Welcome to Boston Paul George

[Who]

Why Paul George has been a major question on these boards.  While we do not know the other offers the Celtics received, and who the other salaries included were, obviously they existed.

I think this is the wrong question. It is the picks BOS wanted. Not Paul George. PG13 was the price they had to pay to get the picks they wanted.

I believe those were the best picks they were offered. They did not get any huge package of picks (3-4-5 picks). So it was between offers of around 2 picks and Philly's package of 2 picks was better than anyone else's 2 picks.

That is very likely to be a lotto pick in 2028 + that 2031 unprotected pick could be anything. So far off in the future. Those are very valuable picks.

Some folks are downplaying the picks just because they love Jaylen so much and they do not think this is a fair return --- forget whether it is a fair return or not. Just solely look at the picks and ask are they valuable? How valuable? Those are some highly valuable draft picks.

Now whether Brad wants those picks so he can keep them and use them to select cost-controlled young talent or whether he wants to package them together to bring in a 2nd start in a trade ... he has the "optionality" he wants.

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Paul George to me is more like a throw-in. A cap makeweight to make the deal work.

It is the picks that are the prize. Not PG13.

[celticinorlando]

Bobby Marks: Paul George waived his $3.9M trade bonus, sources tell ESPN. His cap hit in Boston remains at $54.1M and $56.6M (P)
x.com

I think with this they need to add to this team. Package Hauser, use the rest of the space and get another impact player.

Really think Brad presented this to PG selling that it will help improve the roster.

[Who]

Bobby Marks: Paul George waived his $3.9M trade bonus, sources tell ESPN. His cap hit in Boston remains at $54.1M and $56.6M (P)
x.com

I think with this they need to add to this team. Package Hauser, use the rest of the space and get another impact player.

I want them to hold steady where they are. Maintain their assets. Then use them to go big game hunting in 12-18 months time.

I don't want to miss out on a top player because we gave up a 1st or two 1sts this summer on a good but not great player. Wait to strike. Wait for the opportunity to get that great player.

[ozgod]

Why Paul George has been a major question on these boards.  While we do not know the other offers the Celtics received, and who the other salaries included were, obviously they existed.

I think this is the wrong question. It is the picks BOS wanted. Not Paul George. PG13 was the price they had to pay to get the picks they wanted.

I believe those were the best picks they were offered. They did not get any huge package of picks (3-4-5 picks). So it was between offers of around 2 picks and Philly's package of 2 picks was better than anyone else's 2 picks.

That is very likely to be a lotto pick in 2028 + that 2031 unprotected pick could be anything. So far off in the future. Those are very valuable picks.

Some folks are downplaying the picks just because they love Jaylen so much and they do not think this is a fair return --- forget whether it is a fair return or not. Just solely look at the picks and ask are they valuable? How valuable? Those are some highly valuable draft picks.

Now whether Brad wants those picks so he can keep them and use them to select cost-controlled young talent or whether he wants to package them together to bring in a 2nd start in a trade ... he has the "optionality" he wants.

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Paul George to me is more like a throw-in. A cap makeweight to make the deal work.

It is the picks that are the prize. Not PG13.

I think the reason PG13 was in the deal is because he's coming off the books in 2 seasons, and he has a player option for next season. If they offer him another 2-3 years at lower money they might be able to reduce his AAV so that it gives them more wiggle room around the aprons, and makes him more tradeable. It's more of a balance sheet decision than a basketball one, though if he is healthy he should be good for at least 15-18 ppg and 5rpg and some decent spacing and defense.

[Roy H.]

Why Paul George has been a major question on these boards.  While we do not know the other offers the Celtics received, and who the other salaries included were, obviously they existed.  With draft picks that are underwhelming (although I would argue we are misevaluating the 2028 pick, and may start a separate thread on that), why would the Celtics have picked Paul George from all the other overpaid players they were certainly offered?

Firstly, he fits the Celtics well.  He plays the same position as JB.  He is a better 3-point shooter, which, like it or not, is clearly something the team values.  He is an active defender on the wing.  His 4.1 deflections per game last season was 8th in the NBA.  This was something Joe talked about wanting to get more of last season, and while they did, their increase from 14.1 to 15.2 deflections per game only brought them from 29th to 25th in the league.  JB only averaged 1.8 deflections per game.  This is not to say PG13 is better than JB, but in some of the aspects that are stressed in the Celtics game plan, George is better than JB, and it is very possible that he was also superior to other players the Celtics might have been offered (assuming similar draft compensation).

