Zack Lowe's take on the Crawford/Brooks trade

[merkins]

If we have a chance to get their '15 pick, that will mean Philly will have had 4 lottery picks in '13 and '14.

I doubt they care too much about a 2015 mid 1st round pick if it means they are improving with that young core.  They will be looking to add established players eventually.

[freshinthehouse]

I get there with be no max F/A coming but what about the 10.3 million TPE which expires in July? Really thought after the Lee deal, that Danny was maneuvering to get further under luxury tax threshold so as to use the TPE before July. Would seem that taking on Anthony's player option would make this less likely?

I really do not like this deal. Was happy to move Lee because of the length of his deal, but why immediately take back Anthony's extra year?

I would like to build some upside assets now. Why not seek a young S/G prospect like Austin Rivers, McLemore or any one else still on a rookie deal that might develop? That is what scouts are for, finding the next Jeremy Lamb, Alec Burks or Wes Matthews, even if we have to give up the NJ or LAC pick with a Crawford etc to do it. The NBA is a shooters league more than ever. Look at GSW, Phoenix, Houston and Portland. They all have deep shooters.

My bet would be to find one young player like Rivers, McLemore, Waiters (at least call) that has not yet emerged who might be had for a late first and expiring. That option may be better than anything that you can get at 15 to 25 in the draft this year or next with the NJ or LAC pick. This would be a start and then hope that some size comes with our future picks or through bigger trades. I would love to have a Utah type roster by end of next year.

Even Kendall Marshall would of been worth a look. Lakers are a mess and he is not a shooter, but he is playing 28 minutes a game and averaging 10 and 9. What are we going to do if Rondo has to take it slow or develops some initial pain or swelling suddenly playing starter minutes 3 to 4 days a week? If he takes a few games off, we have 3 guards total, including a free agent and a guy who has been here a week.

Just sick of this dead wood roster of mainly garbage and lots of future conditional draft picks. Yes, great potential in this draft, but other than say Embiid, Randle, Payne, McDermott, Kane, Fair and a few others older guys. I do not see how even the most highly touted freshman will be able contribute much next year.

Can you imagine Vonleh or Gordon trying to match up with Aldridge, Davis, Duncan, Bosh, Dirk, Josh Smith or Love? Wiggins or Parker on Melo, George, Durant, Joe Johnson or Lebron? Not happening next year based on what I have seen.

I am really hoping Danny has some immediate plan for TPE's, expirings and all the draft picks? I would like to go the way of Golden State and get some young shooters first. Rondo will find them and Sullinger can muck in up with rebounding and garbage baskets like David Lee does. Then hope a Embiid, Towns, Okafor or Turner falls in our lap in the next two years.

To get one of the premier bigs in the 2015 draft, we are gonna need a high pick next year.  To do that, we are gonna have to stink again next year.  My guess is next year is a lot like this year, where we make moves on contracts/draft picks that we feel are favorable, lose 50+ games, and set our sites on 2016.

[JBcat]

To summarize we now need to root for Atlanta and Brooklyn to be bad this year, and the Clippers next year, and Philly to be good this year but if not next year.  This is getting confusing.  Lol

[Dog_Lover106]

TPE can still be used. The likely scenario has always been either on Draft Night, or during the high days of the FA season in July 2014 to land a FA in a sign and trade scenario.

Kendall Marshall could not have been acquired until Ainge made a deal to lower payroll costs, because the team could not cross the luxury tax threshold. Once the Lee deal happened, things loosened up quite a bit, as today's trade demonstrates. Likely more to come.

I am not saying Marshall is a big piece, but he is on the books with the Lakers for $547,000 this year. I do not think that would of put them over any hard cap.

As far as the $10.3 TPE, how are they going to just add that amount given the luxury tax situation?

A sign and trade would seemly just use an expiring like Humphires, Bayless or Bogans, not the TPE, as the exception would add dollars subject to tax threshold. Guess I am not sure how the dates align and when Humphies etc. salaries come off the books, versus expiration of TPE.

I remember a Globe writer saying the secret "big plum" in the NJ deal was the TPE? Looks like they have plenty of "assets", such as expirings and TPE to acquire real talent, but no room to take on additional salary with the TPE. Until I see a so called "valuable" expiring or TPE actually bring in someone who can play, I am calling all these "assets" overrated.

