Hypothetical Offseason / Mostly questions that im pondering

[CFAN38]

Over the past few seasons I have really moved away from trade/FA speculation because I find it to be so random and unpredictable. The CBA also makes roster transactions equally about on court production and about keeping the books in line for sustained winning. I love the draft because I can speculate then watch over the seasons and see who I was right/wrong on and try to understand what teams where thinking or seeing in a prospect.

With that said my head is spinning thinking about how BS approaches this offseason. The "gap" year was 95% amazing but all that matters is how it just ended....

My questions/thoughts

Assuming JT/JB/White/Pritchard all remain and represent foundational pieces of this roster. I know many will call for changes in this group but I think BS gives them a healthy JT season together.       

Who or what type of player makes the ideal next 4 playoff rotational pieces with these guys?

I'm leaning towards the Cs needing a true 5th starter. At least this season I would classify Hauser, Baylor, Walsh, Hugo and Harper and all capable 7th man aka 2nd guy off the bench. A true 5th starter is needed and I would like to see this player be more combo guard/traditional SG. Adding a 6'4-6'6 guy who can create some offense for himself while still defending and spacing the floor would really help these Cs shooting droughts. It would also be nice if this player like Holiday before him was able to take some of the primary ball handling duties. Finding that player is very difficult. Do the Cs kick the tire on Tatum BFF/Mentor Brad Beal? Is Grayson Allen attainable? Not that it would happen but if a Zach Lavine took a buyout? 

At Center Neema needs a legit 1B backup and Garza needs to be the 3rd big. Rob Williams is a nice fit in this role and a guy the Cs could nurse through the reg season using young backups to eat minutes. Other options could be Nick Richards or Jusuf Nurkic, I really think the Vooch experience should probably just be moved on from. I also think this spot could be filling in the future through creative drafting.


As fare as the rest of the roster I think its time to sell High on Hauser. Good player on a great contract but I want to see his minutes go to Baylor/Walsh/Hugo. If he isnt used to trade for a 5th starter of center I would try to use him to move up from #27 in this draft with Morez Johnson being my primary draft target. I have written a lot about Morez but bottom line he fits this teams defense and bring an edge/energy that is needed. He is mocked by many in the 20s but I suspect he goes in the teens.


All that being said how would Celtics fans feel if this was the roster/rotation going into next season? Understanding that Beal would be on a season long min restriction and back to back restriction giving more time to Baylor/Hugo/Walsh/Harper and the same for Rob Williams giving more minutes to Garza, Williams and Morez

PG White
SG Beal (if Healthy)
SF JB
PF JT
C  Queta

6th PP
7th Baylor
8th Rob Williams
9th Hugo
10th Walsh
11th Garza
12th Harper
13th Morez Johnson (via trade up)
14th A Williams
15th empty till late season

[Roy H.]

I agree that we need another starter, and that that starter should be a guard.  What player would best fit our team?  Jrue Holiday.  Somebody that can defend the point of attack, handle the ball, pass, and shoot.

But, we're not getting Jrue Holiday, and I don't think there's a single player that fills all of those buckets.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/available/_/year/2026

There are a few guys that at one time would have been a good fit, but most of them are on the downside of their career.  I put Beal in that category.

The best FA option I can think of that may be available for the Full MLE is Collin Sexton.  I think he'd be interesting.  We wouldn't have a ton of money to upgrade up front if we used the MLE, though, and still wanted to stay under the tax.

[Roy H.]

Moving on:

Vucevic
Shulga
Banton

Trade:  Williams + #27 for Messi + future #2

Sign:  Collin Sexton ($15.1m) Taurean Prince (VM)

Queta / Messi / Garza
Tatum / Prince
Brown / Hauser / Walsh
White / Scheierman / Harper
Sexton / Pritchard / Hugo

[Celtics2021]

I agree that we need another starter, and that that starter should be a guard.  What player would best fit our team?  Jrue Holiday.  Somebody that can defend the point of attack, handle the ball, pass, and shoot.

But, we're not getting Jrue Holiday, and I don't think there's a single player that fills all of those buckets.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/available/_/year/2026

There are a few guys that at one time would have been a good fit, but most of them are on the downside of their career.  I put Beal in that category.

The best FA option I can think of that may be available for the Full MLE is Collin Sexton.  I think he'd be interesting.  We wouldn't have a ton of money to upgrade up front if we used the MLE, though, and still wanted to stay under the tax.

The guy we should go after is Christian Braun.  The Nuggets are deep into the tax.  Hauser makes half the salary and would be a good fit for them with all the open looks Jokić can create for him.  Trading out Hauser for Braun, using the TPE, keeps us under the tax.  Braun is more of a secondary ball-handler than a primary one, but I still think he checks the boxes as another option to make things happen with the ball when things start to break down.

The biggest risk with Braun is he is coming off an awful year shooting (under 31% from 3), but he missed a lot of time with injuries and was still playing through it when he returned.  He was a 38% 3-point shooter for his career entering the season on nearly 500 attempts, so I am going to chalk this one up as an anomaly.  It is a noteworthy risk for someone about to start his 5-year extension, however.

But the Nuggets just had an even more disappointing finish to the season than we did, and are over $12 million into the tax with 10 players on the roster.  Someone is getting moved, and Braun feels like a candidate to be shipped out.