What if C's do get the 1st pick and don't trade it?

[Csfan1984]

OK this is counting chickens before they hatch but it's better than dwelling on the last C's loss. OK so if you have the first pick and you want to take Simmons and build around him. Does it make sense to become sellers as in IT and AB + low first to Pelicans or Bucks for their 6-8 range top pick? Both those teams could use the back court upgrades and already want to start winning. C's however have no current star and as we have seen with early LeBron cavs and now Davis Pelicans trying to compete too early because you hit once in the draft can go very wrong. What if that pick you get is indeed Poeltl or Brown? Wouldn't being sellers make sense so you can also develop a team around a developing player like the Thunder did? Sort of how Warriors almost have, since their draft hits are the core of their team. I know DA was thinking of dealing Pierce if the team got a top 2 pick. If he could sell Pierce at that stage surley IT and AB can be sold at this one. How do you see things if the C's go with draft Simmons and not trading his rights?

[BitterJim]

I think (and hope) Danny would keep the current backcourt together and look for upgrades, not downgrades.  We have a good team right now, and adding a top prospect would make us better.  If we keep up our great defense and Simmons is everything he's advertised to be, it would put us 1 player away from being a true contender with plenty of cap room to get that player.

If anything, getting a player like Simmons should have us looking to make frontcourt changes

[PhoSita]

I wouldn't dwell on getting the 1st pick too much, because the odds are very low.

That said, I would absolutely prefer to keep it rather than trade it.  Ben Simmons is a beast.  A college freshman, he's dominating college in a way that suggests he's already far too good to be playing against other college players.

Typically, that's the sign of a future superstar.


Any other pick in the draft, I think I'd be OK to see Ainge trade it, along with other assets, for an established player.  But if it's Simmons, positionally versatile, great passer, awesome in transition -- I want that guy learning to play the game under Brad Stevens.  He could be our Tim Duncan.  For real.

[LooseCannon]

The Celtics are too close to being a contender to tear it down.  Arguably, they are a player away.

[Csfan1984]

The Celtics are too close to being a contender to tear it down.  Arguably, they are a player away.

I see them as two stars away so I lean more towards tearing it down and building around Simmons. A team needs two or more stars to win a title in most cases.

[konkmv]

I would not trade a top 3 pick

[Csfan1984]

I wouldn't dwell on getting the 1st pick too much, because the odds are very low.

That said, I would absolutely prefer to keep it rather than trade it.  Ben Simmons is a beast.  A college freshman, he's dominating college in a way that suggests he's already far too good to be playing against other college players.

Typically, that's the sign of a future superstar.


Any other pick in the draft, I think I'd be OK to see Ainge trade it, along with other assets, for an established player.  But if it's Simmons, positionally versatile, great passer, awesome in transition -- I want that guy learning to play the game under Brad Stevens.  He could be our Tim Duncan.  For real.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The main question is do you take a step back and trade some key players to continue a draft rebuild and a plan to build around Simmons or just add Simmons to the mix and try to compete. I think they should step back myself, deal IT and AB for another top pick.

[manl_lui]

I wouldn't dwell on getting the 1st pick too much, because the odds are very low.

That said, I would absolutely prefer to keep it rather than trade it.  Ben Simmons is a beast.  A college freshman, he's dominating college in a way that suggests he's already far too good to be playing against other college players.

Typically, that's the sign of a future superstar.


Any other pick in the draft, I think I'd be OK to see Ainge trade it, along with other assets, for an established player.  But if it's Simmons, positionally versatile, great passer, awesome in transition -- I want that guy learning to play the game under Brad Stevens.  He could be our Tim Duncan.  For real.

agreed on this point...if we get the #1 pick from the Nets, I would absolutely use it to draft Simmons, kid's a beast

[hpantazo]

We are very well positioned to go in many directions this summer, but getting a top three pick imo would be even more reason to keep IT and AB and go with the group we have. Simmons would be the missing piece, the superstar and go-to scorer we need. AB and IT are such great complementary pieces , cost controlled, and still young. You only trade them if you need to in a deal for an established superstar if you have to.