[LooseCannon]

TPE can still be used. The likely scenario has always been either on Draft Night, or during the high days of the FA season in July 2014 to land a FA in a sign and trade scenario.

Kendall Marshall could not have been acquired until Ainge made a deal to lower payroll costs, because the team could not cross the luxury tax threshold. Once the Lee deal happened, things loosened up quite a bit, as today's trade demonstrates. Likely more to come.

I am not saying Marshall is a big piece, but he is on the books with the Lakers for $547,000 this year. I do not think that would of put them over any hard cap.

While the Celtics had few million below the hard cap created by acquiring a player through a sign-and-trade, going over the luxury tax threshold by even a dollar would have resulted in millions of future extra dollars being spent through the repeater luxury tax rate.  Before Courtney Lee was traded, the Celtics were so close to the luxury tax line that the difference was smaller than the minimum salary.  Financially, signing Marshall at that point would have been more disastrous than the Knicks signing Chris Smith and paying $1.6m in luxury tax to send JR's brother and his 500k salary to the D-League.

[Lucky17]

TPE can still be used. The likely scenario has always been either on Draft Night, or during the high days of the FA season in July 2014 to land a FA in a sign and trade scenario.

Kendall Marshall could not have been acquired until Ainge made a deal to lower payroll costs, because the team could not cross the luxury tax threshold. Once the Lee deal happened, things loosened up quite a bit, as today's trade demonstrates. Likely more to come.

I am not saying Marshall is a big piece, but he is on the books with the Lakers for $547,000 this year. I do not think that would of put them over any hard cap.

As far as the $10.3 TPE, how are they going to just add that amount given the luxury tax situation?

A sign and trade would seemly just use an expiring like Humphires, Bayless or Bogans, not the TPE, as the exception would add dollars subject to tax threshold. Guess I am not sure how the dates align and when Humphies etc. salaries come off the books, versus expiration of TPE.

I remember a Globe writer saying the secret "big plum" in the NJ deal was the TPE? Looks like they have plenty of "assets", such as expirings and TPE to acquire real talent, but no room to take on additional salary with the TPE. Until I see a so called "valuable" expiring or TPE actually bring in someone who can play, I am calling all these "assets" overrated.

Celtics were right up against the hard cap. They had no room to manoeuver whatsoever. Not even able to offer a pro-rated rookie-level minimum contract. They couldn't cross that threshold, without invalidating the Nets megadeal from this past July, as they used nontaxpayer status to acquire the TE.

In terms of a sign and trade during next season's FA period, Humphries will not be available, because his contract will have expired by then. Neither will Bayless.

The TE will still be available until July 10 or so, just after the moratorium passes. Ainge could use it to acquire a FA via sign and trade (new contract under $10 mil), or leverage it to acquire assets from teams desperate to clear cap space of their own.

[BballTim]

I guess 2nd rounders are more valuable than they used to be. Also, I misunderstood the trade to be potentially 2 2nd rounders, not 3, so that makes it a little better.

And of course the more picks you have, the better chance you might hit on one. Ainge's track record isn't so great with 2nd rounders though, right? Besides Glen Davis, has there been any success stores? Ryan Gomes was OK. So is E'twaun Moore. Gabe Pruitt, Kris Joseph, Luke Harangody, Orien Greene, Justin Reed, Brandon Hunter, Darius Songaila not so much.

I forgot about Leon Powe. I wouldn't consider him a bust but he wasn't a big hit either. Managed to play 5 years in the league, at least.

  Don't forget the center from overseas we sent to Cleveland with Harangody. I think that's pretty good overall, though. How many  teams pick that many 2nd rounders that stay in the league that long?

[Donoghus]

The rotation on Orien Greene's jumpshots still give me nightmares.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

Figured I'd make this a separate thread as it's somewhat lengthy and I think Lowe explains it perfectly.

The best subplot of my day: Boston fans railing on Twitter that this is a horrible deal. Umm … it’s Jordan Crawford. Do you not think the other 29 teams watch the NBA? Do you think 29 other GMs are Googling “Jordan Crawford,” seeing his Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor, and asking their owner how many first-round picks they might give up for him? Do you think those GMs are unaware Brooks hasn’t been able to get on the floor at all this season for a very bad NBA team?

