Josh Smith rumor / Atlanta interested?

[moiso]

Maybe they would take a package built around Jeff Green for Smith.  I'd be interested in that.  Somehow the Gabe Pruitt/Jeff Green shy deer in headlights doesn't inspire confidence.

[Anomandaris]

Nope ... Ray and KG stay in green until retired.

My thoughts exactly. Give these guys one more year and let them retire as Celtics. They deserve it. They've done a lot for this team.

Alas, however nice that would be, those sentiments don't win us championships.

They both played superb ball this year, (easily the best they've played since '08 - maybe sooner), and have plenty more to contribute ... our best shot at a championship still remains with the Big Three as our core.

I'm confident that they still have another good year in them to make a run, but my concerns are the following:

1/ Is the team as a whole good & deep enough for another run next year?
2/ After 2012 we can't use their large expiring contracts anymore in a trade & the only way that we could rebuild a a contender then is by signing a FA of All NBA caliber.  That's a huge gamble to take, hoping that they'll sign with us and not 1 of the other 20 something teams.

Do they have another good year in them, most likely, but is the team good enough? What do we do after next season? They're not going to play forever.

[Bahku]

Nope ... Ray and KG stay in green until retired.

My thoughts exactly. Give these guys one more year and let them retire as Celtics. They deserve it. They've done a lot for this team.

Alas, however nice that would be, those sentiments don't win us championships.

They both played superb ball this year, (easily the best they've played since '08 - maybe sooner), and have plenty more to contribute ... our best shot at a championship still remains with the Big Three as our core.

I'm confident that they still have another good year in them to make a run, but my concerns are the following:

1/ Is the team as a whole good & deep enough for another run next year?
2/ After 2012 we can't use their large expiring contracts anymore in a trade & the only way that we could rebuild a a contender then is by signing a FA of All NBA caliber.  That's a huge gamble to take, hoping that they'll sign with us and not 1 of the other 20 something teams.

Do they have another good year in them, most likely, but is the team good enough? What do we do after next season? They're not going to play forever.

We're definitely not deep enough at present ... that, along with injuries, was our problem this year. But I thinking tweaking and strengthening the bench is our priority, (along with a Center/5th Starter), and keeping the chemistry we have now with the Big Three and R2. 2012-2013 will depend on how they look after another playoff run.

[Moranis]

I would trade Ray and KG for Josh Smith and Joe Johnson.

I would probably do that, but I would first see if instead of Ray I could move Davis.  C's only need like 5 million in salary on top of KG, so it would work from that end.

Then re-sign Green and West and go with a center in free agency.

Rondo, Johnson, Pierce, Smith, O'Neal starting with Allen, West, Green, FA Center as the main rotation.

[wdleehi]

Maybe this trade

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3q6sybm

KG, Ray for Johnson, Smith and Teague

With the Hawks sending the Celtics their draft pick in 2013. 



This should cost a lot for the Hawks to get out of Johnson's contract. 

[rondohondo]

Maybe this trade

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3q6sybm

KG, Ray for Johnson, Smith and Teague

With the Hawks sending the Celtics their draft pick in 2013. 



This should cost a lot for the Hawks to get out of Johnson's contract. 

so the Hawks send away all their young talent for a 2 year window of being a contender. Wit a core of KG, Ray and Horford, they wouldn't even make the finals

I think it has to be a smaller deal that helps the Hawks now and into the future.

Maybe something like Ray, BBD + Clippers pick for Josh Smith would be acceptable to Atlanta?

And I think it makes perfect sense for Boston too, you get another you defensive stud and athletic freak to team up with Rondo going into the future

[wdleehi]

Maybe this trade

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3q6sybm

KG, Ray for Johnson, Smith and Teague

With the Hawks sending the Celtics their draft pick in 2013. 



This should cost a lot for the Hawks to get out of Johnson's contract. 

so the Hawks send away all their young talent for a 2 year window of being a contender. Wit a core of KG, Ray and Horford, they wouldn't even make the finals

I think it has to be a smaller deal that helps the Hawks now and into the future.

