in the same cap situation.  In that scenario we'd be better off kicking the can down the road.

[Kernewek]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

One possible hurdle: I don't think Dallas has any intention of putting together a competitive basketball team next season.

[keevsnick]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

Klay clearly hates Boston, he don't wanna come here.

The bigger issue is that it leaves us in the same cap situation.  In that scenario we'd be better off kicking the can down the road.

The Celtics would be in the same cap situation next year with this deal, but it would free up a lot of money going forward becasue those two are only under contract for 1 and 2 more years. Not sue I'd do this deal, but its not a crazy thought. Breaking up Jrue's large contract into smaller contracts has some upsides.

[Goldstar88]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

One possible hurdle: I don't think Dallas has any intention of putting together a competitive basketball team next season.

What do you mean!? Nico and Mav?s ownership already informed the fanbase that trading Luka for AD is putting the team in a better position to compete for championships. Why do you think they increased the season ticket prices for next year! 

[Roy H.]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

Klay clearly hates Boston, he don't wanna come here.

The bigger issue is that it leaves us in the same cap situation.  In that scenario we'd be better off kicking the can down the road.

The Celtics would be in the same cap situation next year with this deal, but it would free up a lot of money going forward becasue those two are only under contract for 1 and 2 more years. Not sue I'd do this deal, but its not a crazy thought. Breaking up Jrue's large contract into smaller contracts has some upsides.

I don't see breaking.  Breaking up the team for no cap savings seems foolish, particularly when we'll be below the second apron the following season.

[Vermont Green]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

Klay clearly hates Boston, he don't wanna come here.

The bigger issue is that it leaves us in the same cap situation.  In that scenario we'd be better off kicking the can down the road.

The Celtics would be in the same cap situation next year with this deal, but it would free up a lot of money going forward because those two are only under contract for 1 and 2 more years. Not sue I'd do this deal, but its not a crazy thought. Breaking up Jrue's large contract into smaller contracts has some upsides.

Exactly, for 2025-26, we go from Jrue at $32.4 to Thompson and Gafford at $31.1M, a little savings, but we are still going to be over the 2nd apron.  But in 2026-27, Gafford expires so we go from Jrue at $34.8M to Thompson at $16.7M, saving about $18.1M over what is projected now.  I think that is going to be the goal, to get under in 2026-27, and stay under moving forward.

It works the same with my imagined WAS deal but the savings are even more.  Some, not much, savings in 2025-26, but then Smart and his $21.6M expire, leaving BOS with only Bey at $6.4M in 2026-27.  That saves about $28.4M over projected.   I see it as pretty well established that BOS is not going to get under the 2nd apron for 2025-26.  The idea behind these imagined moves is to set up for 2026-27 and beyond.

[Roy H.]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

Klay clearly hates Boston, he don't wanna come here.

The bigger issue is that it leaves us in the same cap situation.  In that scenario we'd be better off kicking the can down the road.

The Celtics would be in the same cap situation next year with this deal, but it would free up a lot of money going forward because those two are only under contract for 1 and 2 more years. Not sue I'd do this deal, but its not a crazy thought. Breaking up Jrue's large contract into smaller contracts has some upsides.

Exactly, for 2025-26, we go from Jrue at $32.4 to Thompson and Gafford at $31.1M, a little savings, but we are still going to be over the 2nd apron.  But in 2026-27, Gafford expires so we go from Jrue at $34.8M to Thompson at $16.7M, saving about $18.1M over what is projected now.  I think that is going to be the goal, to get under in 2026-27, and stay under moving forward.

It works the same with my imagined WAS deal but the savings are even more.  Some, not much, savings in 2025-26, but then Smart and his $21.6M expire, leaving BOS with only Bey at $6.4M in 2026-27.  That saves about $28.4M over projected.   I see it as pretty well established that BOS is not going to get under the 2nd apron for 2025-26.  The idea behind these imagined moves is to set up for 2026-27 and beyond.

