Stein: Celtics have better assets to land DMC than Nuggets

[TheFlex]

This article of Stein's isn't new, and was covered extensively on the forum yesterday. However I noticed something at the article that I didn't before, at the bottom (perhaps it was updated):

ESPN reported in May after the Boston Celtics' first-round elimination that the Celtics planned to be at the front of the line in terms of trying to trade for Cousins this offseason.

The Denver Nuggets have also been increasingly mentioned as a likely trade suitor for him since the hiring of former Kings coach and Cousins favorite Mike Malone as their new coach. But Denver wouldn't appear to have the sort of trade assets to rival Boston's cache of future first-round picks, which tend to become especially handy when trying to assemble multi-team trades.

- http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/13131159/los-angeles-lakers-actively-trying-acquire-demarcus-cousins-trade-sacramento-kings

I felt this deserved its own thread because it flies right in the face of a portion of this forum's inability to understand that the Celtics do have a competitive stockpile of assets within the context of trying to land a star.

Thoughts? Can Boston outbid Denver, or LAL? What would it take to match the #2 pick and Randle? Are the Celtics attempting to trade up to send the pick to Sacramento?

[Endless Paradise]

I don't think it's inconceivable in the least that the Celtics have the assets to trade for Cousins. The issue here is that many think they can get away with ridiculously terrible lowball offers and that the Kings should somehow be grateful that the Celtics would even throw those propositions out.

If the Celtics get Cousins, they're giving up multiple assets that people here value as untouchable. That's for certain.

[BDUB2112]

Just because they have better assets than Denver doesn't mean they have better assets than the other 10 teams that would probably be interested in Cousins.

[PhoSita]

Just because they have better assets than Denver doesn't mean they have better assets than the other 10 teams that would probably be interested in Cousins.

See above.

Not really sure what the point is here.

Could the Celtics perhaps help to facilitate an eventual Cousins deal and get some value out of it?  Sure.  All those draft picks make it easy for the Celtics to insert themselves into nearly any major trade discussion. 

Do the draft picks and role players move the needle as far as actually getting one of the major players that becomes available?  Don't bet on it.

[MBunge]

1.  The Celtics have better assets than a lot of teams to get someone like DMC.

2.  There are at least a handful of teams that have better assets than Boston.  You can argue Ainge can offer more long term value than anyone else but the short term appeal of, for example, #2 and Randle can't be overcome.

3.  Boston is excellently positioned to facilitate a three-team deal that nets us a quality veteran or two.

Mike

[ManUp]

Picks are usually just the sweeteners on a deal.  Right now we lack the main components in terms of players or a player other teams value. Bradley is probably our only legit young player and his ceiling is beginning to show. We need to get some legit tradeable talent this free agency a guy you can package with players and picks. Greg Monroe is one example solid double double guy not spectacular,  but still young enough to have potential factor into his value.

[TheFlex]

Just because they have better assets than Denver doesn't mean they have better assets than the other 10 teams that would probably be interested in Cousins.

See above.

Not really sure what the point is here.

Could the Celtics perhaps help to facilitate an eventual Cousins deal and get some value out of it?  Sure.  All those draft picks make it easy for the Celtics to insert themselves into nearly any major trade discussion. 

Do the draft picks and role players move the needle as far as actually getting one of the major players that becomes available?  Don't bet on it.

This doesn't seem to be what Stein is implying. I don't believe he's suggesting that the Celts have the assets to net a nice piece in a deal that sends Cousins to another team. He seems to be propping up Boston as a legitimate landing spot for Cousins.

Also, "draft picks and role players" seems to be a simplistic mischaracterization of the Celts' assets. I am in wholehearted agreement that we don't have an a singular asset on par with the #2 pick. But if it is true that the Kings would prefer a more wholesome package that includes veteran players -- and that Karl appears to be anti-star -- I believe the Celts would have a shot.

Celts send: Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller, James Young, #16, #28, future Brooklyn 1st
Celts receive: DeMarcus Cousins

Bulls send: Taj Gibson, Tony Snell
Bulls receive: Avery Bradley, #28

Heat send: #10
Heat receive: Tyler Zeller, #16

Kings send: Cousins
Kings receive: Olynyk, Young, Gibson, Snell, #10, future Brooklyn 1st

Collison/Stauskas
McLemore/Young
Gay/Justise Winslow/Tony Snell
Taj Gibson/Carl Landry
Kelly Olynyk/Myles Turner

+ Brooklyn 1st

Can someone with the time research what other offers were out there for Melo a few years ago? Did a team with a more appealing concentration of assets lose out to New York's more complete offer? This would be very relevant to gauge Karl's influence on any potential deals.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Just because they have better assets than Denver doesn't mean they have better assets than the other 10 teams that would probably be interested in Cousins.

See above.

Not really sure what the point is here.

Could the Celtics perhaps help to facilitate an eventual Cousins deal and get some value out of it?  Sure.  All those draft picks make it easy for the Celtics to insert themselves into nearly any major trade discussion. 

Do the draft picks and role players move the needle as far as actually getting one of the major players that becomes available?  Don't bet on it.

This doesn't seem to be what Stein is implying. I don't believe he's suggesting that the Celts have the assets to net a nice piece in a deal that sends Cousins to another team. He seems to be propping up Boston as a legitimate landing spot for Cousins.

Consider revising the thread title, it's confusing.

