Now that Rondo is gone, it seems like the Cs will trade Bass, Green, Wright, Thornton, Jameer and Wallace... well, not Wallace, but if DA finds a trade, he wouldn't hesitate. Here are some trades to make from now to next February 19th:
- Jeff Green and Phil Pressey to Memphis, T. Prince to Denver, Javale McGee and Jordan Adams to Boston:
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=nvz4sxuWhy for Memphis: upgrade SF position, basically (JG+VC+TA+CL at the wings should be good), get a third string PG for cheap.
Why for Nuggets: save lots of money by getting under the tax, make room for Mozgov/Nurkic
Why for Cs: getting a rim protector to pair with Sully/KO, who could be both a long term contributor and a tank boost this season. Getting another prospect in Adams,
- Jameer to Cleveland for Brendan Haywood:
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ofpdwbeWhy for Cleveland: they'll need shooters in the playoffs and their PG depth is garbage
Why for Boston: getting rid of Jameer
- Bass and Thornton to New Orleans for Eric Gordon and the Pelicans 2017 first round pick:
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=qgc5245Why for New Orleans: the West is tough, Eric Gordon contract is one of the worst in the League, they would get a far more reliable (health-wise at least) player in Thornton, and local hero Brandon Bass to reinforce their frontcourt.
Why for Boston: by taking on another 2-year contract, they sacrifice immediate cap flexibility, but they get a future first (probably very late) and a mega-overpaid 6th man scorer off the bench in Eric Gordon when/if healthy.
- B. Wright to Portland for Thomas Robinson and their 2016 first round pick:
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ppyby25Why for Portland: they need some athleticism under the basket if they want to compete in the West. Their pick will be in the late 20s, so it's not that much to pay for an immediate upgrade at backup big department.
Why for Boston: Thomas Robinson is a 95% certified bust, but this season they can afford this kind of no-risk, any upside experiments, plus getting a pick albeit so late in the Draft.
Projected Roster by February 20th:
Turner/Smart
Bradley/Gordon/Adams
Crowder/Wallace/Young
Sully/Kelly/Robinson
McGee/Zeller/Haywood
Not that bad of a team, with an available roster spot to snag some waived player. By taking on 2-year contracts (and a bad one, in Gordon's case), the Cs would set themselves for a big summer in 2016, which would allow them to develop the kids and set a better scenario in order to sign some big FAs, something that looks really hard this very next summer. Wallace+Gordon+McGee combine for 34M to come off the books in 2016, but they could raise their value on a team without Rondo, Green, Bass or Thornton.