Are you that enthused about any of these guys?

[Celtics18]

I'll be perfectly happy if the only major move Danny makes between now and the start of next season is drafting a top five pick this summer to add to our core.

[flybono]

Boston #1  Dallas #1 DLee Olynyk  to get Horford

[PhoSita]

I'll be perfectly happy if the only major move Danny makes between now and the start of next season is drafting a top five pick this summer to add to our core.

What's he gonna do with the other seven picks?

Also, decisions to be made on Turner, Sullinger, Zeller, Amir, and Jerebko.  You'd bring them all back?

Will Rozier, Hunter, Young, Mickey ever play significant minutes for the Celtics?

It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that some moves are gonna get made.

[walker834]

Kevin Love is the guy worth giving up the nets pick for.  We have to find the right players to sway cleveland though.  I agree moves have to be made but there isn't a whole lot to get excited about here outside maybe getting Kevin Love.  Gallinari doesn't do it. Horford is middling.

[KGs Knee]

I'll be perfectly happy if the only major move Danny makes between now and the start of next season is drafting a top five pick this summer to add to our core.

What's he gonna do with the other seven picks?

Also, decisions to be made on Turner, Sullinger, Zeller, Amir, and Jerebko.  You'd bring them all back?

Will Rozier, Hunter, Young, Mickey ever play significant minutes for the Celtics?

It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that some moves are gonna get made.

Yeah, the Celtics cannot go into next season with 12 of 15 roster spots allocated to rookies and the combo of Young, Rozier, Hunter, and Mickey.  That's just not possible.

Those picks will either need to be consolidated into fewer, better picks, picks in future drafts, or traded for actual ready-to-contribute players.  Same can be said for Young, Rozier, Hunter and Mickey.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I like Horford, but that's about it of the "available" guys.  Love would be cool, but I don't see the point if we're giving up Jae or the BK pick.  We'd still need those to be competitive

[walker834]

I don't want Howard or Blake.  I'd like Horford if we are getting someone else.  Love would do the trick.  I also like Cousins but he isn't coming here.  Other than that these guys are supporting players or not available.  I would trade the nets pick for Love right now.  Other than that I wait though.

[mctyson]

None of these guys are KG or Pierce to me.  The Celtics have always had players that were held in high esteem period all the way back.   Are we really going to add Blake Griffin or Howard to that?  The Celtics may be in a position where they really limit what they have to choose from.  I'd rather build a team of underdogs and overachievers in ways than sell my soul to the devil.  Horford is somewhat of a possibility but I still wonder how much he helps us.  Getting Horford or Howard is really contingent on being able to add a superstar later.  Love would be good but again we are dealing with the enemy.  Cousins I like.  The draft itself is somewhat overhyped although Ainge can probably find someone.  I'd like him to do the same in trades but I haven't heard it overly.

TP.  You are exactly right, and Danny probably agrees with you.  I think Horford fits this mold but other than him, no one.

[Celtics18]

I'll be perfectly happy if the only major move Danny makes between now and the start of next season is drafting a top five pick this summer to add to our core.

What's he gonna do with the other seven picks?

Also, decisions to be made on Turner, Sullinger, Zeller, Amir, and Jerebko.  You'd bring them all back?

Will Rozier, Hunter, Young, Mickey ever play significant minutes for the Celtics?

It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that some moves are gonna get made.

I said "major moves."  I don't really consider the guys you mentioned major.  I expect a number of them to not be back.  I also expect us to move some of our extraneous second rounders.

I still don't see major moves being necessary.

[pearljammer10]

Getting Love and Horford would be very exciting from my point of view. Thats a very deadly complimentary duo surrounded by some great "junkyard dog" talent that can make some noise in BS's system in the east.

[esel1000]

Getting Love and Horford would be very exciting from my point of view. Thats a very deadly complimentary duo surrounded by some great "junkyard dog" talent that can make some noise in BS's system in the east.