[BDeCosta26]

This article of Stein's isn't new, and was covered extensively on the forum yesterday. However I noticed something at the article that I didn't before, at the bottom (perhaps it was updated):

ESPN reported in May after the Boston Celtics' first-round elimination that the Celtics planned to be at the front of the line in terms of trying to trade for Cousins this offseason.

The Denver Nuggets have also been increasingly mentioned as a likely trade suitor for him since the hiring of former Kings coach and Cousins favorite Mike Malone as their new coach. But Denver wouldn't appear to have the sort of trade assets to rival Boston's cache of future first-round picks, which tend to become especially handy when trying to assemble multi-team trades.

- http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/13131159/los-angeles-lakers-actively-trying-acquire-demarcus-cousins-trade-sacramento-kings

I felt this deserved its own thread because it flies right in the face of a portion of this forum's inability to understand that the Celtics do have a competitive stockpile of assets within the context of trying to land a star.

Thoughts? Can Boston outbid Denver, or LAL? What would it take to match the #2 pick and Randle? Are the Celtics attempting to trade up to send the pick to Sacramento?

I can totally imagine that they may be looking to trade up so they can give SAC a higher pick. Boston can just about out bid anyone, but it's all about what the Kings want in return.

Dickerson had an article today about teams being desperate to acquire good future picks as they start rebuilds (Knicks, Nuggets chief among them). Our best bet is to look for a 3 way deal with Denver that sends Cousins our way, Lawson/Faried/Bradley/KO and a pick or two Sacto's way and Young, Sully, Brooklyn picks, etc. Denvers way. That's the only way this can really happen, without including Smart anyways.

Of course, Ainge is in a good position to make such a deal happen. I don't know if it's DMC or not, but something tells me DA has something lined up right now none of us see coming

[Endless Paradise]

The Nets were the Knicks' main competition for Melo, but there was never any true bidding war since Melo made it pretty clear that he wanted to go to the Knicks and was only using the Nets as leverage to get the Knicks to make the deal.

[TheFlex]

Just because they have better assets than Denver doesn't mean they have better assets than the other 10 teams that would probably be interested in Cousins.

See above.

Not really sure what the point is here.

Could the Celtics perhaps help to facilitate an eventual Cousins deal and get some value out of it?  Sure.  All those draft picks make it easy for the Celtics to insert themselves into nearly any major trade discussion. 

Do the draft picks and role players move the needle as far as actually getting one of the major players that becomes available?  Don't bet on it.

This doesn't seem to be what Stein is implying. I don't believe he's suggesting that the Celts have the assets to net a nice piece in a deal that sends Cousins to another team. He seems to be propping up Boston as a legitimate landing spot for Cousins.

Consider revising the thread title, it's confusing.

Noted. TP.

[Donoghus]

That #2 pick that the Lakers are holding is darn close to trumping what the Celtics can throw at SAC right now.  Add Randle to the picture and I'm not sure the Celtics can do anything in terms of matching that.

[BudweiserCeltic]

The Nets were the Knicks' main competition for Melo, but there was never any true bidding war since Melo made it pretty clear that he wanted to go to the Knicks and was only using the Nets as leverage to get the Knicks to make the deal.

Not the same. Cousins is locked into a contract, he has no leverage. Anthony was up for a contract extension.

[Monkhouse]

Just because they have better assets than Denver doesn't mean they have better assets than the other 10 teams that would probably be interested in Cousins.

See above.

Not really sure what the point is here.

Could the Celtics perhaps help to facilitate an eventual Cousins deal and get some value out of it?  Sure.  All those draft picks make it easy for the Celtics to insert themselves into nearly any major trade discussion. 

Do the draft picks and role players move the needle as far as actually getting one of the major players that becomes available?  Don't bet on it.

This doesn't seem to be what Stein is implying. I don't believe he's suggesting that the Celts have the assets to net a nice piece in a deal that sends Cousins to another team. He seems to be propping up Boston as a legitimate landing spot for Cousins.

Also, "draft picks and role players" seems to be a simplistic mischaracterization of the Celts' assets. I am in wholehearted agreement that we don't have an a singular asset on par with the #2 pick. But if it is true that the Kings would prefer a more wholesome package that includes veteran players -- and that Karl appears to be anti-star -- I believe the Celts would have a shot.

Celts send: Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller, James Young, #16, #28, future Brooklyn 1st
Celts receive: DeMarcus Cousins

Bulls send: Taj Gibson, Tony Snell
Bulls receive: Avery Bradley, #28

Heat send: #10
Heat receive: Tyler Zeller, #16

Kings send: Cousins
Kings receive: Olynyk, Zeller, Young, Gibson, Snell, #10, future Brooklyn 1st

Collison/Stauskas
McLemore/Young
Gay/Tony Snell
Taj Gibson/Carl Landry
Kelly Olynyk/Myles Turner

+ Brooklyn 1st

Can someone with the time research what other offers were out there for Melo a few years ago? Did a team with a more appealing concentration of assets lose out to New York's more complete offer? This would be very relevant to gauge Karl's influence on any potential deals.

Still not enough for DMC. You also wrote Zeller twice in the trades.

But still its at least intriguing enough to know some reporters have mentioned us as possible suitors. At some point the Celics have to at least hit one good FA. Maybe, LMA and Wesley Matthews could come here?

[DraftSmart33]

I don't see how we can match an Okafor (#2) and Randle package....but one thing I'm sure works in our favor is the simple fact we are on the opposite coast and in the eastern division.  Imagine being the Kings and getting trounced by a Cousins led Lakers or Nuggets team. 

My hope is that we can somehow benefit from the fallout of a major trade....lottery pick or a starter level player.