I'm actually inclined to think Ainge would take back Lou Williams to keep ATL happy about giving up a pick or Schroeder.
Something like:
Green+
2nd round pick (76ers)+
2016 2nd round pick
+Phil Pressey.
for
Lou Williams+
Elton Brand+
Schroeder or 2014 first round pick.
Hawks fans want Williams gone.
They also need a better SF than Carroll and Green is good value at 9 million. The comparisons of Carroll to Green are laughable as overall players and Ferry would know this. Green takes pressure off Millsap and expires just a season later.
Danny loves taking guys like Williams back in trades and turning them into assets. Williams at $5 million should be relatively easy to move like Courtney Lee or Jordan Crawford and he'll be an expiring next year.
Essentially sending them Jeff Green and 2 second rounders for Schroder or a mid first rounder.
We take back Williams who's still a decent trade asset and they take Green's salary off our hands when we are trying to lose as many games as possible.
We get the PERFECT trainee for Rondo, locked up for multiple years in Schroeder. We get a great trade asset in Lou Williams (who's expiring next season), and we get Brand's expiring $4 million coming off the books.
We lose Green's 9 million and find a replacement in the draft.
Just gonna be hard convincing ATL fans to give up Schroeder or the first round pick- that's why the two 2nd rounders are a must.
Considering we don't have Philly's second rounder in 2016 (at least not until after they miss the playoffs next year, which would be too late for a trade this year), or our own 2016 second rounder, this trade doesn't work so well. Also it puts us over the luxury tax if Schroder comes back, and only saves the C's $3-4 million next year with a clear downgrade in talent. That is not something Ainge can accept.
Hawks fans may want Williams gone, but they're not making the trades, any more than C's fans who want Wallace or Green gone.
What trade based around Jeff Green as the centerpiece do you think doesn't bring back a downgrade in talent? That's the point of getting Schroeder or the pick. Again, why did Danny trade Pierce and KG? Do we agree there was a downgrade in talent for a longer term goal?
Yes, we save $3 or $4 million next year but we also move Green's deal now and only have Williams back for one season on an expiring contract. Green's 1000% picking up his player option, and if we do draft a small forward and get lucky enough to pick Wiggins or Parker then his value with plummet even further. Wouldn't it be nice to have Jeff Green pick up his 9 million dollar player option in 2015/16 just as we're trying to bring in some real help for Rondo? Ferry knows this is what Danny wants to this is about as good as it's going to get. Even getting back Schroeder or a first rounder is probably wishful thinking.
The point being we 'develop young assets' ahead of going for the playoffs aka tank mode.
You can put the 2nd rounders in any available year- they're exchangeable. I'm pretty sure Courtney Lee's trade exception covers Schroeder coming in for Pressey and picks and avoid the luxury tax, still leaves us about $2 million clear.
I completely disagree that Danny 'cannot accept'...
*moving Green's deal early and cutting 4 million of the payroll, and getting a decent expiring contract in L Williams.
*getting back a first round pick or a high potential rookie for two second round picks.
*ensuring he gets as much chance at picking in the top 3 in the next draft as possible.
Ainge doesn't want mediocrity and unfortunately that's what Green is the catalyst for on this team. Too good to let us lose to the bottom 5 teams but too mediocre to take us anywhere past a late lottery selection.
A trade like this isn't about sacrificing the results of the team this season or an immediate downgrade in talent. It's about putting this franchise in the best possible outlook for 2015 and beyond. Moving on past the Jeff Green failure and getting a potential building block for the future is something we should be happy with and is definitely something Danny won't have a hard time executing.