Who Is The Next "Dream Big" Target At The Deadline Or Offseason?

[slamtheking]

saw an article on ESPN that got me thinking Detroit might have an interest in Simons.  They need an outside shooter and we could use Stewart as a big.  Couldn't make a deal work on the trade checker but wondering if someone more gifted with working the numbers could figure out something possibly using the KP TPE to take in Stewart while sending them Simons and generating a new TPE with his salary.   

[Vermont Green]

saw an article on ESPN that got me thinking Detroit might have an interest in Simons.  They need an outside shooter and we could use Stewart as a big.  Couldn't make a deal work on the trade checker but wondering if someone more gifted with working the numbers could figure out something possibly using the KP TPE to take in Stewart while sending them Simons and generating a new TPE with his salary.

Hauser for Stewart works, both teams use TPE.  BOS adds about $5M in salary but still under the 2nd apron.  Maybe add some second round picks to this.  Not sure this is enough for DET, but it is a deal that could work.

[Who]

saw an article on ESPN that got me thinking Detroit might have an interest in Simons.  They need an outside shooter and we could use Stewart as a big.  Couldn't make a deal work on the trade checker but wondering if someone more gifted with working the numbers could figure out something possibly using the KP TPE to take in Stewart while sending them Simons and generating a new TPE with his salary.

It sounds like Tobias Harris' expiring contract is the trade piece they are going to use to net a quality player.

I would be happy with a T Harris for A Simons swap. Expiring deal for expiring deal. T Harris gives us a big skilled forward. We could use that while Tatum is out.

[slamtheking]

saw an article on ESPN that got me thinking Detroit might have an interest in Simons.  They need an outside shooter and we could use Stewart as a big.  Couldn't make a deal work on the trade checker but wondering if someone more gifted with working the numbers could figure out something possibly using the KP TPE to take in Stewart while sending them Simons and generating a new TPE with his salary.

Hauser for Stewart works, both teams use TPE.  BOS adds about $5M in salary but still under the 2nd apron.  Maybe add some second round picks to this.  Not sure this is enough for DET, but it is a deal that could work.

would prefer not to move Hauser in place of Simons.  Simons is a mess on D whereas at least Hauser is at least serviceable, and has improved his rebounding as well as cheaper and under contract for longer at a good price. 

having said that, if we can get Stewart for Hauser to bring in a quality big that we can have the next few years, I'd do it.

[slamtheking]

saw an article on ESPN that got me thinking Detroit might have an interest in Simons.  They need an outside shooter and we could use Stewart as a big.  Couldn't make a deal work on the trade checker but wondering if someone more gifted with working the numbers could figure out something possibly using the KP TPE to take in Stewart while sending them Simons and generating a new TPE with his salary.

It sounds like Tobias Harris' expiring contract is the trade piece they are going to use to net a quality player.

I would be happy with a T Harris for A Simons swap. Expiring deal for expiring deal. T Harris gives us a big skilled forward. We could use that while Tatum is out.

If we're sending out Simons, I'd like to address the team's core issue which is the lack of quality bigs.  Harris has a more-rounded game when he's playing well than Simons does and could be a nice piece off the bench next year if they could resign him for much cheaper but I doubt they can.  It's been a long time (if ever) since he was worth the money he's making.

[Vermont Green]

Or put these two ideas together for a bigger trade:

Simons + Hauser
for
Harris + Stewart

I am not all that high on Harris but I think he would be a better fit for needs than Simons.  And I don't see him getting such a big salary when he is a FA.  Given the choice, I would rather sign him than Simons.  Similarly, I don't mind swapping Hauser for Stewart, based on need, especially if we are getting Harris.  Harris can do some of what Hauser does.

[keevsnick]

A Simons to Detroit trade isn't going to involve Harris, the point of trading Simons would be for the C's to shed money and get under the tax and Harris does not help with that.

The easiest trade would be Simons to Detroit for Levert and Ivey with one of those two getting flipped elsewhere and Boston keeping the other. That would get Boston under the tax, but it depends on how Detroit feels about Ivey right now.

If Detroit wanted to keep Ivey they could also do Lavert/Reed/Javonte Green and that would work as a salary match. Again, Boston would reroute either Lavert or Reed/Green to a third team and get under the tax.

Stewart could also be involved in these sort of swaps instead of Lavert, he makes a low enough salary that if you swap Simons for Stewart the C's get below the tax. But I really don't think Detroit wants to trade Stewart, and I certainly don't think they should give him up for Simons. If the Pistons are making a win now move I don't think he's available, if he was it would involve the Celtics also sending draft picks.

Pistons could also be a trade destination for Hauser. They have their full MLE and enough space below the tax to just absorb him outright.

Pistons have a lot of flexibility because they still have 19 million in space below the tax, its also worth noting these deals can't happen until at least December 15th because of player trade restrictions. I d think they are an interesting target in a Simons trade, just because we saw how well a flamethrowing shooter worked for them last year with Beasley. Simons would fill that same roll.

[Vermont Green]

A Simons to Detroit trade isn't going to involve Harris, the point of trading Simons would be for the C's to shed money and get under the tax and Harris does not help with that.

