I think the fact that he's been passed on the depth chart by Joel Freeland tells us what we need to know about the interest the Celtics should have in trading assets for Leonard.
That he's raw? That he can't grasp defensive assignments in the Blazers lineup? That Terry Stotts doesn't know how to develop a young player? That Joel Freeland's grit and hustle is a better complement to the 5-man unit?
All of those things, yeah.
Not saying Leonard is a bust and he's not going to be an NBA player, but you don't give up a 1st round pick for a guy who can't even carve a spot in a rotation on a young team without a ton of depth like the Blazers.
Well, I think the heat under Stotts has been turned up this season, with greater expectations and pressure to win. They went out and acquired some young vets (Lopez, Mo Williams, Dorell Wright) to address that depth concern. LaMarcus Aldridge is going to grow even more frustrated if the Blazers aren't making the playoffs. Improving the team defense is going to be crucial: the Blazers finished in the bottom third of the league last year both in terms of points differential and points allowed.
Developing Leonard may be a luxury the Blazers feel they can't afford right now. I agree: there's no need to overpay for him, and it's likely there are going to be bigger fish to land with the assets Ainge has stockpiled.
I 100% agree with you on Leonard's status with the Blazers. However I still think the Nets pick is a worth while trade for a talent like Leonards. Centers are so hard to find that a 7'1 athletic 21yr old who has had some productivity already is worth it.
I don't.
This Celtics team is looking pretty bad which means for the first time in years those picks actually look valuable to us (i.e. we have a weak enough roster that a good steal in the draft might actually get playing opportunities).
The fact that New Jersey only look like a good team for the next year (two at most) and then look like they will be horrible after that, just adds even more value to the pick. It means we could be trading a potential mid-to-high first rounder from the future for this guy...not worth it.
If we could get him for the Clippers draft pick that we got for Doc then maybe...but still doesn't interest me much. We already had a long-term project with legit size and mobility in Fab Melo and we let him go...I think this management is looking for guys with high IQ who can be very good one year from now. I don't think DA is planning to go through a long winded, multi-year rebuild. I think he wants to have decent, playoff ready team by the start of next season, and then build on that in the years to follow with strategic picks in the draft.