There was zero chance Boston was getting a first-round pick for Crawford and Brooks. Zero. The Bulls didn’t even get a guaranteed first-round pick for Luol Deng. The Magic didn’t get one for J.J. Redick. Teams are hoarding first-round picks like Ron Swanson hoards his buried gold. And as I’ve noted before, there just aren’t many contenders or even ambitious playoff teams with a massive need at backup point guard. Crawford’s a nice little piece, but he has been very bad for most of his NBA career, and just so-so in this career year.

This is a small bounty for Boston. The second-rounder from Miami is a nice little addition, but the real prize is the first-rounder the Sixers gave Miami two drafts ago in exchange for Arnett Moultrie.

However, this is not an automatic first-rounder, and may end up as a fake first-rounder. It’s lottery-protected in each of the next two seasons, meaning the Sixers keep it if they miss the playoffs. If they miss the postseason both this year (duh) and next, the pick morphs into two second-rounders that would go to Boston.

Never underestimate the horribleness of the Eastern Conference. The Sixers will almost certainly have two lottery picks in this draft — their own and the one they acquired from the Pelicans for Jrue Holiday. That pick is top-five protected, and given New Orleans’s injury issues, it could fall somewhere around no. 8 or no. 9. Nail those picks, get Nerlens Noel healthy, and sign the requisite cap-fodder veterans, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Philly crawls into a low-end playoff spot next season — sending Boston a first-rounder in the process.

But Philly isn’t done trading. They’ve amped up their feelers on Thaddeus Young in the last week, per several league sources, and other execs view it as a lock that Evan Turner will be on the block — if he isn’t already. If Philly dumps enough veterans and opts against replacing them next season with equal quality, they could be pretty bad again.

But even three second-rounders is a nice haul for two players Boston wasn’t going to use long-term. Anthony’s $3.8 million deal for next season is the price, and in raw terms, that is more than the combined Year 1 salaries of three second-rounders. But Boston will have a solid chunk of cap space this summer after dumping Courtney Lee, and they could get something like max-level room if they find a taker for Brandon Bass before the trade deadline. Anthony cuts into that space a tad, but the Cs weren’t going to get that Philly pick without Miami (and Anthony) getting involved in the deal.

Using max-level cap space in a straight free-agency signing isn’t really even part of the plan here, anyway. Boston simply wants to remain flexible enough to take in salary via trade while piling up assets. This deal does the job. Teams are valuing second-round picks more highly than ever. They produce cheap players with some upside, and teams can structure their contracts in all kinds of favorable ways outside the rookie scale for first-round picks. Anthony himself will become an expiring contract this season, just another little trade ingredient for the Cs.

Losing Crawford will also make Boston worse this season, increasing their lottery odds. Rajon Rondo will be back soon to take over at point guard, but he’ll be rusty, and Boston just downgraded the backup point guard spot dramatically. Phil Pressey tries hard, but guys who shoot 24 percent and turn the ball over a lot are not exactly helpful NBA players.

This is something very much like a win-win-win, a small-scale move that could carry real meaning down the line for two contenders.

I get there with be no max F/A coming but what about the 10.3 million TPE which expires in July? Really thought after the Lee deal, that Danny was maneuvering to get further under luxury tax threshold so as to use the TPE before July. Would seem that taking on Anthony's player option would make this less likely?

I really do not like this deal. Was happy to move Lee because of the length of his deal, but why immediately take back Anthony's extra year?

I would like to build some upside assets now. Why not seek a young S/G prospect like Austin Rivers, McLemore or any one else still on a rookie deal that might develop? That is what scouts are for, finding the next Jeremy Lamb, Alec Burks or Wes Matthews, even if we have to give up the NJ or LAC pick with a Crawford etc to do it. The NBA is a shooters league more than ever. Look at GSW, Phoenix, Houston and Portland. They all have deep shooters.

My bet would be to find one young player like Rivers, McLemore, Waiters (at least call) that has not yet emerged who might be had for a late first and expiring. That option may be better than anything that you can get at 15 to 25 in the draft this year or next with the NJ or LAC pick. This would be a start and then hope that some size comes with our future picks or through bigger trades. I would love to have a Utah type roster by end of next year.

