Today's Chad Ford chat tibits

[colincb]

Some items of note from Chad Ford chat this afternoon:

John (Boston) - Hi Chad, i see a lot of people questioning the Thomas trade for the Celtics, but arent Smart and Bradley the two right defense first guards to team with Thomas? Also, isnt he a nice asset to collect in case they try to trade for an established veteran like they did with KG?

Chad Ford - They could use a more elite scorer in their backcourt and that was Thomas. But I don't think Ainge made the deal for that reason. I think he felt that Thomas's contract was a good one, was movable down the road and therefore a solid asset in a potential trade this summer. My guess is his calculations were it was a better asset than the first round pick they gave up. I doubt Thomas is a building block for the Celtics. But as a future trade chip, I thought it was a good trade for Boston.

===
James (Miami) - Do you think Philadephia was actually considering to trade Embiid? What does this mean if it is true?

Chad Ford - I think it's been proven that Philly will consider anything. So yes I believe. I reported a little over a month ago that they weren't sold on either Carter-Williams or Embiid. That's now clearly proven to be the case on Carter-Williams given what they got in return. I believe the reason Joel Embiid is still there is because they weren't able to get what they were looking for in return -- another Top 5 pick in this year's draft.

===
Nick (Philly) - To me it's incredible Hinkie got what he did for MCW, a guy who regressed after winning ROY? Agree?

Chad Ford - Two things. No one is sure exactly what Hinkie got for him. If he gets the pick this year (highly unlikely) and it's a pick at No. 6 -- I'd say he got good value. I like this draft and there are several interesting players there at 6 (but no point guards really). If he gets a pick between 4-8 in next year's draft -- we'll see. The high school class of 2016 is one of the weaker ones in the last decade. After Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown (who should be picks 1-2 in some order) the talent level drops. If the Lakers improve over the summer and that pick falls in the 9 to 15 range, I say they got poor value for Carter-Williams. If it moves all the way to 2017, they probably got poor value as well as I'd be shocked if the Lakers were still awful by then given their proven ability to lure free agents. Second, I think it's impossible to totally judge Carter-Williams. He's played 1.5 seasons, was on an awful, awful team that asked him to be the primary scorer even though that's not his forte. He took a ton of bad shots in Philly, in part, because he had to. That will change in Milwaukee and until we see him for a full season with that roster under the tutelage of Jason Kidd, it's tough to know what he really could be. All in all, it's too early on both sides to judge this trade, but I think right now, I'd lean toward Milwaukee winning it. (And remember, Milwaukee could've just gotten that pick from the Suns straight up for Knight if they had wanted it ... they clearly judged MCW as more valuable).

===
John (Boston) -  Regardless of the moves made- and going to be made- by the Celtics, I see Willie Cauley-Stein as an ideal fit based on team need and draft slot. Sometimes the obvious answer is the best one, right, Chad?

Chad Ford - He'd a be a great fit for the Celtics though, given the way he's playing lately (he's even showing off a jumper now) I'm not sure he'll still be on the board.

Otherwise Ford said Towns and others are closing in on Okafur.  The sentiment he expressed toward the 2016 draft that I bolded above is the same as Givony's recent take from DraftExpress.

[celticsclay]

Some items of note from Chad Ford chat this afternoon:

John (Boston) Hi Chad, i see a lot of people questioning the Thomas trade for the Celtics, but arent Smart and Bradley the two right defense first guards to team with Thomas? Also, isnt he a nice asset to collect in case they try to trade for an established veteran like they did with KG?

Chad Ford They could use a more elite scorer in their backcourt and that was Thomas. But I don't think Ainge made the deal for that reason. I think he felt that Thomas's contract was a good one, was movable down the road and therefore a solid asset in a potential trade this summer. My guess is his calculations were it was a better asset than the first round pick they gave up. I doubt Thomas is a building block for the Celtics. But as a future trade chip, I thought it was a good trade for Boston.

===
James (Miami) [via mobile] Do you think Philadephia was actually considering to trade Embiid? What does this mean if it is true?

Chad Ford I think it's been proven that Philly will consider anything. So yes I believe. I reported a little over a month ago that they weren't sold on either Carter-Williams or Embiid. That's now clearly proven to be the case on Carter-Williams given what they got in return. I believe the reason Joel Embiid is still there is because they weren't able to get what they were looking for in return -- another Top 5 pick in this year's draft.