[PhoSita]

I wouldn't dwell on getting the 1st pick too much, because the odds are very low.

That said, I would absolutely prefer to keep it rather than trade it.  Ben Simmons is a beast.  A college freshman, he's dominating college in a way that suggests he's already far too good to be playing against other college players.

Typically, that's the sign of a future superstar.


Any other pick in the draft, I think I'd be OK to see Ainge trade it, along with other assets, for an established player.  But if it's Simmons, positionally versatile, great passer, awesome in transition -- I want that guy learning to play the game under Brad Stevens.  He could be our Tim Duncan.  For real.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The main question is do you take a step back and trade some key players to continue a draft rebuild and a plan to build around Simmons or just add Simmons to the mix and try to compete. I think they should step back myself, deal IT and AB for another top pick.

As I see it, the core of the team right now is Isaiah, Bradley, Crowder, Smart, Sullinger, and Olynyk.  Not to say that those guys are irreplaceable by any means, just that those are the most important players on the team.  All of those guys are pretty young.

I think if we were to get Simmons, I'd want to hold onto those guys as the main part of the rotation, though I wouldn't be too concerned with re-signing Sully if somebody makes a big offer for him. 

I would, however, be happy to let Amir, Jerebko, Lee, and Turner go.  I'd leave room for the youngest guys on the team -- Rozier, Hunter, Young, Mickey -- to prove themselves, not to mention whatever other rookies we have on the roster next season.  We have a ton of draft picks, after all.

If we are fortunate enough to get Simmons, it will mean that there is a path to contention, provided he realizes his considerable potential.  There wouldn't be any rush.  At the same time, no need to take a step back by trading away any of our main role players, who are all quite young and cost-controlled.


In short, I'd be happy to head into next season with a starting lineup of IT, Bradley, Crowder, Simmons, and Sullinger / Olynyk, with a bench mostly comprised of rookie contract guys.

That team might not win as many games as this year's team, but that team would have a bright future.  If Simmons were to have a really good rookie season, I wouldn't be surprised if top FAs were really interested in joining that young Celts team.

[TheReaLPuba]

To trade a top 3 pick is ridiculous.

Those picks don't come very often and it's your GM's job to do their hw and pick the right player.

If some how we end up with a very high pick and it's traded then what the hell are we doing here?

[Quetzalcoatl]

I would trade Labissierre, but I'd really want to keep Simmons or Ingram.  When we get rid of most of the expiring contracts this off season, our roster will look like:

Smart / IT
Bradley / RJ Hunter
[Need an upgrade] / Crowder
[Need an upgrade] / Amir
Sullinger / KO

Simmons would fill the spot at the 4 and Ingram would fill the spot at the 3.  Then we try to shell out to upgrade on the other one, or we upgrade at center and turn Sullinger into basically an energy guy at the 4.  That's a pretty good team depending on how good the rookie is and how good of a player we get to fill the other position.  Then, we get lottery picks from the Nets the next two years in a row after that. 

[CFAN38]

If the Cs where lucky enough to land the 1st pick the worst thin to do would be to unload the young vets for picks. By giving simmons a veteran core to play with te team is setting him up for success. If he is as ready as I expect he is then BS would plug him in as the starting PF and let this team stay as a playoff team.

[Future Celtics Owner]

If this is what you want then selling IT AB (I'd add others like Sully and Turner) now would be the most efficient way. If we trade those 2 (again prob Sully Amir and Turner too)and get a younger player/s and picks, then we tank; I think the net result would be more.

[tazzmaniac]

I think Simmons is getting overhyped.  He certainly wasn't a beast in last night's game or a few other games so far and he hasn't hit SEC competition yet.  If we get Simmons, I'd be looking to bring in some shooters to take advantage of his great passing and court vision and also to space the court so Simmons can drive the lane.  If we don't have shooters, teams will just play off Simmons and dare him to shoot.