Completely agree. I know the sources aren't great on these rumors *cough Sherrod* but it makes a lot of sense from our point of view. That team could make some noise and would definitely be attractive to a big time FA (Durant?) in the offseason. As of now he wouldn't even glance this way, with those guys and IT/Smart/Crowder (assuming you give up the Nets pick for Love) I bet we'd be on his list.

[tenn_smoothie]

I like the guys we have.  I feel like IT's a good leader who's cocky and keeps our confidence high like Pierce, and I feel like Smart is a good emotional leader/defensive general who's always barking the assignments/rotations and keeping our energy high like KG.

Then you've got the shooters who play off of them (Bradley, Crowder, KO) who unfortunately don't amount to Ray Allen.

I think we need MORE guys who are capable of shooting and slashing like those 3.

That and a strong pick and roll/pop player (all star) for IT to play with.

Those 5 guys plus Johnson are the only guys I'm really attached to (though I'd give any of them up for the right price).

Would love Cousins.  Like Griffin.  Howard's okay but wouldn't give up a ton for him unless he commits to resigning.  Horford's acceptable too, I'm not greedy, I'm realistic.  Same caveat as Howard though.

I don't understand this fascination with Cousins - the guy is a complete head case who will poison any team he becomes a part of. Everyone thinks that Brad Stevens can make anybody a team player - who has he turned from a selfish head case into a productive player ? no one.

Stevens seems most comfortable with team guys who have the underdog chip on their shoulders ( see Butler resume). Yes, we need a couple of All-Star caliber guys to lift this group into a title contender - but be very careful how you go about getting those guys and about who those guys are, character-wise.

Let GS have their run while we build a monster in Boston to dominate for a decade like Boston/LA in the 80's. Selling our soul to the devil for one title is not what the Boston Celtics are about, Danny.

[crimson_stallion]

None of these guys are KG or Pierce to me.  The Celtics have always had players that were held in high esteem period all the way back.   Are we really going to add Blake Griffin or Howard to that?  The Celtics may be in a position where they really limit what they have to choose from.  I'd rather build a team of underdogs and overachievers in ways than sell my soul to the devil.  Horford is somewhat of a possibility but I still wonder how much he helps us.  Getting Horford or Howard is really contingent on being able to add a superstar later.  Love would be good but again we are dealing with the enemy.  Cousins I like.  The draft itself is somewhat overhyped although Ainge can probably find someone.  I'd like him to do the same in trades but I haven't heard it overly.

Adding a guy like Horford puts you in the conversation. With the current team, you're outside of the conversation.

I beg to differ.

Atlanta have Horford.  Thwy also have a Millsap, a Teague, and a Korver.

Yet the Hawks are less 'in the conversation' than we are.

Go figure.

I don't get your point.

My point is that Horford is not a transcendent player, and any team with Horford as their best player (or even close to their best player) isn't going to be good enough to be a contender.

Adding Horford makes us better, but it probably still doesn't make us good enough to beat Toronto or Miami in a playoff series, and it sure as hell doesn't make us good enough to come within a whisker of competing with the likes of Golden State or San Antonio.

Instead of finishing as the #3 seed five games behind Toronto...we might finish as the #3 seed two games behind Toronto.  He makes us better, but not enough to be significant.

This exactly why the Hawks (who have a similar team composition to us) has never been able to get over the hump the this year and last year.  Because Hawks don't really have a #1 talent, they basically have three #2 talents.  Taking a #3 talent and giving him a #1 role doesn't make him a #1 talent...and without a #1 talent it is almost impossible to make your mark as a legitimate contender come playoff time.

We basically have a #3 talent in Thomas, plus a couple of #4 talents in Crowder and Bradley.  If we add Horford then we have two #3 talents and a couple of #4 talents.  It's still not putting us 'in the conversation'. 

We basically just become a slightly better version of what we already are (a really good team that is on the outside looking in).

At least that's what I think.