===
Nick (Philly) [via mobile] To me it's incredible Hinkie got what he did for MCW, a guy who regressed after winning ROY? Agree?

Chad Ford Two things. No one is sure exactly what Hinkie got for him. If he gets the pick this year (highly unlikely) and it's a pick at No. 6 -- I'd say he got good value. I like this draft and there are several interesting players there at 6 (but no point guards really). If he gets a pick between 4-8 in next year's draft -- we'll see. The high school class of 2016 is one of the weaker ones in the last decade. After Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown (who should be picks 1-2 in some order) the talent level drops. If the Lakers improve over the summer and that pick falls in the 9 to 15 range, I say they got poor value for Carter-Williams. If it moves all the way to 2017, they probably got poor value as well as I'd be shocked if the Lakers were still awful by then given their proven ability to lure free agents. Second, I think it's impossible to totally judge Carter-Williams. He's played 1.5 seasons, was on an awful, awful team that asked him to be the primary scorer even though that's not his forte. He took a ton of bad shots in Philly, in part, because he had to. That will change in Milwaukee and until we see him for a full season with that roster under the tutelage of Jason Kidd, it's tough to know what he really could be. All in all, it's too early on both sides to judge this trade, but I think right now, I'd lean toward Milwaukee winning it. (And remember, Milwaukee could've just gotten that pick from the Suns straight up for Knight if they had wanted it ... they clearly judged MCW as more valuable).

===
John (Boston)  Regardless of the moves made- and going to be made- by the Celtics, I see Willie Cauley-Stein as an ideal fit based on team need and draft slot. Sometimes the obvious answer is the best one, right, Chad?

Chad Ford He'd a be a great fit for the Celtics though, given the way he's playing lately (he's even showing off a jumper now) I'm not sure he'll still be on the board.

Otherwise Ford said Towns and others are closing in on Okafur.  The sentiment he expressed toward the 2016 draft that I bolded above is the same as Givony's recent take from DraftExpress.

I don't know if Chad Ford really knows things, I haven't followed his track record, but the stuff on Embiid is fascinating if it is true. There seems to have already been a leaked story about him putting on weight and fighting with trainers. Now if they really wanted to trade him for just any top 5 pick after a year invested in developing/rehabilitated an injured player, there must be really something they don't like about him because that would be very poor value. (again this is only based on if Ford's declarations are true).

[hpantazo]

so Ford rightfully thinks Ainge is stockpiling assets, including Isaiah Thomas, for some big moves this summer. Who could be on the list of targets?

[hpantazo]

Some items of note from Chad Ford chat this afternoon:

John (Boston) Hi Chad, i see a lot of people questioning the Thomas trade for the Celtics, but arent Smart and Bradley the two right defense first guards to team with Thomas? Also, isnt he a nice asset to collect in case they try to trade for an established veteran like they did with KG?

Chad Ford They could use a more elite scorer in their backcourt and that was Thomas. But I don't think Ainge made the deal for that reason. I think he felt that Thomas's contract was a good one, was movable down the road and therefore a solid asset in a potential trade this summer. My guess is his calculations were it was a better asset than the first round pick they gave up. I doubt Thomas is a building block for the Celtics. But as a future trade chip, I thought it was a good trade for Boston.

===
James (Miami) [via mobile] Do you think Philadephia was actually considering to trade Embiid? What does this mean if it is true?

Chad Ford I think it's been proven that Philly will consider anything. So yes I believe. I reported a little over a month ago that they weren't sold on either Carter-Williams or Embiid. That's now clearly proven to be the case on Carter-Williams given what they got in return. I believe the reason Joel Embiid is still there is because they weren't able to get what they were looking for in return -- another Top 5 pick in this year's draft.

===
Nick (Philly) [via mobile] To me it's incredible Hinkie got what he did for MCW, a guy who regressed after winning ROY? Agree?