And then there are the on/off analytics.  Much has been written about them, but they deserve renewed emphasis here.  Jaylen Brown has a negative career on/off rating.  The Celtics, over his 10 years, have been 1.3 points per 100 possessions worse when he plays compared to when he does not.  Over the last four seasons, it has been even worse, at negative 4.2.  He has finished in negative territory in 7 of 10 seasons.

Paul George, meanwhile, has never once had a season in the red.  16 years, his team has always been better when he played (except one year with a 0 on/off).  That has been true across four teams, 7 head coaches, years where he missed time due to injury, years he was healthy and playing every game, his rookie year off the bench, you name it.  16 seasons, and not once has he finished below 0, while JB has done it 7 times.  PG13 has a career average of +7.4, something JB has exceeded only once in a season.  George had a +4.4 on/off last year, and + 4.2 the year before, which would both be top-3 seasons for Jaylen.  Even in his advanced age and diminished capacity, he has continued to have a positive impact on his teams. 

It is very possible the Celtics came to the conclusion that Paul George would help them about as much as Jaylen Brown next year.  Yes, George makes too much money for what he offers, but so did JB.  But if the dollars are going to be the same this year and next year, and the on court impact the same, then the draft compensation looks good.

That does not mean the Celtics are not looking to move George.  If they can find someone with a similar on-court impact for a smaller amount of money, then they will likely head that direction.    But as it stands, the Celtics may view PG13 as something of a lateral on-court move, and so at shorter money and more draft assets, it was the move to make.

The move to make if you ignore age, durability, playoff performance, and mental health.

[Phantom255x]

Stevens said along the lines basically, "George is good, we like George" and when asked if this trade makes the team better, he replied "we'll see". Not encouraging lol.

I'll hope for the best and root for George if he's playing next season on the Celtics, but my hopes aren't high. He's still a downgrade from Jaylen and I think people are kind of ignoring the durability aspect too. Expecting 60+ games from him will be tough and they'll need him often probably to win 50+ games and be a Top-4 seed in the East if that's what they desire.

[Goldstar88]

Stevens said along the lines basically, "George is good, we like George" and when asked if this trade makes the team better, he replied "we'll see". Not encouraging lol.

I'll hope for the best and root for George if he's playing next season on the Celtics, but my hopes aren't high. He's still a downgrade from Jaylen and I think people are kind of ignoring the durability aspect too. Expecting 60+ games from him will be tough and they'll need him often probably to win 50+ games and be a Top-4 seed in the East if that's what they desire.

Brad also said that Paul George is a complimentary player and that he is very different from JB.

He mentioned that when you have Brown, he should be featured and have a high usage rate.

If you have Jaylen Brown on your team, you should feature him. You should use all those possessions, and you should approach things that way. But I think the importance of depth, and then obviously we have to continue to work on ways to diversify our attack overall.

[Celtics2021]

Stevens said along the lines basically, "George is good, we like George" and when asked if this trade makes the team better, he replied "we'll see". Not encouraging lol.

I'll hope for the best and root for George if he's playing next season on the Celtics, but my hopes aren't high. He's still a downgrade from Jaylen and I think people are kind of ignoring the durability aspect too. Expecting 60+ games from him will be tough and they'll need him often probably to win 50+ games and be a Top-4 seed in the East if that's what they desire.

He was hedging, obviously.  He was also talking about not evaluating a move by itself but within the context of other moves they are making, such as Robinson.  But because that signing is not official yet he could not talk about Mitch.

I also think it was pretty clear he did not like how the team played with Jaylen.  He is diplomatic and is not going to say that directly.  But read between the lines, and he talked about two players having so much usage being a problem, and it is not very different from the lack of ball movement we have complained about over the years.

It is also difficult to define better.  Brad has said that last year the record was inflated by teams tanking, and the expectation is that will not be the same this year.  So if he thinks the Celtics were really a 48-50 win team instead of 56, and next year they win 52 in a more competitive East, in his view that would be better, but he knows the media will never see it that way.  So for sure he should hedge.