[crimson_stallion]

I don't understand this fascination with Cousins - the guy is a complete head case who will poison any team he becomes a part of.

The fact that he:

1: Is the best center in the NBA hands down, and is putting up the type of stats we haven't seen from a big since Shaq

2: Dominates the paint, draws fouls like at an elite level, is an outstanding passer, can hit the NBA three with consistency and is a solid free throw shooter (find me another big that can claim all of those things)

3: Is a 'plus' contributor on both ends of the court

4: Is only 25 years old and is on an excellent contract

5: Has shown unflappable loyalty to his team since he came into the league, which suggests he's likely to stick around rather than try to force trades or skip town in free agency (etc)

Everyone thinks that Brad Stevens can make anybody a team player - who has he turned from a selfish head case into a productive player ? no one.

Crawford, Turner, Bayless and Thornton to name a few.

Stevens seems most comfortable with team guys who have the underdog chip on their shoulders ( see Butler resume). Yes, we need a couple of All-Star caliber guys to lift this group into a title contender - but be very careful how you go about getting those guys and about who those guys are, character-wise.

I agree, and Cousins is exactly that guy.   

Since the day he came in to the league, he has never been given the appreciation or respect he deserves.  He's been snubbed from All-Star games for years despite being consistently one of the top 3 bigs in the NBA, and even when he has made the ATG (the past two seasons) it's been only just by a whisker.

He's been a part of what is arguably the worst franchise of the past 20 years, with the team and coaches constantly changing around him and zero stability.

He's constantly criticized for being vocal/passionate when other guys in the league (e.g. Draymond Green, Kobe, KG) get praised for it.

Demarcus Cousins has been punked and disrespected constantly from the moment he stepped into this league, so he seems like exactly the type of "chip on the shoulder" guy Stevens would love.

I don't really see how Cousins is that different to a guy like Smart. Smart punched out a spectator, and he's gotten into a number of riff-raffs with players on the court already in his career.  But we love that, because that shows he has fight and character, and passion.  I don't see Cousins as being any different.

I cannot think of ANY other player in the NBA right now who would have stuck by a franchise as messed up as Sacramento...and yet to this day Cousins is STILL talking nothing but loyalty every time anyone brings up trade talk - all he says is "Sacramento is where I want to be". 

That type of loyalty is incredibly rare in this day an age (not only in the NBA, but anywhere) and it just doesn't match up with this "head case" stigma everybody has painted Cousins with. 

From everything I have seen he seems like a very modest guy who just happens to be very emotional and competitive, and sometimes that emotion/competitiveness gets him in trouble. 

I don't have a problem with that. 

In fact I'd rather somebody of that description over somebody who is indifferent, emotionless and comes across like he doesn't care (e.g. Durant, Duncan).  Maybe Duncan has more rings, but the guy is a darn robot.  No emotion whatsoever.  If I ever see Duncan smile I think I'll have a heart attack and die of shock.   

As for Durant, if somebody ever stole his hamburger I feel like he would stop, stare straight at them, and smile politely.  Man has zero cojonez.

At least when Cousins loses a game, I can envision him actually caring. 

[guava_wrench]

None of these guys are KG or Pierce to me.  The Celtics have always had players that were held in high esteem period all the way back.   Are we really going to add Blake Griffin or Howard to that?  The Celtics may be in a position where they really limit what they have to choose from.  I'd rather build a team of underdogs and overachievers in ways than sell my soul to the devil.  Horford is somewhat of a possibility but I still wonder how much he helps us.  Getting Horford or Howard is really contingent on being able to add a superstar later.  Love would be good but again we are dealing with the enemy.  Cousins I like.  The draft itself is somewhat overhyped although Ainge can probably find someone.  I'd like him to do the same in trades but I haven't heard it overly.

I don't understand your point. Pierce's reputation was not good before KG. Remember the Olympics? The Indiana series press conference? Getting benched by Doc because he wouldn't stop with the hero ball? So what do you mean by high esteem?