Maybe something like Ray, BBD + Clippers pick for Josh Smith would be acceptable to Atlanta?

And I think it makes perfect sense for Boston too, you get another you defensive stud and athletic freak to team up with Rondo going into the future

If the Hawks really want to get out of Johnson's deal, then yes, they are going to have to give up young talent.  Young talent, cap space in 2012 and the ability to still be a playoff team (playoff ticket money) for the next two years. 


I would not give up more then Ray for Smith.  Not if the Celtics are looking to win this year.


And if they are looking to start over, trading the Clipper pick makes no sense. 

[bdm860]

We need to trade Ray, have Atlanta buy him out, then have Ray come back to Boston.  But alas, decent teams (i.e. teams in the playoffs) don't usually buy out guys.

Some people say we need more size/rebounding/athleticism, but if we trade Ray we then we'll get those but we'll lose shooting, and people will then say we need more shooting.  It's like robbing Peter to pay Paul, we'd be fixing one hole while causing another.  Pierce and occasional appearance by Delonte West is not enough shooting.

And if we trade Smith for Garnett, we'll have a big hole in the energy/chemistry department.  Sure we win the trade on paper, but not on the court.  Smith next to Garnett could work very well.  Smith without Garnett, we'd be kinda like Atlanta is now, best case 2nd round and out.

Smith/Garnett or Smith/Allen trades alone won't get us to 18.  Would need something more.

[CelticG1]

Can someone please explain this whole Joe Johnson contract thing for me. I understand they signed him to a ridiculous contract but wasn't that just last year? Did he play that poorly this year? I understand when someone has a crazy contract that someone wants to get out of but it usually isn't a year after they signed the guy especially when the guy played pretty well and didn't bring guns and threaten people in a lockeroom.

At the time the Hawks signed Johnson did they think it was a stupid deal but did it anyway?

It's just weird that you here how the "hawks want out of JJ's contract" when his contract barely has even started yet

[wdleehi]

Can someone please explain this whole Joe Johnson contract thing for me. I understand they signed him to a ridiculous contract but wasn't that just last year? Did he play that poorly this year? I understand when someone has a crazy contract that someone wants to get out of but it usually isn't a year after they signed the guy especially when the guy played pretty well and didn't bring guns and threaten people in a lockeroom.

At the time the Hawks signed Johnson did they think it was a stupid deal but did it anyway?

It's just weird that you here how the "hawks want out of JJ's contract" when his contract barely has even started yet

He is over payed.  He isn't the number 1 option in the crunch Atlanta wants him to be.  And he is in Atlanta which is a terrible sports town in terms of fans going to the games.



I think he could be more effective in Boston with Pierce to take the big shots, and Rondo setting him up. 

[CelticG1]

We need to trade Ray, have Atlanta buy him out, then have Ray come back to Boston.  But alas, decent teams (i.e. teams in the playoffs) don't usually buy out guys.

Some people say we need more size/rebounding/athleticism, but if we trade Ray we then we'll get those but we'll lose shooting, and people will then say we need more shooting.  It's like robbing Peter to pay Paul, we'd be fixing one hole while causing another.  Pierce and occasional appearance by Delonte West is not enough shooting.

And if we trade Smith for Garnett, we'll have a big hole in the energy/chemistry department.  Sure we win the trade on paper, but not on the court.  Smith next to Garnett could work very well.  Smith without Garnett, we'd be kinda like Atlanta is now, best case 2nd round and out.

Smith/Garnett or Smith/Allen trades alone won't get us to 18.  Would need something more.

I think the idea is that even though you are fixing one hole by opening up another that at least the new guy you are getting is 10 years younger

[rondohondo]

Maybe this trade

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3q6sybm

KG, Ray for Johnson, Smith and Teague

With the Hawks sending the Celtics their draft pick in 2013. 



This should cost a lot for the Hawks to get out of Johnson's contract. 

so the Hawks send away all their young talent for a 2 year window of being a contender. Wit a core of KG, Ray and Horford, they wouldn't even make the finals

I think it has to be a smaller deal that helps the Hawks now and into the future.