Why not just address the issue in 2027, then?

Right now, we're projected to me $21 million below the second apron in 2027.  Of course, that's without any big men at all on the roster, but figuring that out seems to give us more flexibility than objectively making our team worse next year while still not solving the cap problems.

[Vermont Green]

How about another possibility, DAL.  We get Clay Thompson ($16.7M, 2 years) and Daniel Gafford ($14.4M Exp) for Holiday ($32.4M).  They might even throw in a pick.  Holiday adds to create their big 3 with Davis and Irving.  All these guys are old so Holiday's age would not be an issue for them.  Gafford's expiring is the big savings.  We may also have to sell off Hauser, which I think we could do.

Klay clearly hates Boston, he don't wanna come here.

The bigger issue is that it leaves us in the same cap situation.  In that scenario we'd be better off kicking the can down the road.

The Celtics would be in the same cap situation next year with this deal, but it would free up a lot of money going forward because those two are only under contract for 1 and 2 more years. Not sue I'd do this deal, but its not a crazy thought. Breaking up Jrue's large contract into smaller contracts has some upsides.

Exactly, for 2025-26, we go from Jrue at $32.4 to Thompson and Gafford at $31.1M, a little savings, but we are still going to be over the 2nd apron.  But in 2026-27, Gafford expires so we go from Jrue at $34.8M to Thompson at $16.7M, saving about $18.1M over what is projected now.  I think that is going to be the goal, to get under in 2026-27, and stay under moving forward.

It works the same with my imagined WAS deal but the savings are even more.  Some, not much, savings in 2025-26, but then Smart and his $21.6M expire, leaving BOS with only Bey at $6.4M in 2026-27.  That saves about $28.4M over projected.   I see it as pretty well established that BOS is not going to get under the 2nd apron for 2025-26.  The idea behind these imagined moves is to set up for 2026-27 and beyond.

Why not just address the issue in 2027, then?

Right now, we're projected to me $21 million below the second apron in 2027.  Of course, that's without any big men at all on the roster, but figuring that out seems to give us more flexibility than objectively making our team worse next year while still not solving the cap problems.

That may be too late.  If trading Holiday is going to be necessary to get under the 2nd apron in 2026-27, then it is better to plan for that now.  Unless you can find a team with the space to just absorb Holiday's contract, you are not going to be able to get immediate relief.  You could just let Porzingis expire in 2026, but I would rather be in a position to sign Porzingis.  I think he is more important to the team than Holiday is.

I envision a team with Tatum, Brown, White, and Porzingis, beyond 2026.  You can't do that and be under the 2nd apron if Holiday is here too.  That is the problem.  I would rather trade Holiday for Smart and Bey (for example), allowing us to contend in 2025-26, but also keep Porzingis and contend for several more seasons that we have Tatum, Brown, and White.

[liam]

I think they should try and keep the team intact, and they will if they win it all this year. If not, I'd try and dump Zinger (Mainly because of health) and sign Luke long term at like 10 million a year...

[Vermont Green]

I think they should try and keep the team intact, and they will if they win it all this year. If not, I'd try and dump Zinger (Mainly because of health) and sign Luke long term at like 10 million a year...

That may well be what it comes down to, Holiday or Porzingis.  If the assumption is that our core is Tatum, Brown, and White, isn't Porzingis much more of what we would need than Holiday?  Kornet is a nice enough bench big at best.

[Goldstar88]

I think they should try and keep the team intact, and they will if they win it all this year. If not, I'd try and dump Zinger (Mainly because of health) and sign Luke long term at like 10 million a year...

KP is arguably the second best player on the Celtics. Certainly has been over the last month or two. He?s injury prone, but if they can load manage him until the postseason I would 100% rather have KP on the C?s over Jrue. Lose Jrue and you still have depth with White and Pritchard at PG. Brown and Hauser can both play the 2/3. Lose KP and you are left with a soon to be 39 year old Horford and Kornet. That would be terrible.