Celtics 2025-26 Regular Season Discussion

[Celtics2021]

I'm becoming more and more convinced Simons is gonna get traded at the deadline. He's just a frustrating player and I don't even think the team knows his best role here.

Whether it's some sort of a salary dump or maybe using him as salary to acquire a big man, he's gonna get dealt. I'd prefer the latter

I think he will not, mostly because it will be very hard to find a team that wants him and can make salaries work (especially if the Celtics would like to reduce salary and take on little to no future salary).  Not impossible, of course, but there are so many teams right against the apron or cap that there is very little wiggle room with multiple prospective partners, in addition to our own constraints.

He has not shown to be a good fit, which is not terribly surprising.  Maybe in another month he will have his role more figured out.  When he plays with confidence he looks good, but much of the time he does not seem to know his role.

[slamtheking]

I'm becoming more and more convinced Simons is gonna get traded at the deadline. He's just a frustrating player and I don't even think the team knows his best role here.

Whether it's some sort of a salary dump or maybe using him as salary to acquire a big man, he's gonna get dealt. I'd prefer the latter

I think he will not, mostly because it will be very hard to find a team that wants him and can make salaries work (especially if the Celtics would like to reduce salary and take on little to no future salary).  Not impossible, of course, but there are so many teams right against the apron or cap that there is very little wiggle room with multiple prospective partners, in addition to our own constraints.

He has not shown to be a good fit, which is not terribly surprising.  Maybe in another month he will have his role more figured out.  When he plays with confidence he looks good, but much of the time he does not seem to know his role.

I think it's something that has to happen.  The most likely scenario is Brad moves him (if not more players with him) to a team that wants a scorer and can afford to lose a rotation-quality big.  Slip that big into the KP FTE so that salary slot is not lost in the offseason while generating a new FTE from moving Simons salary that will last for another year after the deal.

the other 2 options are:
1. just let the deal expire which would be a stupid waste of his salary slot.  sure the contract is off the books but that wouldn't leave a similar sized financial opening to bring someone else in. 
2. resign him.  while he's not a garbage player, he's not fitting what Joe's running.  some of that's on him trying to learn and his lack of defensive skills and some of that's on Joe for not figuring out how to make the most of his personnel.  He's unlikely to accept a pay cut and he'd certainly not showing he's worth a raise so far so the C's would be basically signing him as a future, overpaid trade chip to be salary filler in a future deal. 

[Darth_Yoda]

I'm becoming more and more convinced Simons is gonna get traded at the deadline. He's just a frustrating player and I don't even think the team knows his best role here.

Whether it's some sort of a salary dump or maybe using him as salary to acquire a big man, he's gonna get dealt. I'd prefer the latter

I think he will not, mostly because it will be very hard to find a team that wants him and can make salaries work (especially if the Celtics would like to reduce salary and take on little to no future salary).  Not impossible, of course, but there are so many teams right against the apron or cap that there is very little wiggle room with multiple prospective partners, in addition to our own constraints.

He has not shown to be a good fit, which is not terribly surprising.  Maybe in another month he will have his role more figured out.  When he plays with confidence he looks good, but much of the time he does not seem to know his role.

I think it's something that has to happen.  The most likely scenario is Brad moves him (if not more players with him) to a team that wants a scorer and can afford to lose a rotation-quality big.  Slip that big into the KP FTE so that salary slot is not lost in the offseason while generating a new FTE from moving Simons salary that will last for another year after the deal.

the other 2 options are:
1. just let the deal expire which would be a stupid waste of his salary slot.  sure the contract is off the books but that wouldn't leave a similar sized financial opening to bring someone else in. 
2. resign him.  while he's not a garbage player, he's not fitting what Joe's running.  some of that's on him trying to learn and his lack of defensive skills and some of that's on Joe for not figuring out how to make the most of his personnel.  He's unlikely to accept a pay cut and he'd certainly not showing he's worth a raise so far so the C's would be basically signing him as a future, overpaid trade chip to be salary filler in a future deal.

I held out hope Dallas would offer Gafford and filler for Simons to float them until Kyrie returned....but now with Nico fired I doubt it will happen.