Even Kendall Marshall would of been worth a look. Lakers are a mess and he is not a shooter, but he is playing 28 minutes a game and averaging 10 and 9. What are we going to do if Rondo has to take it slow or develops some initial pain or swelling suddenly playing starter minutes 3 to 4 days a week? If he takes a few games off, we have 3 guards total, including a free agent and a guy who has been here a week.

Just sick of this dead wood roster of mainly garbage and lots of future conditional draft picks. Yes, great potential in this draft, but other than say Embiid, Randle, Payne, McDermott, Kane, Fair and a few others older guys. I do not see how even the most highly touted freshman will be able contribute much next year.

Can you imagine Vonleh or Gordon trying to match up with Aldridge, Davis, Duncan, Bosh, Dirk, Josh Smith or Love? Wiggins or Parker on Melo, George, Durant, Joe Johnson or Lebron? Not happening next year based on what I have seen.

I am really hoping Danny has some immediate plan for TPE's, expirings and all the draft picks? I would like to go the way of Golden State and get some young shooters first. Rondo will find them and Sullinger can muck in up with rebounding and garbage baskets like David Lee does. Then hope a Embiid, Towns, Okafor or Turner falls in our lap in the next two years.

Its been 6 months.

You think golden state did it in half a season? If they're who you're holding up as the example go look at how many seasons it took them.

To already be sick of a roster of assets, picks, etc (and there is more than that) is a little crazy when it hasn't even been half a season of this rebuilding.

[fairweatherfan]

I guess 2nd rounders are more valuable than they used to be. Also, I misunderstood the trade to be potentially 2 2nd rounders, not 3, so that makes it a little better.

And of course the more picks you have, the better chance you might hit on one. Ainge's track record isn't so great with 2nd rounders though, right? Besides Glen Davis, has there been any success stores? Ryan Gomes was OK. So is E'twaun Moore. Gabe Pruitt, Kris Joseph, Luke Harangody, Orien Greene, Justin Reed, Brandon Hunter, Darius Songaila not so much.

I forgot about Leon Powe. I wouldn't consider him a bust but he wasn't a big hit either. Managed to play 5 years in the league, at least.

  Don't forget the center from overseas we sent to Cleveland with Harangody. I think that's pretty good overall, though. How many  teams pick that many 2nd rounders that stay in the league that long?

Lester "The Bester" Hudson.

[Dog_Lover106]

Figured I'd make this a separate thread as it's somewhat lengthy and I think Lowe explains it perfectly.

The best subplot of my day: Boston fans railing on Twitter that this is a horrible deal. Umm … it’s Jordan Crawford. Do you not think the other 29 teams watch the NBA? Do you think 29 other GMs are Googling “Jordan Crawford,” seeing his Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor, and asking their owner how many first-round picks they might give up for him? Do you think those GMs are unaware Brooks hasn’t been able to get on the floor at all this season for a very bad NBA team?

There was zero chance Boston was getting a first-round pick for Crawford and Brooks. Zero. The Bulls didn’t even get a guaranteed first-round pick for Luol Deng. The Magic didn’t get one for J.J. Redick. Teams are hoarding first-round picks like Ron Swanson hoards his buried gold. And as I’ve noted before, there just aren’t many contenders or even ambitious playoff teams with a massive need at backup point guard. Crawford’s a nice little piece, but he has been very bad for most of his NBA career, and just so-so in this career year.

This is a small bounty for Boston. The second-rounder from Miami is a nice little addition, but the real prize is the first-rounder the Sixers gave Miami two drafts ago in exchange for Arnett Moultrie.

However, this is not an automatic first-rounder, and may end up as a fake first-rounder. It’s lottery-protected in each of the next two seasons, meaning the Sixers keep it if they miss the playoffs. If they miss the postseason both this year (duh) and next, the pick morphs into two second-rounders that would go to Boston.

Never underestimate the horribleness of the Eastern Conference. The Sixers will almost certainly have two lottery picks in this draft — their own and the one they acquired from the Pelicans for Jrue Holiday. That pick is top-five protected, and given New Orleans’s injury issues, it could fall somewhere around no. 8 or no. 9. Nail those picks, get Nerlens Noel healthy, and sign the requisite cap-fodder veterans, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Philly crawls into a low-end playoff spot next season — sending Boston a first-rounder in the process.