Maybe something like Ray, BBD + Clippers pick for Josh Smith would be acceptable to Atlanta?

And I think it makes perfect sense for Boston too, you get another you defensive stud and athletic freak to team up with Rondo going into the future

If the Hawks really want to get out of Johnson's deal, then yes, they are going to have to give up young talent.  Young talent, cap space in 2012 and the ability to still be a playoff team (playoff ticket money) for the next two years. 


I would not give up more then Ray for Smith.  Not if the Celtics are looking to win this year.


And if they are looking to start over, trading the Clipper pick makes no sense. 

 how does the clippers pick make no sense ? The highest it could possibly be in the next few years in #11. Do you really think we are going to get a player better or as good as Josh Smith ? Not to mention the fact that it would take another 3 years to develop that pick. Smith is only 25 years old, but has already but in his time in the NBA and gone through the growing pains. You team up Smith with his old highschool teammate Rondo, and let him learn under KG and you will see a beast in Boston .

So yes I would absolutely to a Ray, BBD and clippers picks for Josh Smith.

[LooseCannon]

I feel like this is the kind of deal that Ainge goes for (and should go for) if the Celtics are not leading their division mid-season.

Among Smith's alleged preferred teams, the Celtics can probably put together a more attractive trade package than Orlando, but can they beat the Nets and Rockets?  This isn't like the 'Melo-drama, where a player was interested in forcing a trade to one specific team.

A thought does occur to me.  Josh Smith went to high school with Rondo and has known Dwight Howard since pre-school.  A) Imagine if Smith was the axis of a troika attempting to assemble itself in Boston and B) Imagine the free throw shooting of that team.

[wdleehi]

Maybe this trade

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3q6sybm

KG, Ray for Johnson, Smith and Teague

With the Hawks sending the Celtics their draft pick in 2013. 



This should cost a lot for the Hawks to get out of Johnson's contract. 

so the Hawks send away all their young talent for a 2 year window of being a contender. Wit a core of KG, Ray and Horford, they wouldn't even make the finals

I think it has to be a smaller deal that helps the Hawks now and into the future.

Maybe something like Ray, BBD + Clippers pick for Josh Smith would be acceptable to Atlanta?

And I think it makes perfect sense for Boston too, you get another you defensive stud and athletic freak to team up with Rondo going into the future

If the Hawks really want to get out of Johnson's deal, then yes, they are going to have to give up young talent.  Young talent, cap space in 2012 and the ability to still be a playoff team (playoff ticket money) for the next two years. 


I would not give up more then Ray for Smith.  Not if the Celtics are looking to win this year.


And if they are looking to start over, trading the Clipper pick makes no sense. 

 how does the clippers pick make no sense ? The highest it could possibly be in the next few years in #11. Do you really think we are going to get a player better or as good as Josh Smith ? Not to mention the fact that it would take another 3 years to develop that pick. Smith is only 25 years old, but has already but in his time in the NBA and gone through the growing pains. You team up Smith with his old highschool teammate Rondo, and let him learn under KG and you will see a beast in Boston .

So yes I would absolutely to a Ray, BBD and clippers picks for Josh Smith.

If you trade Ray for Smith, you hurt this years chances to win.  

Smith may be younger, but he will be playing a new position where he will be a below average shooter.  The Celtics would then have Pierce as the only outside threat in the starting lineup.  


Therefor, Smith for Ray is a trade for future seasons, and the Celtics should not give up future assets.  



Not to mention Smith is asking to be traded.  That lowers trade value as well.  

[radiohead]

The Perk trade supposedly "killed" the Celtics' chemistry and was a major reason for their poor showing after the all-star break. I can imagine the impact to be 100 times more if either Ray or KG are traded. How would PP react if ever? He has said that this Celtics team is the most closely knit group that he's ever been with since college. I'd say give them one last run together, sign them for cheap next season, and let them retire as Celtics. Now if only we could get Josh Smith for Baby and other pieces...