[Celtics2021]

I'm becoming more and more convinced Simons is gonna get traded at the deadline. He's just a frustrating player and I don't even think the team knows his best role here.

Whether it's some sort of a salary dump or maybe using him as salary to acquire a big man, he's gonna get dealt. I'd prefer the latter

I think he will not, mostly because it will be very hard to find a team that wants him and can make salaries work (especially if the Celtics would like to reduce salary and take on little to no future salary).  Not impossible, of course, but there are so many teams right against the apron or cap that there is very little wiggle room with multiple prospective partners, in addition to our own constraints.

He has not shown to be a good fit, which is not terribly surprising.  Maybe in another month he will have his role more figured out.  When he plays with confidence he looks good, but much of the time he does not seem to know his role.

I think it's something that has to happen.  The most likely scenario is Brad moves him (if not more players with him) to a team that wants a scorer and can afford to lose a rotation-quality big.  Slip that big into the KP FTE so that salary slot is not lost in the offseason while generating a new FTE from moving Simons salary that will last for another year after the deal.

the other 2 options are:
1. just let the deal expire which would be a stupid waste of his salary slot.  sure the contract is off the books but that wouldn't leave a similar sized financial opening to bring someone else in. 
2. resign him.  while he's not a garbage player, he's not fitting what Joe's running.  some of that's on him trying to learn and his lack of defensive skills and some of that's on Joe for not figuring out how to make the most of his personnel.  He's unlikely to accept a pay cut and he'd certainly not showing he's worth a raise so far so the C's would be basically signing him as a future, overpaid trade chip to be salary filler in a future deal.

Letting the deal expire is not a big loss in this case.  We have a $23 million TPE from Porzingis, and we will be able to either preserve Simons slot or use the TPE, but not both.  Especially as it is unlikely we would trade Simons for someone of nearly equal salary.

[Vermont Green]

So they are 8-7.  Good chance to go 9-7 and maybe 10-7.

What?s your guess on their record if JT were playing?

Well, if JT were playing, we'd also probably still have Horford. And possibly one of Holiday or Zinger? But even if not, having JT and Al would make a huge difference for this team, especially the frontcourt.

The thing is that Horford is currently injured, putting up 5/4 with 34% shooting.  Those are Garza numbers.  He may turn it around and make a different in the playoffs, but so far he is not doing much.  Holiday is also injured although put up decent numbers so far.  Holiday and Horford are nearing the end.  But definitely, BOS is a whole different team if they have Tatum and one of the others.  I think just having a healthy Tatum, plus any decent big, makes BOS a contender for the finals.

As to what to do this season, I still see a 0.500'ish team.  They could be better than that based on the development of some players.  The team is not tanking per se, but they are "developing" a lot of players.  Walsh, Minott, Hugo, and even Scheierman are getting minutes most every night.

My preferred strategy is to trade Simons and the pick at the deadline for a good player.  A player that can start for the team in 2026-27 and make a difference.  Then tanking or not doesn't even need to be debated.  Maybe with a trade like that BOS can move up the standings and get some playoff games.

[Jiri Welsch]

Really don?t think it?s wise to trade this year?s pick.

[Vermont Green]

Really don't think it's wise to trade this year's pick.

Why?  People are already complaining that BOS isn't tanking enough and the pick won't have all that much value if BOS is a 0.500'ish team, which is where this appears to be headed, if not better (worse in terms of the pick odds).  What I am suggesting is to only trade the pick if the return is a legit starting big.  That will make the 2025-26 team even better, but the primary goal is to bolster 2026-27.  Is the, say, 12th or 15th pick going to help the 2026-27 team?  I don't see it.

In fact, I predict that if BOS still has the pick on draft night, and it does end up in the say 12-15 range, that BOS probably trades back and picks up more future firsts, which will drive everyone crazy.  For me, the best thing is to trade Simons and the pick for a real player.  A starting big.  A known quantity.  I get that if BOS is in the lottery, there is like a 1% chance it turns into a top 3 pick, but even that pick doesn't help the Tatum and Brown window for at least a few years.