Bill Simmons suspects the Celtics don't like this bad draft. Okafor was target.

[TheSundanceKid]

What if the offer on the table was Smart + Brk 16 for Okafor and the rights to Saric? Would people make that deal?

If you include Smart then there needs to be something more than Okafor coming back. Or perhaps it was the Lakers top-3 protected pick?

[wdleehi]

I am very curios what the "other pieces" may have been on the rumored target.



I don't like the idea of Smart or Bradley included. 

[Al91]

What I enjoyed most about that podcast was BS's admission that NBA folk say the same thing every year. For a couple months that year's draft features a good class, for subsequent months it's a bad draft, during the tournament it'll be a good draft again.

We're in bad draft mode now, folks. It's been a month since some crazy "OMG Kris Dunn!" topic. Buddy Hield-hype has slowed a little, and more flaws are being picked apart in Bill's nephew's game (being facetious in case you can't tell). People have warmed up to Ingram but without the hype as of late. I expect when Duke's record picks up (hopefully whenever Amile Jeferson returns from injury) that the hype train will gain more steam.

Like BS mentioned in that podcast though, picks 8-14 last year would likely headline this draft. Outside of Simmons and Ingram at 1/2, I don't see anyone being a standout draft position-wise. Hell, Booker out of Kentucky last year would likely be top five this year. Lyles, the less-hyped Kentucky product, would likely be top ten this year.

[wdleehi]

What I enjoyed most about that podcast was BS's admission that NBA folk say the same thing every year. For a couple months that year's draft features a good class, for subsequent months it's a bad draft, during the tournament it'll be a good draft again.

We're in bad draft mode now, folks. It's been a month since some crazy "OMG Kris Dunn!" topic. Buddy Hield-hype has slowed a little, and more flaws are being picked apart in Bill's nephew's game (being facetious in case you can't tell). People have warmed up to Ingram but without the hype as of late. I expect when Duke's record picks up (hopefully whenever Amile Jeferson returns from injury) that the hype train will gain more steam.

Like BS mentioned in that podcast though, picks 8-14 last year would likely headline this draft. Outside of Simmons and Ingram at 1/2, I don't see anyone being a standout draft position-wise. Hell, Booker out of Kentucky last year would likely be top five this year. Lyles, the less-hyped Kentucky product, would likely be top ten this year.

Draft reports are usually the most lied about insider information.  The GMs want to devalue the players in hope of them falling. 



And now with no football or any other type of playoffs, time to be overcritical of the possible players who have yet to play 30 games outside of the high school level.

[Who]

What I enjoyed most about that podcast was BS's admission that NBA folk say the same thing every year. For a couple months that year's draft features a good class, for subsequent months it's a bad draft, during the tournament it'll be a good draft again.

We're in bad draft mode now, folks. It's been a month since some crazy "OMG Kris Dunn!" topic. Buddy Hield-hype has slowed a little, and more flaws are being picked apart in Bill's nephew's game (being facetious in case you can't tell). People have warmed up to Ingram but without the hype as of late. I expect when Duke's record picks up (hopefully whenever Amile Jeferson returns from injury) that the hype train will gain more steam.

Like BS mentioned in that podcast though, picks 8-14 last year would likely headline this draft. Outside of Simmons and Ingram at 1/2, I don't see anyone being a standout draft position-wise. Hell, Booker out of Kentucky last year would likely be top five this year. Lyles, the less-hyped Kentucky product, would likely be top ten this year.

I think this is happening more and more because of the one-and-done players.

Most of these guys start the season off pretty slowly because they are so young. Younger than most of the players they are playing against. Adjustment period. A lot of them take a few weeks to a few months to find their feet in the NCAA. And in that period, many of them are playing much worse than expected so people get down on them (and their draft class as a result).

I think a lot of these one-and-done players change (develop) so much throughout the college season ... I just don't pay attention to how they are doing early on anymore. My focus is almost entirely on how well they finish the season now rather than how they do throughout the whole year (which I would have done in the past to evaluate college players).

[Moranis]

I am not taking a stand on the various rumors, but one thing seems odd about this story.

If Ainge is selling the BKN pick for Okafor, to get out of this draft b

Simmons and House talk about that in their podcast.  Adding the Brooklyn pick with their own increases their ping pong ball combos and heightens their chance of adding Ben Simmons.  Right now they would have 250 out of 1001 combos.  Adding the Brooklyn pick (if it stays at 4th) gives them an additional 156 lotto combos.  So they'd own 406 out of 1001 lotto combos.  They'd have huge odds of landing a top 2 pick with all those lotto combos. 

