Ainge on Toucher and Rich: "Consolidating quantity for quality"

[mctyson]

At the very least, I expect to see one of the expiring deals and at least 1 first round draft pick gone at the deadline for a wing player that can slash to the basket and/or shoot 3s

Problem is that almost every team in the league needs guys who fit this description and they are in short supply.

I am not asking for an All-Star...I am asking for a 6'8" Marcus Thornton

[PhoSita]

At the very least, I expect to see one of the expiring deals and at least 1 first round draft pick gone at the deadline for a wing player that can slash to the basket and/or shoot 3s

Problem is that almost every team in the league needs guys who fit this description and they are in short supply.

I am not asking for an All-Star...I am asking for a 6'8" Marcus Thornton

You want a 6'8'' microwave scorer with combo guard handles?  Give me a list of guys who fit that description.

[ssspence]

Smart likely has the highest perceived trade value of our rookie scale deals. I wonder if Ainge will essentially need to include him in a package to get another team to bite on trading a vet whose actually worth anything.

I really, really doubt Ainge would include Smart in a package for a vet unless that "vet" is an All-Star caliber talent.  Maybe that's wildly overvaluing Smart, but based on what Ainge has done in the past, that's what I would expect.

Precisely. Without Smart in the Goat's Head Soup, it's unlikely we acquire a major upgrade -- not just because of the quality of our talent, but because opposing GMs have heard the •Sullinger today for a hamburger on Tuesday• routine before, and will hear it increase in the coming months (per the rest of the post you're referring to which went unquoted).

[walker834]

Ainge tried to get justice winslow. He basically fits that description but players like that are held at a premium because they are most likely going to be allstars at that size, age and ability.

What we need is justice winslow and nerlens noel but better. I wouldn't sell myself short on those guys. Gallinari etc..  We can do better.  Ben Simmons and Brown are two guys this draft who are better.

jason richardson was a player like that. So was jimmy butler. They are allstar players or were.

What we need to do is find a guy like jimmy butler before he becomes jimmy butler.

[Evantime34]

Consolidating quantity for quality could end up meaning dealing Zeller, Sullinger, Lee and/or Turner for draft picks.

Although not a ton of teams want to deal a good player for several ok ones, a playoff team might trade a first for several bench players that will put them over the top. A future first for Turner and Zeller could make sense for the Clippers.

[LooseCannon]

4) They have WAY too many draft picks given the amount of players that they have under contract now, even with the expiring deals of Lee, Jerebko, Johnson, Sully, and Zeller

Which of those players return next season will probably be determined by how the play after the trade deadline.  You don't need to decide that in February.

[walker834]

james young and rj hunter are our hopes right now.  We really need a big most likely. None of our bigs really stand out.  Amir Johnson is good and serviceable in that mold. Mickey is a prospect. KO and Sully show signs but have been really inconsistant.

It wouldn't hurt if Marcus steps up his offense.  I think we need a big more for that reason.

[ssspence]

Consolidating quantity for quality could end up meaning dealing Zeller, Sullinger, Lee and/or Turner for draft picks.

Although not a ton of teams want to deal a good player for several ok ones, a playoff team might trade a first for several bench players that will put them over the top. A future first for Turner and Zeller could make sense for the Clippers.

That package nets you crap. Even if you find a contender with a dead expiring and a pick to offer, they wouldn't have enough roster space to take the Motley Crue. A 2-4-1 or 3-4-2 deal is the best you can hope for.

[Snakehead]

Part of the drawback to the Ainge plan is that we are probably going to end up overpaying when/if we do make a trade.  We have the assets to at some point but I think people should be prepared for that.  You just run into situations where you can't even draft all the players you have picks for and we already struggle with playing time.  Other teams can see that.

[Evantime34]

Consolidating quantity for quality could end up meaning dealing Zeller, Sullinger, Lee and/or Turner for draft picks.

Although not a ton of teams want to deal a good player for several ok ones, a playoff team might trade a first for several bench players that will put them over the top. A future first for Turner and Zeller could make sense for the Clippers.

That package nets you crap. Even if you find a contender with a dead expiring and a pick to offer, they wouldn't have enough roster space to take the Motley Crue. A 2-4-1 or 3-4-2 deal is the best you can hope for.

I'm not so sure about that. Look at what we got last year for Brendan Wright, and Thornton.

I think you could combine one of our expirings with a guy like Sullinger to get a better asset, which is essentially quantity for quality. A guy like Evan Turner could be really useful to a contending team (The Bulls for example really need a 3). Attach some of our 2nds to a guy like Turner and I think he could return a first.

Trading a player plus a pick for a better pick upgrades quantity for quality and clears up some of the roster log jam.

[LooseCannon]

james young and rj hunter are our hopes right now.  We really need a big most likely. None of our bigs really stand out.  Amir Johnson is good and serviceable in that mold. Mickey is a prospect. KO and Sully show signs but have been really inconsistant.

The Celtics have a lot of bigs who can be nice supporting role players next to a star big man.  The good thing is that it doesn't matter whether Ainge can get a center or a power forward.  So long as he is a solid two-way player, you can probably fit him together with whoever doesn't get traded.

[walker834]

We can continue to speculate what Marcus is going to be.  Same with Young and Rj.  They are basically still babies.  Sully and KO have been in the league for a bit where we kind of know their upside.  They just have to be more consistent imo.  Marcus's offense is basically nonexistent right now.  So are Rj and Young.  We can hope they will start scoring.  But right now Marcus night after night is not a scorer.

Isaiah, Crowder, Bradley, Amir are really the only guys we have right now maximizing their potential.  Amir is not a scorer.  He can score in spots.   Isaiah is. Crowder is ok. Bradley is a little better than that.

Everyone else is really inconsistent or a baby.  This team as it stands really needs to play defense every night and really move the ball to take some of the pressure off a guy like Thomas,  because we aren't having those guys coming up big besides him and maybe Bradley.

If Smart was a scorer that might be different but he's not right now.  He's really the guy who has teh most ability to step into that role even over Kelly or Sully, but he's not. 

[LarBrd33]

considering that there's a ton of buyers and no sellers, Boston should consider selling.

[max215]

considering that there's a ton of buyers and no sellers, Boston should consider selling.

I agree. We have guys who we could probably be overpaid for due to our depth. I wouldn't mind moving anyone but Smart, Crowder, and probably KO.

[BudweiserCeltic]

considering that there's a ton of buyers and no sellers, Boston should consider selling.

I'm sure Ainge will be doing a bit of both.