But Philly isn’t done trading. They’ve amped up their feelers on Thaddeus Young in the last week, per several league sources, and other execs view it as a lock that Evan Turner will be on the block — if he isn’t already. If Philly dumps enough veterans and opts against replacing them next season with equal quality, they could be pretty bad again.

But even three second-rounders is a nice haul for two players Boston wasn’t going to use long-term. Anthony’s $3.8 million deal for next season is the price, and in raw terms, that is more than the combined Year 1 salaries of three second-rounders. But Boston will have a solid chunk of cap space this summer after dumping Courtney Lee, and they could get something like max-level room if they find a taker for Brandon Bass before the trade deadline. Anthony cuts into that space a tad, but the Cs weren’t going to get that Philly pick without Miami (and Anthony) getting involved in the deal.

Using max-level cap space in a straight free-agency signing isn’t really even part of the plan here, anyway. Boston simply wants to remain flexible enough to take in salary via trade while piling up assets. This deal does the job. Teams are valuing second-round picks more highly than ever. They produce cheap players with some upside, and teams can structure their contracts in all kinds of favorable ways outside the rookie scale for first-round picks. Anthony himself will become an expiring contract this season, just another little trade ingredient for the Cs.

Losing Crawford will also make Boston worse this season, increasing their lottery odds. Rajon Rondo will be back soon to take over at point guard, but he’ll be rusty, and Boston just downgraded the backup point guard spot dramatically. Phil Pressey tries hard, but guys who shoot 24 percent and turn the ball over a lot are not exactly helpful NBA players.

This is something very much like a win-win-win, a small-scale move that could carry real meaning down the line for two contenders.

I get there with be no max F/A coming but what about the 10.3 million TPE which expires in July? Really thought after the Lee deal, that Danny was maneuvering to get further under luxury tax threshold so as to use the TPE before July. Would seem that taking on Anthony's player option would make this less likely?

I really do not like this deal. Was happy to move Lee because of the length of his deal, but why immediately take back Anthony's extra year?

I would like to build some upside assets now. Why not seek a young S/G prospect like Austin Rivers, McLemore or any one else still on a rookie deal that might develop? That is what scouts are for, finding the next Jeremy Lamb, Alec Burks or Wes Matthews, even if we have to give up the NJ or LAC pick with a Crawford etc to do it. The NBA is a shooters league more than ever. Look at GSW, Phoenix, Houston and Portland. They all have deep shooters.

My bet would be to find one young player like Rivers, McLemore, Waiters (at least call) that has not yet emerged who might be had for a late first and expiring. That option may be better than anything that you can get at 15 to 25 in the draft this year or next with the NJ or LAC pick. This would be a start and then hope that some size comes with our future picks or through bigger trades. I would love to have a Utah type roster by end of next year.

Even Kendall Marshall would of been worth a look. Lakers are a mess and he is not a shooter, but he is playing 28 minutes a game and averaging 10 and 9. What are we going to do if Rondo has to take it slow or develops some initial pain or swelling suddenly playing starter minutes 3 to 4 days a week? If he takes a few games off, we have 3 guards total, including a free agent and a guy who has been here a week.

Just sick of this dead wood roster of mainly garbage and lots of future conditional draft picks. Yes, great potential in this draft, but other than say Embiid, Randle, Payne, McDermott, Kane, Fair and a few others older guys. I do not see how even the most highly touted freshman will be able contribute much next year.

Can you imagine Vonleh or Gordon trying to match up with Aldridge, Davis, Duncan, Bosh, Dirk, Josh Smith or Love? Wiggins or Parker on Melo, George, Durant, Joe Johnson or Lebron? Not happening next year based on what I have seen.

I am really hoping Danny has some immediate plan for TPE's, expirings and all the draft picks? I would like to go the way of Golden State and get some young shooters first. Rondo will find them and Sullinger can muck in up with rebounding and garbage baskets like David Lee does. Then hope a Embiid, Towns, Okafor or Turner falls in our lap in the next two years.

Its been 6 months.

You think golden state did it in half a season? If they're who you're holding up as the example go look at how many seasons it took them.

To already be sick of a roster of assets, picks, etc (and there is more than that) is a little crazy when it hasn't even been half a season of this rebuilding.

