Trade deadline: It is imperative we go after Josh Smith!

[Goldstar88]

Jeff Green will prove to be a better overall player than smith. Plus his contract is much more cap friendly. Josh smith is not worth 13mil to the Celtics or any other team otherwise a trade would have already happened...

[Moranis]

The major problem you have with this kind of deal is that we offer Atlanta nothing in the form of expiring deals.  Our best, short term, large deal is Paul Pierce.  Mark my words...he is not getting traded for Josh Smith.

Atlanta will want a combo of cap relief and young players/picks.

We will almost certainly have to give up Avery Bradley, plus at least 1 first rounder if not 2.  Fab Melo might have to go as well.  I actually think that is enough in terms of player talent. 

But again...who fills the salary requirements of the trade?  Why would ATL agree to 2 more years of Bass, or 3 more years of Green? 

Bass is much cheaper than Josh Smith so they get cap relief.  I still think my trade from the top of page 2 is a pretty good deal for all parties.

Smith

for

Bass, Sullinger, Bradley or 2013 1st and 2nd (wolves)

The problem is, I don't think we could make it work under the salary apron.  But value-wise I think that would have to at least intrigue them.  Might just need to fit in another salary or two (perhaps going to a third team).

Smith is at 13.2.  Bradley is 1.6, Sullinger 1.3, so it would really depend on just where Bass starts as too how much more Boston's salary really is.  I could certainly see an additional player or two leaving, but the problem is Boston doesn't really have any players in that low end range that it would want to get rid of just to get rid of (I mean you aren't going to give up Melo and guys like Lee, Terry, etc. are going to be far too valuable.  I suppose someone like Wilcox might work, but why hurt the big man depth just to hurt it).

Next summer I could see some more cost saving moves being made to re-sign Smith (i.e. move Terry or Lee), but I don't think it happens at the time they trade for Smith.

[Moranis]

Jeff Green will prove to be a better overall player than smith. Plus his contract is much more cap friendly. Josh smith is not worth 13mil to the Celtics or any other team otherwise a trade would have already happened...

Jeff Green is 7 months younger than Josh Smith and has never even come close to a season like Josh Smith's last SIX years in Atlanta.  I like Jeff Green, but he doesn't hold a candle to Josh Smith and that was before he missed an entire season with a heart defect.

[Goldstar88]

Jeff Green will prove to be a better overall player than smith. Plus his contract is much more cap friendly. Josh smith is not worth 13mil to the Celtics or any other team otherwise a trade would have already happened...

Jeff Green is 7 months younger than Josh Smith and has never even come close to a season like Josh Smith's last SIX years in Atlanta.  I like Jeff Green, but he doesn't hold a candle to Josh Smith and that was before he missed an entire season with a heart defect.

Then why hasnt any team in the NBA made a move for him? Atlanta had been shopping him last year. They made it known that he was available. hes not worth it.

[coco]

Jeff Green will prove to be a better overall player than smith. Plus his contract is much more cap friendly. Josh smith is not worth 13mil to the Celtics or any other team otherwise a trade would have already happened...

Jeff Green is 7 months younger than Josh Smith and has never even come close to a season like Josh Smith's last SIX years in Atlanta.  I like Jeff Green, but he doesn't hold a candle to Josh Smith and that was before he missed an entire season with a heart defect.

Then why hasnt any team in the NBA made a move for him? Atlanta had been shopping him last year. They made it known that he was available. hes not worth it.

Good point.  My best guess is that everyone is turned off by JSmith frequent impersonations of Antoine Walker - especially late in the game - and shoot your team out of the game.
 
JSmith is so unrelaiable for the money he is paid....

[Goldstar88]

Jeff Green will prove to be a better overall player than smith. Plus his contract is much more cap friendly. Josh smith is not worth 13mil to the Celtics or any other team otherwise a trade would have already happened...

Jeff Green is 7 months younger than Josh Smith and has never even come close to a season like Josh Smith's last SIX years in Atlanta.  I like Jeff Green, but he doesn't hold a candle to Josh Smith and that was before he missed an entire season with a heart defect.

