Celtics (1-2) at Knicks (2-1) Round 2 Game 4 5/12/25

[Banner18now!]

White
JB
KP
Al
Jrue

That is your core for game 5. PP and Kornet off the bench. Might be a blow out. But I actually think the Cs win.

im so pizzed right now at all the blown years with this core dating back to 2018. we shoulda been in FINALS THAT YEAR! 2022...2023... 2025

we can have one last window withg JT retool. go get GIANNIS

Yup, wasted all this time with second row Joe who was in over his head. Wonder what happens if Ime keeps it in his pants but the Celtics tapping Joe is as the wrong move.

[celticinorlando]

I am making everyone available but JT, PP and White.

If you lose Al and trade KP who are your bigs?

Hauser and Jrue are gone IMO.

This is just 2023 all over again. Losing to a bad team and being out coached.

[jpotter33]

If it is an Achillies he is done for next season at the least. Esp this late in the season.

Have a feeling a reset is coming soon. Al, KP, Jrue and Hauser all being moved.

Next season will be PP, White and Brown will be your core and they will be a lottery team.

I mean if they trade all of Al, KP, Jrue Hauser and get nothing back then probably.

If they generally keep the team together I think they'd still win close to 50 even without Tatum, but if he's out all of next year they for sure are tarding one of KP or Jrue for tax purposes.

Literally zero reason to be in the 2nd apron next year. Everything they do this offseason has now shifted to saving money and bringing in a younger core to go with Tatum in the future. This is dire. We are still in shock. Our elite, top 5, franchise player likely just suffered a career altering injury. Next year is a complete wash, but we need to hope that we didn't just suddenly turn into the Sixers

Ya I think the most likely outcome is a Jrue or Porzingis trade to get back under the 2nd apron. retool around Tatum/Brown/White as your core with a more dispersed 4-10 salary wise.

But we'll see, getting a bit ahead of ourselves.

Do we really think we wouldn't use this as an opportunity to move off JB? Realistically, we can't keep both of them long-term anyways on their deals.

I think we at least explore this opportunity if Tatum truly is out all of next year. JB's injury history isn't the cleanest (as his awful playoff performance this year shows), and he's someone who needs his athleticism to be elite. Whiffing on a year of his prime and hoping that in 2026-2027 when Tatum is fully back I'm not sure is the smartest idea given the salary ramifications.

Still think we explore what we can get for JB this summer if Tatum truly did tear his Achilles.

[Phantom255x]

Things change fast. An hour ago we were up 14 and looking good. Now? Lose the game and probably Tatum for a year

[keevsnick]

If it is an Achillies he is done for next season at the least. Esp this late in the season.

Have a feeling a reset is coming soon. Al, KP, Jrue and Hauser all being moved.

Next season will be PP, White and Brown will be your core and they will be a lottery team.

I mean if they trade all of Al, KP, Jrue Hauser and get nothing back then probably.

If they generally keep the team together I think they'd still win close to 50 even without Tatum, but if he's out all of next year they for sure are tarding one of KP or Jrue for tax purposes.

Literally zero reason to be in the 2nd apron next year. Everything they do this offseason has now shifted to saving money and bringing in a younger core to go with Tatum in the future. This is dire. We are still in shock. Our elite, top 5, franchise player likely just suffered a career altering injury. Next year is a complete wash, but we need to hope that we didn't just suddenly turn into the Sixers

Ya I think the most likely outcome is a Jrue or Porzingis trade to get back under the 2nd apron. retool around Tatum/Brown/White as your core with a more dispersed 4-10 salary wise.

But we'll see, getting a bit ahead of ourselves.

Do we really think we wouldn't use this as an opportunity to move off JB? Realistically, we can't keep both of them long-term anyways on their deals.

I think we at least explore this opportunity if Tatum truly is out all of next year. JB's injury history isn't the cleanest (as his awful playoff performance this year shows), and he's someone who needs his athleticism to be elite. Whiffing on a year of his prime and hoping that in 2026-2027 when Tatum is fully back I'm not sure is the smartest idea given the salary ramifications.