Would rather not get anymore guys that we have to send home, but still pay, just for more draft picks.

Only said I would like to start to develop a team like GS around outside shooting. Game has changed, it is a shooters league.

That is why contenders like LAC get Reddick and SA gets Bellinelli. It is also why teams like Phoenix, Portland and GS are beginning to play solid ball. Miami is even looking for a Mike Miller replacement. 

Do not see where I said GS did that in 6 months? Phoenix did do a pretty good job in 6 months though and Len has not even played. Marcus Morris was a good pick up, as was Gerald Green. Cheap assets that can actually play some minutes.

[BballTim]

I guess 2nd rounders are more valuable than they used to be. Also, I misunderstood the trade to be potentially 2 2nd rounders, not 3, so that makes it a little better.

And of course the more picks you have, the better chance you might hit on one. Ainge's track record isn't so great with 2nd rounders though, right? Besides Glen Davis, has there been any success stores? Ryan Gomes was OK. So is E'twaun Moore. Gabe Pruitt, Kris Joseph, Luke Harangody, Orien Greene, Justin Reed, Brandon Hunter, Darius Songaila not so much.

I forgot about Leon Powe. I wouldn't consider him a bust but he wasn't a big hit either. Managed to play 5 years in the league, at least.

  Don't forget the center from overseas we sent to Cleveland with Harangody. I think that's pretty good overall, though. How many  teams pick that many 2nd rounders that stay in the league that long?

Lester "The Bester" Hudson.

 Hilarious. I thought of him and his great games for the Cavs but then thought to myself, "there he is, Orien Greene". Oops.

[hwangjini_1]

I guess 2nd rounders are more valuable than they used to be. Also, I misunderstood the trade to be potentially 2 2nd rounders, not 3, so that makes it a little better.

And of course the more picks you have, the better chance you might hit on one. Ainge's track record isn't so great with 2nd rounders though, right? Besides Glen Davis, has there been any success stores? Ryan Gomes was OK. So is E'twaun Moore. Gabe Pruitt, Kris Joseph, Luke Harangody, Orien Greene, Justin Reed, Brandon Hunter, Darius Songaila not so much.

I forgot about Leon Powe. I wouldn't consider him a bust but he wasn't a big hit either. Managed to play 5 years in the league, at least.

  Don't forget the center from overseas we sent to Cleveland with Harangody. I think that's pretty good overall, though. How many  teams pick that many 2nd rounders that stay in the league that long?

there was an earlier set of postings on this exact point. the bottom line is that ainge did far better than the nba average in acquiring nba talent from the second round.

[Dog_Lover106]

TPE can still be used. The likely scenario has always been either on Draft Night, or during the high days of the FA season in July 2014 to land a FA in a sign and trade scenario.

Kendall Marshall could not have been acquired until Ainge made a deal to lower payroll costs, because the team could not cross the luxury tax threshold. Once the Lee deal happened, things loosened up quite a bit, as today's trade demonstrates. Likely more to come.

I am not saying Marshall is a big piece, but he is on the books with the Lakers for $547,000 this year. I do not think that would of put them over any hard cap.

As far as the $10.3 TPE, how are they going to just add that amount given the luxury tax situation?

A sign and trade would seemly just use an expiring like Humphires, Bayless or Bogans, not the TPE, as the exception would add dollars subject to tax threshold. Guess I am not sure how the dates align and when Humphies etc. salaries come off the books, versus expiration of TPE.

I remember a Globe writer saying the secret "big plum" in the NJ deal was the TPE? Looks like they have plenty of "assets", such as expirings and TPE to acquire real talent, but no room to take on additional salary with the TPE. Until I see a so called "valuable" expiring or TPE actually bring in someone who can play, I am calling all these "assets" overrated.

Celtics were right up against the hard cap. They had no room to manoeuver whatsoever. Not even able to offer a pro-rated rookie-level minimum contract. They couldn't cross that threshold, without invalidating the Nets megadeal from this past July, as they used nontaxpayer status to acquire the TE.

In terms of a sign and trade during next season's FA period, Humphries will not be available, because his contract will have expired by then. Neither will Bayless.