Chad Ford Two things. No one is sure exactly what Hinkie got for him. If he gets the pick this year (highly unlikely) and it's a pick at No. 6 -- I'd say he got good value. I like this draft and there are several interesting players there at 6 (but no point guards really). If he gets a pick between 4-8 in next year's draft -- we'll see. The high school class of 2016 is one of the weaker ones in the last decade. After Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown (who should be picks 1-2 in some order) the talent level drops. If the Lakers improve over the summer and that pick falls in the 9 to 15 range, I say they got poor value for Carter-Williams. If it moves all the way to 2017, they probably got poor value as well as I'd be shocked if the Lakers were still awful by then given their proven ability to lure free agents. Second, I think it's impossible to totally judge Carter-Williams. He's played 1.5 seasons, was on an awful, awful team that asked him to be the primary scorer even though that's not his forte. He took a ton of bad shots in Philly, in part, because he had to. That will change in Milwaukee and until we see him for a full season with that roster under the tutelage of Jason Kidd, it's tough to know what he really could be. All in all, it's too early on both sides to judge this trade, but I think right now, I'd lean toward Milwaukee winning it. (And remember, Milwaukee could've just gotten that pick from the Suns straight up for Knight if they had wanted it ... they clearly judged MCW as more valuable).

===
John (Boston)  Regardless of the moves made- and going to be made- by the Celtics, I see Willie Cauley-Stein as an ideal fit based on team need and draft slot. Sometimes the obvious answer is the best one, right, Chad?

Chad Ford He'd a be a great fit for the Celtics though, given the way he's playing lately (he's even showing off a jumper now) I'm not sure he'll still be on the board.

Otherwise Ford said Towns and others are closing in on Okafur.  The sentiment he expressed toward the 2016 draft that I bolded above is the same as Givony's recent take from DraftExpress.

I don't know if Chad Ford really knows things, I haven't followed his track record, but the stuff on Embiid is fascinating if it is true. There seems to have already been a leaked story about him putting on weight and fighting with trainers. Now if they really wanted to trade him for just any top 5 pick after a year invested in developing/rehabilitated an injured player, there must be really something they don't like about him because that would be very poor value. (again this is only based on if Ford's declarations are true).

Exactly. They have seen much more of Embiid than any other team by far, so if they already want to bail on him, there must be some serious issues. It could be his work ethic/attitude, or health concerns, or both. If they really thought him and Noel can't coexist but he would show some skills once on the floor they would wait to showcase him early next season and then move him, but if they are trying to move him now, that can't be good.

[PhoSita]

so Ford rightfully thinks Ainge is stockpiling assets, including Isaiah Thomas, for some big moves this summer. Who could be on the list of targets?

Honestly I don't see any major trade targets this summer.  Moreover, I don't think Isaiah Thomas is likely to have a ton of trade value.  He's got a nice bargain contract, but at his best he's a quality sparkplug guard or an average or slightly above average starting point guard.  With the depth at the point guard position, slightly above average is not bound to move the needle much in a trade for a true star.

If Ainge is looking to acquire more assets, I could see him doing so this summer by trying sign a big man free agent e.g. Deandre, Greg Monroe, Hibbert, etc.  Any of those guys would make a huge difference for this team and would be able to produce at a pretty high level in their role with this team.  Even a highly paid center in that situation would retain or build value as an asset.

I could see Ainge trading for another player to upgrade the team's talent, but nobody who is going to jump off the page.  Maybe Ainge makes a go at getting Batum, who will be entering the last year of his contract and is having a very down year in Portland.  Perhaps Portland could be persuaded to trade him if they don't think they're going to want to spend to re-sign him. 

Harrison Barnes is another name I find interesting, given that Ainge was reportedly interested in him back in 2012 entering the draft, and he seems like a guy who might get traded off Harden style since the Warriors likely can't afford to keep and pay all of their current core guys.


Still, as far as KG-style transactions, I don't see anything going down this summer.  There's some buzz about Kevin Love possibly wanting out of Cleveland after this year, but I doubt he would view Boston as an appealing alternative.  More likely he'll head to the Lakers or Knicks.

Aldridge, Gasol, and Lebron are all staying on their current teams, in my opinion. 

[Snakehead]

so Ford rightfully thinks Ainge is stockpiling assets, including Isaiah Thomas, for some big moves this summer. Who could be on the list of targets?

