Summer Prediction: Cs sign Biyombo to two year, approx $12mil deal

[Celtics18]

We've got suggestions ranging from 2 years, $12 million to 4 years, $40 million.

How about we split the difference and go three years, $24 million.  Actually, if we could get him for $8million a year, I'd gladly see Danny offer him a four year contract. 

Sure it'd be a risk, but it's the kind of risk that could work out big time on a young kid (twenty-two is still a "young kid" in my book) who has shown the defensive ability to be a real difference maker in the right situation.

I don't know if Danny is looking at Biyombo as an option, but if he is, there will surely be some competition out there. 

Guys with his size, length and athleticism are very rare.  That's the reason Willie Cauley-Stein is rated so highly in this year's draft.

If given the choice between trading one of our young power forward prospects and both our first rounders to move up for a chance at Cauley-Stein vs. being able to sign Bismack Biyombo to a nice contract for under $10 million per year, I'd take the latter.  No question.

I agree with you entirely, Celtics18.  Look at us... agreeing on stuff.

Two for two lately between the Biyombo and the Noel debates.

Now that we don't have Rajon Rondo for you to kick around anymore, it might start becoming a more regular occurrence.

TP

[gpap]

I'd like to hope Ainge exhausts his pursuit for the upper tier free agents like Love, Aldridge, Jordan and Gasol before we start looking at lower tier guys like Biyombo.

The name of the game should be to get the best talent available, not go bargain hunting.

If we can't get the upper tier guys, than I guess Biyombo wouldn't be a bad idea, though he's  a RFA so Charlotte could match any offer he receives.

[SHAQATTACK]

I'd like to hope Ainge exhausts his pursuit for the upper tier free agents like Love, Aldridge, Jordan and Gasol before we start looking at lower tier guys like Biyombo.

The name of the game should be to get the best talent available, not go bargain hunting.

If we can't get the upper tier guys, than I guess Biyombo wouldn't be a bad idea, though he's  a RFA so Charlotte could match any offer he receives.

Agree....there is about twenty five players I d be after before I chased this guy.

[cltc5]

I'd like to hope Ainge exhausts his pursuit for the upper tier free agents like Love, Aldridge, Jordan and Gasol before we start looking at lower tier guys like Biyombo.

The name of the game should be to get the best talent available, not go bargain hunting.

If we can't get the upper tier guys, than I guess Biyombo wouldn't be a bad idea, though he's  a RFA so Charlotte could match any offer he receives.

Yes.  Tired of projects and assets being accumulated here.  Let's start putting a team together we can watch grow and compete for the next 5 or so years

[gpap]

I'd like to hope Ainge exhausts his pursuit for the upper tier free agents like Love, Aldridge, Jordan and Gasol before we start looking at lower tier guys like Biyombo.

The name of the game should be to get the best talent available, not go bargain hunting.

If we can't get the upper tier guys, than I guess Biyombo wouldn't be a bad idea, though he's  a RFA so Charlotte could match any offer he receives.

Yes.  Tired of projects and assets being accumulated here.  Let's start putting a team together we can watch grow and compete for the next 5 or so years

That's the problem I have with this potential signing. Biyombo, for all intents and purposes is a back up player. We already have a team full of back-up players.

I'd like to first see if we can acquire starting level players before we look into the level B and C players.

[gpap]

Based on CBS's interviews the last few weeks discussing the celtics biggest needs, he consistently says we need 'scoring' and 'versatility'. Biyombo provides neither, and I would never see him fitting into CBS's system anyways.

Too lazy to find the quote you are referring to but I'm pretty sure he acknowledged that our obvious most pressing need was interior defense and that very few of those guys were available in the league. So he listed off some of the other things we need to improve to get out of mediocrity.

No, hpantazo is right. Stevens said the two things we need is versatility and scorers. Biyombo doesn't fit either description.

[Celtics18]

Based on CBS's interviews the last few weeks discussing the celtics biggest needs, he consistently says we need 'scoring' and 'versatility'. Biyombo provides neither, and I would never see him fitting into CBS's system anyways.

Too lazy to find the quote you are referring to but I'm pretty sure he acknowledged that our obvious most pressing need was interior defense and that very few of those guys were available in the league. So he listed off some of the other things we need to improve to get out of mediocrity.

No, hpantazo is right. Stevens said the two things we need is versatility and scorers. Biyombo doesn't fit either description.

I think Brad Stevens is a good coach.

He could probably fit a guy who can play defense, rebound, and finish at the rim at a high level into his system. 

