Assuming We Keep Simons, What Centers/Backup Centers Are Realistic?

[CFAN38]

Keith Smith on a Celticsblog Q&A suggested these names for big man depth assuming they hold on to Simons, and none of these would put us over the second apron again either:

If you want frontcourt depth, the Celtics should have the ability to add someone without having to give up too much. Players like Nick Richards, Jalen Smith, Marvin Bagley III, and Drew Eubanks are all acquirable players without tripping back over the second apron. At the beginning of the season, adding a starter-level center would have been a goal, but Neemias Queta has more than held up as a starter. Could the Celtics upgrade over Queta? Sure. Do they desperate need to? Nope.

https://www.celticsblog.com/articles/128485/boston-celtics-cap-qa-with-former-celticsblogger-and-spotracs-keith-smith

Marvin Bagley III and Jalen Smith intrigue me

Those where the two names I was going to suggest. Both are flawed as starting bigs but both could be nice options with room to develop as a backup big.

I do wonder with the rise of Hugo and Walsh combined with the eventual return of Tatum if Hauser becomes the odd man out and is packaged with the #26 first for a big man? I'm really not sure who will be available that warrants the Hauser +1st cost?

[SHAQATTACK]

Surely we can get at least one quality center .    Like the Bulls big guy . Surely he has a couple good years in him

[Moranis]

Hauser makes a lot of sense to move.  Decent contract size, has good value, etc.  Would open up more trade avenues. 

[Roy H.]

Hauser makes a lot of sense to move.  Decent contract size, has good value, etc.  Would open up more trade avenues.

If we were going to keep Simons, Hauser would be a logical piece to move.

If we expect to move on from Simons, I think we need Hauser's shooting off the bench.  His value is probably at a low right now, but in general having a guy who has a .600+ eFG% and plays solid defense is a plus.

[michigan adam]

I could see Hauser as a trade option rather than Simmons. Once jt comes back Hauser certainly plays more as a wing where Walsh has really stepped up while Simmons is a guard that is less represented. I guess the difference is where brown plays when jt is not on the court. Wing or guard. If you trade Hauser brown plays more wing, if you trade Simmons he plays more guard.

[Jiri Welsch]

Hauser makes a lot of sense to move.  Decent contract size, has good value, etc.  Would open up more trade avenues.

If we were going to keep Simons, Hauser would be a logical piece to move.

If we expect to move on from Simons, I think we need Hauser's shooting off the bench.  His value is probably at a low right now, but in general having a guy who has a .600+ eFG% and plays solid defense is a plus.

Would moving Hauser still keep the Celtics above the luxury tax threshold? I know his AAV is only around $10 million and I thought I read somewhere that the Celtics are $12 million over.

[wdleehi]

Hauser makes a lot of sense to move.  Decent contract size, has good value, etc.  Would open up more trade avenues.

If we were going to keep Simons, Hauser would be a logical piece to move.

If we expect to move on from Simons, I think we need Hauser's shooting off the bench.  His value is probably at a low right now, but in general having a guy who has a .600+ eFG% and plays solid defense is a plus.

Except they know how Hauser works with Tatum and they have him locked up on the good contract vs. Simon who they don't know how he will fit with Tatum and has a lot more uncertainty with future contracts.   

[Moranis]

Hauser, Tillman, Boucher, 1st

For

Zubac

That works under the cap rules as it keeps Boston under 2nd apron and doesn't increase LA salary.  That is the type of trade that is available with Hauser that isn't available with Simons or the tpe or minimum guys. 

[Phantom255x]

Hauser, Tillman, Boucher, 1st

For

Zubac

That works under the cap rules as it keeps Boston under 2nd apron and doesn't increase LA salary.  That is the type of trade that is available with Hauser that isn't available with Simons or the tpe or minimum guys.

It's gonna take multiple first rounders, but I would do that for sure.

[Roy H.]

Hauser makes a lot of sense to move.  Decent contract size, has good value, etc.  Would open up more trade avenues.

If we were going to keep Simons, Hauser would be a logical piece to move.

If we expect to move on from Simons, I think we need Hauser's shooting off the bench.  His value is probably at a low right now, but in general having a guy who has a .600+ eFG% and plays solid defense is a plus.

Would moving Hauser still keep the Celtics above the luxury tax threshold? I know his AAV is only around $10 million and I thought I read somewhere that the Celtics are $12 million over.

If we traded Hauser without taking anything back we'd still be slightly over the tax.  We're $12,086,489 over.  Hauser makes $10,044,644, and we'd also need to sign a 14th player.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Hauser makes a lot of sense to move.  Decent contract size, has good value, etc.  Would open up more trade avenues.

If we were going to keep Simons, Hauser would be a logical piece to move.