First person that comes to mind is Cousins.  I know it doesn't make sense now but if he is unhappy and has a situation where he wants out Ainge will be the first one with an offer I think.  And I don't think Cousins being unhappy in Sacramento is so unlikely.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I don't know why IT wouldn't be a good building block for this Celtics team. When was the last time (in more modern times, at least) the Cs had a point guard who could penetrate and score like he does? Never? Rondo could get into the paint pretty well, but he was bad at drawing fouls, and he's nowhere near the scorer IT is. IT does some important things that the Cs have been bad at, such as attacking the rim, getting to the FT line, and being a PG who can shoot the 3 well. He's also (in my opinion) the first true/pure/natural/legit scorer Boston's had since Pierce.

I suppose there are only a couple players (LeBron and Durant) who are truly untradeable, so if Danny could use IT to get, say, Marc Gasol or James Harden (or someone else on that level), then I guess he has to at least consider it, but otherwise I don't know why he'd trade IT, especially given that IT could be a key piece of our next contender.

[hpantazo]

I could see Cousins as a target as Snakehead said. I can also see Marc Gasol as a legit target. Despite what he says, he will explore other teams this summer. I don't see the Kings being attracted by IT though, considering they had him in the past and let him go. Also Memphis has Conley, thus no strong need for IT.

[Snakehead]

I could see Cousins as a target as Snakehead said. I can also see Marc Gasol as a legit target. Despite what he says, he will explore other teams this summer. I don't see the Kings being attracted by IT though, considering they had him in the past and let him go. Also Memphis has Conley, thus no strong need for IT.

You're right about Cousins for IT in a package not making sense.  But I think Ainge will get as many players as possible or picks, try to trade up in the draft.  Whatever he can do.

I think Ainge has a commodity view of all his players until the team is any good.  So in a way the Ford statement is true... and so what?  It's true for all of our players.

[MBunge]

The Sixers have no one to blame but themselves if Embiid has gone south on them.  You hand a 20 year old who only started playing basketball at 15 millions of dollars and then, essentially, tell him you have no interest in him actually playing NBA basketball until the start of the 2015-2016 season, what do you think is going to happen?

Mike

[colincb]

The Sixers have no one to blame but themselves if Embiid has gone south on them.  You hand a 20 year old who only started playing basketball at 15 millions of dollars and then, essentially, tell him you have no interest in him actually playing NBA basketball until the start of the 2015-2016 season, what do you think is going to happen?

Mike

Yes, and they didn't develop MCW much at all by running a rag-tag offense made up of D-Leaguers. My guess is they'll end up with a poor return on that deal and they gave away McDaniels too.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Completely agree with Chad Ford on IT.

I think Danny made the move because he knows he can make IT to look and be a better asset than the 1st round pick he used to get him. He could be a very valuable chip moving forward, more so if he performs mightily well in Boston.

[hpantazo]

The Sixers have no one to blame but themselves if Embiid has gone south on them.  You hand a 20 year old who only started playing basketball at 15 millions of dollars and then, essentially, tell him you have no interest in him actually playing NBA basketball until the start of the 2015-2016 season, what do you think is going to happen?

Mike

Yes, and they didn't develop MCW much at all by running a rag-tag offense made up of D-Leaguers. My guess is they'll end up with a poor return on that deal and they gave away McDaniels too.

Well said. I understand the strategy of gutting your team to get great picks and build from those picks, but I don't understand then trading away the players you get with those picks before giving them a chance to develop/prove themselves. Its like a pick fetish gone wild in Philly!

[PAOBoston]

The Sixers have no one to blame but themselves if Embiid has gone south on them.  You hand a 20 year old who only started playing basketball at 15 millions of dollars and then, essentially, tell him you have no interest in him actually playing NBA basketball until the start of the 2015-2016 season, what do you think is going to happen?

Mike

Philly is a loser franchise with a loser mentality. You can draft all of the promising talents you can but in that environment they are destined to fail. There is no type of veteran leadership over there to help bring along and nurture that talent. They need some veterans on that team, veterans not named JaVale McGee. IMO, they are destined to suck for a while. I don't care how many lottery picks they get.

[Quetzalcoatl]

IT would be a great 6th man.  He's not a starter on a championship team but I really think he could be a problem off the bench.  I can't wait to see KO and him running rough shod over other teams' benches, it will be hilarious