The TE will still be available until July 10 or so, just after the moratorium passes. Ainge could use it to acquire a FA via sign and trade (new contract under $10 mil), or leverage it to acquire assets from teams desperate to clear cap space of their own.

Point taken on the cap issues. I am not saying Kendall Marshall is Gary Payton, but there is always a way to dump $547,000 in the NBA, if you see someone you like. See Ryan Gomes or Fab Melo.

Marshall may be a stiff in the end, but I just noticed that he is averaging a near double double. He is young and has some size. I never thought Reggie Jackson or Isiah Thomas would be rotation player point guards either, but they both have stepped in a done a nice job. Everyone is use to Rondo playing a lot of minutes. Do not think that will happen this year.

Still do not quite get the time period that our expiring assets end for a sign and trade, in relation to the TPE asset expiring. My point was that it appears that Anthony's 3.8 million option plus Bradley new contract plus two slotted first rounders will not leave us much room to use the TPE even in FA period. Maybe I am wrong.

It seems that there are all kinds of so called "valuable assets" in expiring contracts and TPE out there on nearly every NBA team. Problem is that we really do not see many meaningful transactions with them. GS/Utah, Gortat deal, but not many more?

I think player development is the key these days as you really cannot have three max players on one team anymore. OKC dumped an arguable top ten player right in their championship window, because they has too many stars.

Hope you are right though and the expirings and TPE turn into something either on their own or with some picks. I love the rebuilding stage sometimes more that the good years.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

Figured I'd make this a separate thread as it's somewhat lengthy and I think Lowe explains it perfectly.

The best subplot of my day: Boston fans railing on Twitter that this is a horrible deal. Umm … it’s Jordan Crawford. Do you not think the other 29 teams watch the NBA? Do you think 29 other GMs are Googling “Jordan Crawford,” seeing his Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor, and asking their owner how many first-round picks they might give up for him? Do you think those GMs are unaware Brooks hasn’t been able to get on the floor at all this season for a very bad NBA team?

There was zero chance Boston was getting a first-round pick for Crawford and Brooks. Zero. The Bulls didn’t even get a guaranteed first-round pick for Luol Deng. The Magic didn’t get one for J.J. Redick. Teams are hoarding first-round picks like Ron Swanson hoards his buried gold. And as I’ve noted before, there just aren’t many contenders or even ambitious playoff teams with a massive need at backup point guard. Crawford’s a nice little piece, but he has been very bad for most of his NBA career, and just so-so in this career year.

This is a small bounty for Boston. The second-rounder from Miami is a nice little addition, but the real prize is the first-rounder the Sixers gave Miami two drafts ago in exchange for Arnett Moultrie.

However, this is not an automatic first-rounder, and may end up as a fake first-rounder. It’s lottery-protected in each of the next two seasons, meaning the Sixers keep it if they miss the playoffs. If they miss the postseason both this year (duh) and next, the pick morphs into two second-rounders that would go to Boston.

Never underestimate the horribleness of the Eastern Conference. The Sixers will almost certainly have two lottery picks in this draft — their own and the one they acquired from the Pelicans for Jrue Holiday. That pick is top-five protected, and given New Orleans’s injury issues, it could fall somewhere around no. 8 or no. 9. Nail those picks, get Nerlens Noel healthy, and sign the requisite cap-fodder veterans, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Philly crawls into a low-end playoff spot next season — sending Boston a first-rounder in the process.

But Philly isn’t done trading. They’ve amped up their feelers on Thaddeus Young in the last week, per several league sources, and other execs view it as a lock that Evan Turner will be on the block — if he isn’t already. If Philly dumps enough veterans and opts against replacing them next season with equal quality, they could be pretty bad again.

But even three second-rounders is a nice haul for two players Boston wasn’t going to use long-term. Anthony’s $3.8 million deal for next season is the price, and in raw terms, that is more than the combined Year 1 salaries of three second-rounders. But Boston will have a solid chunk of cap space this summer after dumping Courtney Lee, and they could get something like max-level room if they find a taker for Brandon Bass before the trade deadline. Anthony cuts into that space a tad, but the Cs weren’t going to get that Philly pick without Miami (and Anthony) getting involved in the deal.