I agree that last year our Celtics seemed to always have five guys on the court who had some diverse offensive talents.  It was one of the main reasons we were able to overachieve.

I also think, though, and I credit Stevens for this, another one of the team's strength was the ability to do different things offensively given different match ups and also just to mix it up so that the opposition didn't always know exactly what to expect.

Putting aside the defense for a second, one thing we didn't have was a great at the rim finisher off the pick and roll or off dishes from penetration.

I'm not saying Biyombo is great at either of those things, but he certainly has the size and athleticism for it. 

All to say, I think Bismack would be a nice fit. 

[Celtics18]

I'd like to hope Ainge exhausts his pursuit for the upper tier free agents like Love, Aldridge, Jordan and Gasol before we start looking at lower tier guys like Biyombo.

The name of the game should be to get the best talent available, not go bargain hunting.

If we can't get the upper tier guys, than I guess Biyombo wouldn't be a bad idea, though he's  a RFA so Charlotte could match any offer he receives.

Sure, but on the off chance we don't get Aldridge, Jordan, or Marc Gasol, I feel that guys like Bismack Biyombo or Al Farouq Aminu--talented guys who are still young, still have some upside, but haven't quite put it all together and are therefore likely to be available on the relative cheap--are exactly the kinds of players Danny should go after. 

I view many of these second, third, fourth year players who everybody has already written off because they haven't turned into superstars yet almost as additional draft picks if you can get them. 

Maybe their floors and ceilings are a bit more well defined at this point than a kid coming right out of college, but if at twenty-two or twenty-three, they are still in the league, still contributing, getting fifteen to twenty minutes a game, chances are they aren't complete busts (which a number of players from the draft--even those taken in the lottery--historically turn out to be).

I feel like going for these types of players maximizes risk and minimizes reward.

[Jonny CC]

We've got suggestions ranging from 2 years, $12 million to 4 years, $40 million.

How about we split the difference and go three years, $24 million.  Actually, if we could get him for $8million a year, I'd gladly see Danny offer him a four year contract. 

Sure it'd be a risk, but it's the kind of risk that could work out big time on a young kid (twenty-two is still a "young kid" in my book) who has shown the defensive ability to be a real difference maker in the right situation.

I don't know if Danny is looking at Biyombo as an option, but if he is, there will surely be some competition out there. 

Guys with his size, length and athleticism are very rare.  That's the reason Willie Cauley-Stein is rated so highly in this year's draft.

If given the choice between trading one of our young power forward prospects and both our first rounders to move up for a chance at Cauley-Stein vs. being able to sign Bismack Biyombo to a nice contract for under $10 million per year, I'd take the latter.  No question.

I agree with you entirely, Celtics18.  Look at us... agreeing on stuff.

Two for two lately between the Biyombo and the Noel debates.

Now that we don't have Rajon Rondo for you to kick around anymore, it might start becoming a more regular occurrence.

TP

Hey you two...get a room.   

[Lucky17]

I'd like to hope Ainge exhausts his pursuit for the upper tier free agents like Love, Aldridge, Jordan and Gasol before we start looking at lower tier guys like Biyombo.

The name of the game should be to get the best talent available, not go bargain hunting.

If we can't get the upper tier guys, than I guess Biyombo wouldn't be a bad idea, though he's  a RFA so Charlotte could match any offer he receives.

Sure, but on the off chance we don't get Aldridge, Jordan, or Marc Gasol, I feel that guys like Bismack Biyombo or Al Farouq Aminu--talented guys who are still young, still have some upside, but haven't quite put it all together and are therefore likely to be available on the relative cheap--are exactly the kinds of players Danny should go after. 

I view many of these second, third, fourth year players who everybody has already written off because they haven't turned into superstars yet almost as additional draft picks if you can get them. 

Maybe their floors and ceilings are a bit more well defined at this point than a kid coming right out of college, but if at twenty-two or twenty-three, they are still in the league, still contributing, getting fifteen to twenty minutes a game, chances are they aren't complete busts (which a number of players from the draft--even those taken in the lottery--historically turn out to be).

I feel like going for these types of players maximizes risk and minimizes reward.

There's a greater risk in giving starter-caliber money to role players.

I know you're a fan of Aminu, but he's a player who can really only make an impact on one side of the floor. While there is definitely a place for that type of player on a championship pretending roster, let's be clear: the Celtics are nowhere near that level.

You pay guys like Biyombo and Aminu money to be the glue guys to let your stars do the heavy lifting. You don't pay them to lead the way, and especially not because you have cap space.