That makes sense.

For what it's worth, they effectively own more than 250 combos right now (261) when it comes to one of the top picks, because of the swap rights on the SAC pick.

Plus it makes it easier for them to move a pick for veteran players.  If you have three top 5 picks, you can trade 2 of them and still have one left.  You can trade the two in the same trade or different trades and really elevate the roster.  I mean say they make that trade and end up with 1, 3, and 5.  Say they keep Simmons, but they then have 3 and 5 to trade.  Or maybe a real star becomes available and they move 1 for that player and still have 3 and/ 5 to move to add more around that player. 

Or say they end up with 2 and 3/4, but really want Simmons.  Maybe they trade 2 and 3/4 for 1 and get their guy

[HuskerCeltic]

The key to this rumor and the other Celtic rumors this trade season is that it is highly probable that the Celtics trade the BRK pick. This is a pretty good rumor to gauge the value of the pick. If not Okafor then probably someone of similar value, but not Carmelo or Love or Anthony Davis, unless there are several more picks/assets in the trade (No way on Davis, won't happen). As usual it will take more to get a star than we are comfortable with. (side point, LarBrd tends to hit closer to realistic expectations than people would like to credit)

So, I wonder if we don't get Okafor, then who else will be target. I like Okafor, if not I root for adding shooting. Is Gordon Hayward a similar value to Okafor?

and one more thought. Doesn't the idea that if we trade the BRK pick for someone like Okafor get us to a place where we can do more in free agency? it is kind of like trading the pick for Okafor and a better chance to sign HBarnes?

[JBcat]

How do people think an Okofor/Sully or Okofor/KO pairing would work in the front court long term? Both KO and Sully (up to maybe 18ft) can help stretch the floor to give Okofor room down low. Defensively I would really worry with both pairings, and the Okofor/Sully pairing would be especially slow.

[Donoghus]

How do people think an Okofor/Sully or Okofor/KO pairing would work in the front court long term? Both KO and Sully (up to maybe 18ft) can help stretch the floor to give Okofor room down low. Defensively I would really worry with both pairings, and the Okofor/Sully pairing would be especially slow.

Offensively?  Real fine.

Defensively?  Would scare the heck out of me.

[Evantime34]

I am very curios what the "other pieces" may have been on the rumored target.



I don't like the idea of Smart or Bradley included.

I heard that we offered the Brooklyn pick and Bradley, Philly thought about it and eventually asked for the Brooklyn pick, Olynyk and Smart.

I'm glad we didn't do that, because I think Okafor can be had for much less once Embiid comes back, Saric comes over and they draft another big in the upcoming draft.

[Evantime34]

Not sure I agree with Simmons on that Ainge's action indicates that this is a bad draft. It indicates that Ainge likes Okafor more than anyone but Simmons/Ingram. Since the likelihood is we don't draft high enough to get those guys, Okafor was a better option.

[HuskerCeltic]

How do people think an Okofor/Sully or Okofor/KO pairing would work in the front court long term? Both KO and Sully (up to maybe 18ft) can help stretch the floor to give Okofor room down low. Defensively I would really worry with both pairings, and the Okofor/Sully pairing would be especially slow.

I would see Okafor as a Sully replacement. Okafor-KO would be great

[Casperian]

God, how is that guy not banned? How? I don't get it.

[indeedproceed]

LarBrd33-

And if you listened to that podcast you also heard the cadence of his voice which was very much comes across as a knowing, "oh yeah, it was most definitely Okafor".   

Do you realize how ridiculous you sound when you say these things? Surprised you didn't talk about his breathing pattern changed, his heart rate was elevated, or that he articulated the name "Okafor" differently than he ever has. At this point, why not?

Actually there is a Okafor Truther website out there that hacked Bill Simmons' Apple Watch and stated that the Galvanic Skin Response looks like he was definitely holding something back there at the 18:05 mark during the podcast.

[JBcat]

How do people think an Okofor/Sully or Okofor/KO pairing would work in the front court long term? Both KO and Sully (up to maybe 18ft) can help stretch the floor to give Okofor room down low. Defensively I would really worry with both pairings, and the Okofor/Sully pairing would be especially slow.

I would see Okafor as a Sully replacement. Okafor-KO would be great

The thing is Sully is a RFA and I can't see Ainge letting him walk for nothing in return.

I think an ideal big partner for Okofor is a rebounding athletic defensive stretch 4.  Not too many of those around though. Lol maybe Serge Ibaka.