Then why hasnt any team in the NBA made a move for him? Atlanta had been shopping him last year. They made it known that he was available. hes not worth it.

Good point.  My best guess is that everyone is turned off by JSmith frequent impersonations of Antoine Walker - especially late in the game - and shoot your team out of the game.
 
JSmith is so unrelaiable for the money he is paid....

Thank you for seeing the light. TP

[CelticG1]

Bass is not a legit starting PF, he is far too limited everywhere except spot up shooting to be a long term answer.  Remember he was only starting last year because of multiple injuries. 

No, he was startign last year because he outplayed everyone. He will likely start this year as well.

Bass only starts this year because Boston didn't sign anyone that could reasonably start over him, but Bass is one of the worst starting PF's in basketball. 

That's a bit unfair regarding Bass. In a vacuum hes not a top tier PF but he is very valuable to our team and fits his role perfectly. Yeah he's not a cornerstone guy but he is a great 4th scoring option. Better than Smith is a second or 3rdthe option.

Id be thrilled to get smith for defensive purposes but I don't think a guy like him or other a lot of other Pf's would fit as well as bass does on our offense

[Jon]

Another thing to consider with Smith will be retaining him; he is a free agent after next season.  We have to ask ourselves not only if we can keep him, but what it's going to take. 

His 13 million dollar salary isn't terrible.  But is it going to take even more to keep him? 

I like Smith, but I don't think he's worth max dollars.  And that could be a sticking point moving forward. 

[tonyto3690]

I love how people are stuck by previous impressions of him and haven't actually watched him play or seen an interview of him in the past 3 years.

Josh WAS a shoot happy player who was also kind of an idiot and a punk.
The Josh that is now, is much more mature and knows his game much better.  He takes maybe one bad shot per game, but given his elite rebounding, elite defense, and ability to drop 20+ every night, that is more than worth it.

The Hawks are an iso offense based team (or at least were with Johnson).  It was literally iso to JJ or Josh most possessions.  Remember when Bass was seen as a ball hog and chucker ("no-pass Bass" was his nickname), and then he came to the Celtics?  With Rondo feeding him easy looks, he went from chucker to knock down shooter and sixth man of the year candidate before he finally became a starter.  Josh is already head and shoulders better than Bass on both ends of the court.  Rondo with Smith would be insane.  Smith has the athleticism to finish above the rim in the roll and a very good mid range jumper.  He has better range and consistency from mid range than KG at this point. 

This is all not even taking into account the two best things about him - he is a ridiculously good rebounder and defensive player.  As a rebounder he reminds me a lot of Barkley.  He provides great rim protection and shot blocking- something we desperately need to help KG out with.

And those for saying Sullinger/Bass/Green match his production- that really doesn't matter.  Top end talent matters much more (see Spurs vs Thunder), and only one player can play at a time, and that's compounded in the playoffs (you know when games actually matter). 

[Moranis]

Jeff Green will prove to be a better overall player than smith. Plus his contract is much more cap friendly. Josh smith is not worth 13mil to the Celtics or any other team otherwise a trade would have already happened...

Jeff Green is 7 months younger than Josh Smith and has never even come close to a season like Josh Smith's last SIX years in Atlanta.  I like Jeff Green, but he doesn't hold a candle to Josh Smith and that was before he missed an entire season with a heart defect.

Then why hasnt any team in the NBA made a move for him? Atlanta had been shopping him last year. They made it known that he was available. hes not worth it.

Because Atlanta knows how good he is, had him locked up for more than a year, and wasn't selling him for pennies on the dollar.

[Moranis]

Another thing to consider with Smith will be retaining him; he is a free agent after next season.  We have to ask ourselves not only if we can keep him, but what it's going to take. 

His 13 million dollar salary isn't terrible.  But is it going to take even more to keep him? 

I like Smith, but I don't think he's worth max dollars.  And that could be a sticking point moving forward. 