[BDeCosta26]

I wouldn't mind getting him if we try 10 other things to fill our shot-blocking void first, but if we're talking guys we can get on the cheap I think I'd rather have Koufos.

If we trade up to 6 for Winslow with a package or 8 for Johnson by using KO and 16 and then get Koufos I could live with that going into next year. That being said, if we do use KO instead of Sully, AB or Young in a trade to move up, I think we get another big who can shoot 3's somewhere. Be it the draft or FA. Just think..

Smart/Thomas/Turner
Bradley/Turner/Young
Johnson/Crowder
Sullinger/Jerebko/#28
Koufos/Zeller.      (Or even with Zeller/Biyombo)

That team is really good defensively, and I think could easily be a 45-50 win team in the East. Then there is always the Love wildcard. And the 2016 draft is gonna be a big day for us. I think we'll have at least one lottery pick and a TON of other picks to play with. Just imagine the trade-up scenarios then.

[GC003332]

I'd like to hope Ainge exhausts his pursuit for the upper tier free agents like Love, Aldridge, Jordan and Gasol before we start looking at lower tier guys like Biyombo.

The name of the game should be to get the best talent available, not go bargain hunting.

If we can't get the upper tier guys, than I guess Biyombo wouldn't be a bad idea, though he's  a RFA so Charlotte could match any offer he receives.

Sure, but on the off chance we don't get Aldridge, Jordan, or Marc Gasol, I feel that guys like Bismack Biyombo or Al Farouq Aminu--talented guys who are still young, still have some upside, but haven't quite put it all together and are therefore likely to be available on the relative cheap--are exactly the kinds of players Danny should go after. 

I view many of these second, third, fourth year players who everybody has already written off because they haven't turned into superstars yet almost as additional draft picks if you can get them. 

Maybe their floors and ceilings are a bit more well defined at this point than a kid coming right out of college, but if at twenty-two or twenty-three, they are still in the league, still contributing, getting fifteen to twenty minutes a game, chances are they aren't complete busts (which a number of players from the draft--even those taken in the lottery--historically turn out to be).

I feel like going for these types of players maximizes risk and minimizes reward.

There's a greater risk in giving starter-caliber money to role players.

I know you're a fan of Aminu, but he's a player who can really only make an impact on one side of the floor. While there is definitely a place for that type of player on a championship pretending roster, let's be clear: the Celtics are nowhere near that level.

You pay guys like Biyombo and Aminu money to be the glue guys to let your stars do the heavy lifting. You don't pay them to lead the way, and especially not because you have cap space.

I would argue that the Celtics at present are at championship pretender level 

[Celtics18]

I'd like to hope Ainge exhausts his pursuit for the upper tier free agents like Love, Aldridge, Jordan and Gasol before we start looking at lower tier guys like Biyombo.

The name of the game should be to get the best talent available, not go bargain hunting.

If we can't get the upper tier guys, than I guess Biyombo wouldn't be a bad idea, though he's  a RFA so Charlotte could match any offer he receives.

Sure, but on the off chance we don't get Aldridge, Jordan, or Marc Gasol, I feel that guys like Bismack Biyombo or Al Farouq Aminu--talented guys who are still young, still have some upside, but haven't quite put it all together and are therefore likely to be available on the relative cheap--are exactly the kinds of players Danny should go after. 

I view many of these second, third, fourth year players who everybody has already written off because they haven't turned into superstars yet almost as additional draft picks if you can get them. 

Maybe their floors and ceilings are a bit more well defined at this point than a kid coming right out of college, but if at twenty-two or twenty-three, they are still in the league, still contributing, getting fifteen to twenty minutes a game, chances are they aren't complete busts (which a number of players from the draft--even those taken in the lottery--historically turn out to be).

I feel like going for these types of players maximizes risk and minimizes reward.

There's a greater risk in giving starter-caliber money to role players.

I know you're a fan of Aminu, but he's a player who can really only make an impact on one side of the floor. While there is definitely a place for that type of player on a championship pretending roster, let's be clear: the Celtics are nowhere near that level.

You pay guys like Biyombo and Aminu money to be the glue guys to let your stars do the heavy lifting. You don't pay them to lead the way, and especially not because you have cap space.

Not because we have cap space.  Because, we want to look for good, young players with room to grow that can be gotten on bargain contracts.

The guys mentioned are just examples.  I happen to like Aminu and Biyombo.  I know there are many other players out there who are in a similar sort of category:  good players who have either been under-utilized, floundered on bad teams, or are just starting to grow up into their basketball selves.