If we expect to move on from Simons, I think we need Hauser's shooting off the bench.  His value is probably at a low right now, but in general having a guy who has a .600+ eFG% and plays solid defense is a plus.

Would moving Hauser still keep the Celtics above the luxury tax threshold? I know his AAV is only around $10 million and I thought I read somewhere that the Celtics are $12 million over.

If we traded Hauser without taking anything back we'd still be slightly over the tax.  We're $12,086,489 over.  Hauser makes $10,044,644, and we'd also need to sign a 14th player.

I've heard you talk about the tax quite a bit, but from what I understand the tax and the 1st apron are two different things. There are no additional penalties if you are under the 1st apron, but over the tax, right?

In that case, I really can't see the Celtics shedding salary just to pay less in payroll, especially not when they are a top 2 team in the East without Tatum. I could see them resetting the 1st apron penalties by getting under that.

[Roy H.]

Hauser makes a lot of sense to move.  Decent contract size, has good value, etc.  Would open up more trade avenues.

If we were going to keep Simons, Hauser would be a logical piece to move.

If we expect to move on from Simons, I think we need Hauser's shooting off the bench.  His value is probably at a low right now, but in general having a guy who has a .600+ eFG% and plays solid defense is a plus.

Would moving Hauser still keep the Celtics above the luxury tax threshold? I know his AAV is only around $10 million and I thought I read somewhere that the Celtics are $12 million over.

If we traded Hauser without taking anything back we'd still be slightly over the tax.  We're $12,086,489 over.  Hauser makes $10,044,644, and we'd also need to sign a 14th player.

I've heard you talk about the tax quite a bit, but from what I understand the tax and the 1st apron are two different things. There are no additional penalties if you are under the 1st apron, but over the tax, right?

In that case, I really can't see the Celtics shedding salary just to pay less in payroll, especially not when they are a top 2 team in the East without Tatum. I could see them resetting the 1st apron penalties by getting under that.

Being over the tax subjects the Celtics to repeater tax penalties, which can become severe.  I think it adds an additional dollar-for-dollar penalty to the luxury tax payment of a team.

[Jiri Welsch]

To echo Roy?s point, I believe there is an advantage to ?resetting? for a year and being under the tax. Especially if the Celtics know they will be above the tax for a number of years in the future.

It gives them (in theory) more ability to pay a premium in future years without the price being prohibitively high.

[Moranis]

Hauser, Tillman, Boucher, 1st

For

Zubac

That works under the cap rules as it keeps Boston under 2nd apron and doesn't increase LA salary.  That is the type of trade that is available with Hauser that isn't available with Simons or the tpe or minimum guys.

It's gonna take multiple first rounders, but I would do that for sure.

my assumption was Hauser is worth a 1st

[Celtics2021]

Hauser makes a lot of sense to move.  Decent contract size, has good value, etc.  Would open up more trade avenues.

If we were going to keep Simons, Hauser would be a logical piece to move.

If we expect to move on from Simons, I think we need Hauser's shooting off the bench.  His value is probably at a low right now, but in general having a guy who has a .600+ eFG% and plays solid defense is a plus.

Would moving Hauser still keep the Celtics above the luxury tax threshold? I know his AAV is only around $10 million and I thought I read somewhere that the Celtics are $12 million over.

If we traded Hauser without taking anything back we'd still be slightly over the tax.  We're $12,086,489 over.  Hauser makes $10,044,644, and we'd also need to sign a 14th player.

I've heard you talk about the tax quite a bit, but from what I understand the tax and the 1st apron are two different things. There are no additional penalties if you are under the 1st apron, but over the tax, right?

In that case, I really can't see the Celtics shedding salary just to pay less in payroll, especially not when they are a top 2 team in the East without Tatum. I could see them resetting the 1st apron penalties by getting under that.

Being over the tax subjects the Celtics to repeater tax penalties, which can become severe.  I think it adds an additional dollar-for-dollar penalty to the luxury tax payment of a team.

It depends how far over the tax Celtics plan to be.  Next year, for example, the Celtics are unlikely to exceed the first apron because they should be capped, so the tax would probably be an extra $7 million.  That is not cheap, of course, but it is also likely affordable if the Celtics feel it is worth it.  To get out of the repeater, the Celtics would have to get below the tax this year and next.  They can likely make more than the $18-20 million luxury tax paid at the first apron by going on two more deep playoff runs this year and next instead of further limiting the roster to reset the repeater.

If they were 12-23 instead of 23-12, that is a different discussion, of course.  And certainly I can see the team trying to move Tillman and Boucher at the deadline to replace them with rest of season contracts, as doing so would save the team around $10 million in tax dollars this season.  But getting out of the tax completely would require trading an actual contributor, and I don?t see a salary dump of that sort happening.