I am quite sure Smith will want at least 15 million and will probably get it from some team.  But then again given everything he does, he is probably worth that, especially for a team like Boston that needs young athletic players that fit with Rondo.  Josh Smith is the perfect compliment to Rondo and yet is still a good fit with KG and Pierce. 

[crimson_stallion]

Atlanta gave us a huge run for our money in the playoffs last year with Hortford and Pachulia (mind my spelling) out.

Who do you thing was the biggest reason for that?

Joe Johnson?  No way, he shot them out of games as much as he shot them in.

Teague?  No.  He was solid, but not dominant.

Josh Smith was an absolute beast, and he was single handedly destroying us in every facet of the game (scoring, rebounding, assists, defense).  The guy is horribly underrated in a league where people frequently considers Pay Gasol, Kevin Love, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett the best PF's in the league - in terms if overall production Josh Smith is at least a match for Gasol, Duncan and KG at this point in their career, and I'd take him over a "play no defense" Kevin Love any day of the week (and twice on Sunday).  Plus he is  young and incredibly athletic.  

Smith is as much an improvement over Bass as Jason Terry us over Keyon Dooling.  Bass is an  elite midrange shooter with great work ethic, but is average or below average  in every other way -he really is more of a very good bench player then he is a perennial starter...but he does ok for us because he fills a need.

Smith is an all-star PF.  I will guarantee you right now that hell he an all-star this year.  He's a top 5 PF in the league without question, possibly top 3 as an overall player who does a lot of everything.  He's kinda like a swiss army knife player - like a Rondo at PF.

I'd give up anyone not names Rondo or KG if it meant a chance to get Smith.

[kozlodoev]

Another thing to consider with Smith will be retaining him; he is a free agent after next season.  We have to ask ourselves not only if we can keep him, but what it's going to take. 

His 13 million dollar salary isn't terrible.  But is it going to take even more to keep him? 

I like Smith, but I don't think he's worth max dollars.  And that could be a sticking point moving forward. 

I am quite sure Smith will want at least 15 million and will probably get it from some team.  But then again given everything he does, he is probably worth that, especially for a team like Boston that needs young athletic players that fit with Rondo.  Josh Smith is the perfect compliment to Rondo and yet is still a good fit with KG and Pierce. 

The perfect compliment to Rondo is an article in the Globe/Herald

Otherwise, for $15 million, I'd prefer someone less volatile on and off the court.

[Goldstar88]

Jeff Green will prove to be a better overall player than smith. Plus his contract is much more cap friendly. Josh smith is not worth 13mil to the Celtics or any other team otherwise a trade would have already happened...

Jeff Green is 7 months younger than Josh Smith and has never even come close to a season like Josh Smith's last SIX years in Atlanta.  I like Jeff Green, but he doesn't hold a candle to Josh Smith and that was before he missed an entire season with a heart defect.

Then why hasnt any team in the NBA made a move for him? Atlanta had been shopping him last year. They made it known that he was available. hes not worth it.

Because Atlanta knows how good he is, had him locked up for more than a year, and wasn't selling him for pennies on the dollar.

They want to trade him because they know how good he is? don't quite see your logic there... They are being offered pennies on the dollar because hes good? I don't follow....

[Jon]

Another thing to consider with Smith will be retaining him; he is a free agent after next season.  We have to ask ourselves not only if we can keep him, but what it's going to take. 

His 13 million dollar salary isn't terrible.  But is it going to take even more to keep him? 

I like Smith, but I don't think he's worth max dollars.  And that could be a sticking point moving forward. 

I am quite sure Smith will want at least 15 million and will probably get it from some team.  But then again given everything he does, he is probably worth that, especially for a team like Boston that needs young athletic players that fit with Rondo.  Josh Smith is the perfect compliment to Rondo and yet is still a good fit with KG and Pierce. 

I agree that he's a good fit.  

My only question is this: can the Celtics give up the requisite talent for Smith, sign him to a max deal knowing they have to give one to Rondo when his deal is up, and still have enough flexibility left to add another star?

I don't think Rondo and Smith are good enough to be the 1-2 punch of a team that takes down OKC, Miami, or Chicago.