These kinds of late bloomers have always existed.  Everyone gets so fixated on the draft, but there are other avenues to find bargain players--ones who might be closer to ready to help a good team get better than unexperienced twenty year olds. 

[LarBrd33]

Based on CBS's interviews the last few weeks discussing the celtics biggest needs, he consistently says we need 'scoring' and 'versatility'. Biyombo provides neither, and I would never see him fitting into CBS's system anyways.

Too lazy to find the quote you are referring to but I'm pretty sure he acknowledged that our obvious most pressing need was interior defense and that very few of those guys were available in the league. So he listed off some of the other things we need to improve to get out of mediocrity.

No, hpantazo is right. Stevens said the two things we need is versatility and scorers. Biyombo doesn't fit either description.

The quote: 

"From a basketball standpoint,? Stevens said, ?I just think we need to continue to focus on ability to be a little bit more versatile, which I thought helped us as we got later on in the season with a couple of our changes that we made. And then I think shooting is a big deal. Obviously, everybody?s going to talk about rim protectors and those type of things. There?s only so many of those guys. So, I think those other two areas are really important for us."

My impression of that was that people took it out of context.  He was asked what the team needed to add.  I read his response to be, "Well... obviously rim protectors... duh... but that's such an obvious answer, so here's a few of the other many things this crappy team needs to improve."

I believe Ssspence... Biyombo is likely very much on Boston's radar.  And sure, "versatility" and "scoring" are probably right up there with our desires this year.   

EDIT:  Found the video... Check out the context of the quote right here (1:22 mark):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=EeyOzXPdwRQ#t=84

It's Brad himself who brings up the obvious need for rim protectors and then tempers our expectations by admitting that... rim protectors are rare.  Only so many of those guys are in the league (and Biyombo happens to be a good one).  Don't be surprised if the team fails to get one.  Certainly Boston will go for the big names... chances are they'll strike out.   There's a chance they will fail to get Biyombo as well since he's restricted.   And trading up for WCS is no easy task.  So... lower them expectations boys... lots of stuff we have to address beyond rim protection.  Whole team is kinda a mess of mediocrity.  Consider Biyombo our "Plan B".  I don't want to see Plan C.

[LarBrd33]

Here's what Brad is NOT going to say in that situation:

Reporter:  "You guys have a lot of draft picks and cap space... what do you want to add?"

Brad:  "Dude you already know the answer.  Everyone knows the answer.  A rim protector.  This team is DESPERATE for a rim protector.  It's a worst-kept secret than Kevin Spacey's sexuality.  We haven't had a quality rim protector in half a decade and that's only if you're including Kendrick Perkins and his 3 inch vertical.   Obviously, we need a rim protector.  What a stupid question.   This team is so desperate for a rim protector.  I mean, we had Kelly Olynyk and his stunted T-Rex Arms starting half the season at center.  It was ridiculous.  No disrespect to Tyler Zeller (who played admirably last season), but he's a garbage rim protector.  There's only a handful of rim protectors in this league, though.  Listen, Boston will stop at nothing to add a rim protector this summer.  If you're one of the handful of teams that has one, call us... we'll give up half our team for one.  In fact, if we fail to get a rim protector this summer, you might as well bring it up incessantly for the next 12 months as fuel for criticizing Danny Ainge... and while you're at it, you might as well say your farewells to me, because I'm not sticking around in the NBA on a hopeless rim-protectorless team when those big NCAA programs start calling.   Look, if you're a team drafting from 5-8 and can't make up your mind who the draft... let me make it easy for you.  Take Willie Cauley Stein... then chain us up and grab your ball gag, because we're effectively your Anastasia Steele, Mr. Grey.  We'll do whatever you say.  We need a rim protector like a midget needs platform shoes *eyes dart around the room nervously*... sorry, was just making sure Thomas wasn't around the hear that one.  Dear Sacramento, enjoy the entire Boston Celtic roster and 50 draft picks, yours truly, Brad Stevens and DeMarcus Cousins.   We're desperate, man.  Listen, if you're Bismack Biyombo's agent... congrats... look forward to your client's 40 million dollar payday if we fail to land Aldridge or Gasol.  Omer Asik... you thought your last contract was absurd?... wait until you see what Boston is prepared to offer you if all other avenues fail.    We need a rim protector.  I can't stress this enough.  We need one." 

But obviously he can't say that... so he went with the broad "we need versatility and scoring" which is just a step above, "Well, we have a lot of areas we can improve.  We just need to add guys who can play basketball."