Still think we explore what we can get for JB this summer if Tatum truly did tear his Achilles.

I don't see why they can't. If they move one of KP/Jrue they could get back under the 2nd apron and realistically that solves most (not all) of their financial issues. KP will be on a one year expiring and has been very non-essential to their success the last two years, that would be probably the easiest move just mechanically to do. Jrue also makes a lot of sense given his age and contract.
 
That said I'm sure they'll explore everybody's value, including Jaylen and White. I just think KP and Holiday are pretty easily more likely to get traded, with a gap between them and Brown in 3rd.

Brown is overpaid sure, he's still a pretty easy solid all-star borderline all nba guy, especially if his three pointer ever starts going in again. You' have to get real value to move him imo, meanwhile if you could just dump Jrue or KP for nothing but savings I'd probably do that.

[celticinorlando]

Haven't been this down since the Hayward injury that night in Cleveland.

Not sure what this team looks like next season. Might be brutal.

KP is going to miss 30-40 games next season anyway. Move him now.

[jpotter33]

Okay, Nico, with the Tatum injury we'll play ball - JB for the # 1 pick. You're in win now mode, anyways, and Flagg isn't going to help you while AD is in town. But JB will.

(Not even sure how we could financially make that work barring taking back someone like Kyrie, but, hey, we can dream, right? That said - maybe SAS is open to some discussions??)

[ozgod]

KP being interviewed when asked about the emotional toll of JT getting injured:

"Well we're all grown men, it's tough to see, but everyone has had injuries, it's part of this game. We all feel for him but we have to move forward, we have another game coming up, and he won't want us to sit here feeling sorry for him and for ourselves, so we just have to move forward and focus on the next game."

[celticinorlando]

I am afraid the championship window for this group is now over.

Will forever be thankful for 2024.

[Billz401]

I think its officially Baylor time!

[SparzWizard]

Things change fast. An hour ago we were up 14 and looking good. Now? Lose the game and probably Tatum for a year

We were up 14 and looking good and possibly on track to shift the momentum of this series.

Lose the game AND Tatum to a 18-month injury and our era is over. Era as in Jaylen Brown, Kristaps, Jrue, Horford etc.

[celticinorlando]

If this team can't play hard for at least 1 game in Game 5 then I will be even more disappointed.

[ozgod]

Okay, Nico, with the Tatum injury we'll play ball - JB for the # 1 pick. You're in win now mode, anyways, and Flagg isn't going to help you while AD is in town. But JB will.

(Not even sure how we could financially make that work barring taking back someone like Kyrie, but, hey, we can dream, right? That said - maybe SAS is open to some discussions??)

Yes, unfortunately since they would be an second apron team after the trade, they would have to send out 100% of the salary they are receiving. Unfortunately there's no permutation of players on the Mavs that would allow us to ship JB to them 

[celticinorlando]

I think Al retires. Hauser and Jrue moved.

50/50 on keeping KP. But would not surprise me to see all 4 gone. Next year is a lost season. Like the Spurs when Robinson got hurt.

[jambr380]

Okay, Nico, with the Tatum injury we'll play ball - JB for the # 1 pick. You're in win now mode, anyways, and Flagg isn't going to help you while AD is in town. But JB will.

(Not even sure how we could financially make that work barring taking back someone like Kyrie, but, hey, we can dream, right? That said - maybe SAS is open to some discussions??)

Yes, unfortunately since they would be an second apron team after the trade, they would have to send out 100% of the salary they are receiving. Unfortunately there's no permutation of players on the Mavs that would allow us to ship JB to them 

If we somehow got below the 2nd apron first by trading Jrue and KP, then we could take back more salary than we are sending out with Jaylen. That is an incredibly far-fetched idea requiring a lot of help from other teams, but it's not technically impossible