I don't necessarily agree with this premise.  I think the point of trading Simons will be to get a player or players who might help the team in 2026-27.  That could be in the form of a TPE that gets rolled over next season but it could also be that they bring back a player that is better or a better fit.

I don't think it is likely BOS would target Harris.  But if Simons for Harris is part of a larger deal, I see that as an upgrade for BOS.  Harris could be part of the equation for 2026-27.  It does not appear that there is any chance that Simons will be.

A deal to just dump Simons is going to cost draft picks, probably a couple of seconds.  I am not convinced that BOS would do that just to get under the tax.

[slamtheking]

A Simons to Detroit trade isn't going to involve Harris, the point of trading Simons would be for the C's to shed money and get under the tax and Harris does not help with that.

I don't necessarily agree with this premise.  I think the point of trading Simons will be to get a player or players who might help the team in 2026-27.  That could be in the form of a TPE that gets rolled over next season but it could also be that they bring back a player that is better or a better fit.

I don't think it is likely BOS would target Harris.  But if Simons for Harris is part of a larger deal, I see that as an upgrade for BOS.  Harris could be part of the equation for 2026-27.  It does not appear that there is any chance that Simons will be.

A deal to just dump Simons is going to cost draft picks, probably a couple of seconds.  I am not convinced that BOS would do that just to get under the tax.

I agree that the primary goal of moving Simons is to get a player that addresses a need going forward which would be a big man.  Getting under the tax would be the secondary goal.

Simons won't need to be dumped.  There's several teams that hope to contend that could use a good scorer off their bench (if not in their starting line-up).  Brad can find a taker for Simons.  The question will be whether we think he got enough in the deal.

[keevsnick]

A Simons to Detroit trade isn't going to involve Harris, the point of trading Simons would be for the C's to shed money and get under the tax and Harris does not help with that.

I don't necessarily agree with this premise.  I think the point of trading Simons will be to get a player or players who might help the team in 2026-27.  That could be in the form of a TPE that gets rolled over next season but it could also be that they bring back a player that is better or a better fit.

I don't think it is likely BOS would target Harris.  But if Simons for Harris is part of a larger deal, I see that as an upgrade for BOS.  Harris could be part of the equation for 2026-27.  It does not appear that there is any chance that Simons will be.

A deal to just dump Simons is going to cost draft picks, probably a couple of seconds.  I am not convinced that BOS would do that just to get under the tax.

I agree that the primary goal of moving Simons is to get a player that addresses a need going forward which would be a big man.  Getting under the tax would be the secondary goal.

Simons won't need to be dumped.  There's several teams that hope to contend that could use a good scorer off their bench (if not in their starting line-up).  Brad can find a taker for Simons.  The question will be whether we think he got enough in the deal.

My best guess is that the front office views getting under the tax as the primary goal, with a fairly significant gap between that goal and getting better this year. If they could do both I'm sure they would, but unless a deal to make them better makes them MUCH better I can't see them passing up getting out of the tax.

[keevsnick]

A Simons to Detroit trade isn't going to involve Harris, the point of trading Simons would be for the C's to shed money and get under the tax and Harris does not help with that.

I don't necessarily agree with this premise.  I think the point of trading Simons will be to get a player or players who might help the team in 2026-27.  That could be in the form of a TPE that gets rolled over next season but it could also be that they bring back a player that is better or a better fit.

I don't think it is likely BOS would target Harris.  But if Simons for Harris is part of a larger deal, I see that as an upgrade for BOS.  Harris could be part of the equation for 2026-27.  It does not appear that there is any chance that Simons will be.

A deal to just dump Simons is going to cost draft picks, probably a couple of seconds.  I am not convinced that BOS would do that just to get under the tax.

Given that getting under this year and next and thus resetting the repeater tax could save them tens of millions of dollars in the long run my guess is they will do everything possible to get under.

That doesn't necessarily mean paying to offload Simons. They could also get under by trading Hauser (for positive value), dumping Tillman/Boucher then back filling those three roster spots with minimum pro-rated signings.

They will try to move Simons first, ideally for slight positive or at least neutral value. If that fails they'll try moving Hauser for positive value, say a first round pick. If that fails maybe they say screw it and just stay over the tax, but i have no doubt they'll try hard to get under.

[NHHillbilly]

Sabonis is out with a meniscus tear. He had been an iron man, but now it looks like he might be going the way of Rob Williams.
I don't think any big out there is championship caliber. And the Celtics seem to have had good timing moving on from Horford and Marcus Smart. Golden State might see playoff Horford, but for how many games?

Giannis was a 15 pick.
Kawhi Leonard was a 15 pick.
Reggie Lewis was a 22 pick.

The next big for Celtics probably will have to come from the draft in a lucky pick. 26 is as good as any to get lucky since the draft is deep and some of the "sleepers" might be available down at 15 - 22 where the Celtics are picking. Meanwhile, I think Minot will have a better career as a 3 and D roll player than Grant Williams and would be happy with the added depth as a springy foward.

[Celtics4ever]

I think Minot will have a better career as a 3 and D roll player than Grant Williams and would be happy with the added depth as a springy foward.

Talk about a low bar for success, comparing to Grant Williams.

In the NBA athletes matter, they are not the end all but it sure helps.

[Phantom255x]

Claxton or Zubac seems realistic