So you want rim protection?

[Smartacus]

With all the Kevin Love rumors I think some people may forget that they're are ways of improving this team by trading for roster versatility instead of maxing out a position of strength. During the season, Celtics decision makers clearly stated that the roster's number 1 priority is to find capable rim protection. Well the answer may lie in who else but Jared Sullinger.

(Disclaimer: writing on a phone so can not verify final details with the trade checker. Both scenarios are nothing but foundations)
Trade 1.
Jarred Sullinger the number 6 and a future first
for
Tyler Zeller and the Cav's first round pick.

Cleveland gets a proven reliable NBA scorer and rebounding Ohio State Alum to help take some pressure off Kyrie and a nearly comparable pick as well as a future asset and The Celtics draft Embiid to shore up the rotation around Rondo/ Bradley/ Green-Wallace/Kelly O/ Embiid. Plus we attain a capable, floor running, stop gap center option to help ease through Ebiid's growing pains.

But maybe we want a more experienced defensive presence...

Trade Jared Sullinger +Filler and the 6th for Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison.

The Thunder offense is too perimeter oriented and they have rim protection covered through Perkins/Adams. For us Kelly plays more of a stretch 5 while Serge patrols the paint providing a Garnett-lite presence on offense and defense. Serge is missing this series and the Thunder might jump at the chance at a more reliable offensive presence as well a nice young player to add to their core..

Either of these trades draw any interest?

[D.o.s.]

I would love Sully for Ibaka and Collison.

Maybe we can convince the OKC ownership under the guise that it will save them a pile of money?

[Smartacus]

I would love Sully for Ibaka and Collison.

Maybe we can convince the OKC ownership under the guise that it will save them a pile of money?

Hey lets not forget the pick either. Aaron Gordon, Noah Vonleh, Doug McDermott, Nik Stauskas, Dario Saric?

Anyone of those players could fill an important role on the Thunder right now.

[McHales Pits]

I would do either trade

[Donoghus]

I would love Sully for Ibaka and Collison.

Maybe we can convince the OKC ownership under the guise that it will save them a pile of money?

We know how much Clay likes saving money!

[NorthernLightning]

Porzingis and Clint Capela are real quality options at #17. Capela is at least 1.5 inches taller than Vonleh without shoes and has the same wingspan, but is quicker and more agile. Very much like Ibaka defensively and not a lost cause offensively.

Both of these guys might not be starters on a championship team next year, but can be in the future.

We're not winning a championship next year anyway, so take the long view and go with the great value of a 4 year rookie contract.

[Irish Stew]

Let me answer the question about whether the other teams would do either of those trades. No.

[PhoSita]

What this team lacks more than anything else is top shelf scorers.  Yes, the lack of a true center and the general lack of rim protection hurt the team this year, but more than anything they were terrible in crunch time and in general were a very poor offensive team.

Getting a rim protector is important, but we hardly need to give up our best young player and our greatest asset in the #6 pick in order to get it.  Not when guys like Asik and Sanders are likely to be available.

[McHales Pits]

What this team lacks more than anything else is top shelf scorers.  Yes, the lack of a true center and the general lack of rim protection hurt the team this year, but more than anything they were terrible in crunch time and in general were a very poor offensive team.

Getting a rim protector is important, but we hardly need to give up our best young player and our greatest asset in the #6 pick in order to get it.  Not when guys like Asik and Sanders are likely to be available.

True - but our best player and tablesetter was out for half the year and limited in the other half. While Rondo remains our best player/leader, he needs to be surrounded with shooters/finishers. I expect him to come back at full strength next year and is capable of 14 Pts/6 Rebs/10 Asst/1.5 Stl. I know the team offensive statistics with Rondo tell the story that the Cs are below average offensively with him, but the eye test tells me that he is a good player and consummate point guard that makes easy opportunities for teammates. Playing Avery Bradley, Courtney Lee, Jerryd Bayless, and Phil Pressey at point guard full time will make any team look bad offensively.

[Smartacus]

What this team lacks more than anything else is top shelf scorers.  Yes, the lack of a true center and the general lack of rim protection hurt the team this year, but more than anything they were terrible in crunch time and in general were a very poor offensive team.

Getting a rim protector is important, but we hardly need to give up our best young player and our greatest asset in the #6 pick in order to get it.  Not when guys like Asik and Sanders are likely to be available.

Oops I suppose my defensive bias is showing. Honestly I think the offense should be fine once the core players begin to gel and if we could somehow swing a trade for Embiid he could develop into a primetime scorer.

What I dont see right now however is a single big on this roster with the physical tools to anchor an effective NBA defense. The last time we put a premium on Rim Protection with Garnett the Celtics immediately became year in and year out contenders. A top shelf scorer would be nice but if we cant stop dribble penetration and/or post scoring well then we're no more than a poor man's run and gun Suns.

[pearljammer10]

I would love Sully for Ibaka and Collison.

Maybe we can convince the OKC ownership under the guise that it will save them a pile of money?

Hey lets not forget the pick either. Aaron Gordon, Noah Vonleh, Doug McDermott, Nik Stauskas, Dario Saric?

Anyone of those players could fill an important role on the Thunder right now.

So would Serge Ibaka.

[mmmmm]

Hmm... assuming Cleveland would even actually _do_ the trade you suggest, sure.

I like Sully a LOT, but I would definitely trade him and the #6 to CLE for the #1.

Only I'd use the pick to take Wiggins.

I'd then go ahead and try to get Houston to do the Asik & Lin for cap space deal.

Assuming that worked, I'd then let AB walk (or S&T him somewhere so long as I don't take on salary past this year).

At this point, I still have LAC's 2015 pick, Brooklyn's 2016 & 2018 picks, a swap option on Brooklyn's 2017 pick and Philly's top-14-protected 2015 pick (as well as all of Boston's future picks) to deal.

At the trading deadline, I send Bass, Anthony & Lin's expiring salaries along with a generous handful of my remaining draft picks to get a star.   Maybe Love if he hasn't been dealt yet.   Maybe someone else.  There are a few good names that might be available.

I then re-up Rondo, Asik & if necessary the incoming star using Bird rights.

Entering 2015 I would have a potential starting lineup of

RR
Wiggins
Green
Love or some other stud
Asik

If 'the stud' is at some other position than PF, then Olynyk, as my otherwise 6th man slides into the PF slot and maybe Wiggins or Green moves to the bench as the 6th man.   Wiggins, Green and Olynyk are all flexible enough position-wise you can probably insert almost any sort of incoming stud into the mix.

Asik, Green, Wiggins & Rondo provide a lot of defensive length and capability at their positions and Green, Love, Wiggins & Olynyk would provide a lot of spacing on offense.

Give it a year to mature as a team and then it contends after that.  All these players would be young enough for this team to be extremely relevant for several seasons.

That lineup doesn't have three sure-fire-HOF players, just over the peak of their careers, like the 2008 team did.  But it's pretty similarly balanced across positions.   And remember, I am aiming for contention two-three years from now, not next year.   By then, Wiggins will no longer be a rookie and will likely be maturing into one of the premier SGs of the league.

Note also that if the guy I traded for was Love, he could exercise his 2015-16 option, pushing back by one year when I'd need to resign him, until after Wallace' contract is now gone (which also helps pay for keeping Green, should we do so).    But my back-of-the-envelope says that is all affordable under the LT threshold.

And yeah, the obvious hole in the plan is that Love-or-a-similar-stud is not available at the deadline (for example, Love may have already been traded).   But we'd still have a lot of assets to work with.

Unfortunately, I see no way that Cleveland would ever do that deal.   (Which is an even bigger hole in this little fantasy).