Using max-level cap space in a straight free-agency signing isn’t really even part of the plan here, anyway. Boston simply wants to remain flexible enough to take in salary via trade while piling up assets. This deal does the job. Teams are valuing second-round picks more highly than ever. They produce cheap players with some upside, and teams can structure their contracts in all kinds of favorable ways outside the rookie scale for first-round picks. Anthony himself will become an expiring contract this season, just another little trade ingredient for the Cs.

Losing Crawford will also make Boston worse this season, increasing their lottery odds. Rajon Rondo will be back soon to take over at point guard, but he’ll be rusty, and Boston just downgraded the backup point guard spot dramatically. Phil Pressey tries hard, but guys who shoot 24 percent and turn the ball over a lot are not exactly helpful NBA players.

This is something very much like a win-win-win, a small-scale move that could carry real meaning down the line for two contenders.

I get there with be no max F/A coming but what about the 10.3 million TPE which expires in July? Really thought after the Lee deal, that Danny was maneuvering to get further under luxury tax threshold so as to use the TPE before July. Would seem that taking on Anthony's player option would make this less likely?

I really do not like this deal. Was happy to move Lee because of the length of his deal, but why immediately take back Anthony's extra year?

I would like to build some upside assets now. Why not seek a young S/G prospect like Austin Rivers, McLemore or any one else still on a rookie deal that might develop? That is what scouts are for, finding the next Jeremy Lamb, Alec Burks or Wes Matthews, even if we have to give up the NJ or LAC pick with a Crawford etc to do it. The NBA is a shooters league more than ever. Look at GSW, Phoenix, Houston and Portland. They all have deep shooters.

My bet would be to find one young player like Rivers, McLemore, Waiters (at least call) that has not yet emerged who might be had for a late first and expiring. That option may be better than anything that you can get at 15 to 25 in the draft this year or next with the NJ or LAC pick. This would be a start and then hope that some size comes with our future picks or through bigger trades. I would love to have a Utah type roster by end of next year.

Even Kendall Marshall would of been worth a look. Lakers are a mess and he is not a shooter, but he is playing 28 minutes a game and averaging 10 and 9. What are we going to do if Rondo has to take it slow or develops some initial pain or swelling suddenly playing starter minutes 3 to 4 days a week? If he takes a few games off, we have 3 guards total, including a free agent and a guy who has been here a week.

Just sick of this dead wood roster of mainly garbage and lots of future conditional draft picks. Yes, great potential in this draft, but other than say Embiid, Randle, Payne, McDermott, Kane, Fair and a few others older guys. I do not see how even the most highly touted freshman will be able contribute much next year.

Can you imagine Vonleh or Gordon trying to match up with Aldridge, Davis, Duncan, Bosh, Dirk, Josh Smith or Love? Wiggins or Parker on Melo, George, Durant, Joe Johnson or Lebron? Not happening next year based on what I have seen.

I am really hoping Danny has some immediate plan for TPE's, expirings and all the draft picks? I would like to go the way of Golden State and get some young shooters first. Rondo will find them and Sullinger can muck in up with rebounding and garbage baskets like David Lee does. Then hope a Embiid, Towns, Okafor or Turner falls in our lap in the next two years.

Its been 6 months.

You think golden state did it in half a season? If they're who you're holding up as the example go look at how many seasons it took them.

To already be sick of a roster of assets, picks, etc (and there is more than that) is a little crazy when it hasn't even been half a season of this rebuilding.

Would rather not get anymore guys that we have to send home, but still pay, just for more draft picks.

Only said I would like to start to develop a team like GS around outside shooting. Game has changed, it is a shooters league.

That is why contenders like LAC get Reddick and SA gets Bellinelli. It is also why teams like Phoenix, Portland and GS are beginning to play solid ball. Miami is even looking for a Mike Miller replacement. 

Do not see where I said GS did that in 6 months? Phoenix did do a pretty good job in 6 months though and Len has not even played. Marcus Morris was a good pick up, as was Gerald Green. Cheap assets that can actually play some minutes.

Golden state built outside shooting around curry, the kind of player you either need draft picks or assets to get.
Reddick and Bellinelli are role playeron contending teams, they are the kind of players (Crawford) that the Celtics can turn into assets because contending teams want them, not players you build around. You're comparing apples to oranges. No rebuilding team signs and builds around reddick. They trade him for assets they can use to turn into players they can build around.