Trading Bradley, Isaiah and #3 to Bulls for Butler ?

[alldaboston]

CoachBo, clearly you would know. After all, you ARE the one with the friend who is also a scout/GM/whatever else you wanna call it. And he's always been "right", especially when Danny has been "wrong", so why in the world should we ever trust Danny anymore? We should just make you the GM.

[Moranis]

I'd do Bradley, Smart, JJ, and 3 for Butler.  Trade doesn't make sense if you move IT though.  I'd happily add in Amir and Rozier and get Pau back as well.

so post-trade (return own free agents, no other free agents)

Starters
Thomas, Butler, Crowder, Sullinger, Gasol

Rotation
Turner, Olynyk, Hunter, Mickey, Zeller

Deep Bench
16, 23

DLeague/Trade fodder
Young, 31, 35

That is a much improved team that is one big free agent acquisition away from actual contention.

[TheSundanceKid]

I'd do Bradley, Smart, JJ, and 3 for Butler.  Trade doesn't make sense if you move IT though.  I'd happily add in Amir and Rozier and get Pau back as well.

so post-trade (return own free agents, no other free agents)

Starters
Thomas, Butler, Crowder, Sullinger, Gasol

Rotation
Turner, Olynyk, Hunter, Mickey, Zeller

Deep Bench
16, 23

DLeague/Trade fodder
Young, 31, 35

That is a much improved team that is one big free agent acquisition away from actual contention.

Hmm, that is a better team. I'd be unhappy to lose our defensive identity (Smart and Bradley) though but you have to give to get. I'm not sure we can include Gasol though because he is a FA isn't he? I still think it's questionable that Butler adds more value than Bradley, Smart and #3 combined but he is signed long term, past the 2018 offseason which is huge. I would really like to see Smart replaced by Rozier and other pieces but I'm not sure if the Bulls would settle for that

[Irish Stew]

Gasol has a player option for about $8 million that he will almost certainly opt out of and become a free agent.

[__ramonezy__]

Not sure why we value our players so poorly when it comes to trade options.

To the current Celtics, Jimmy Butler at most is worth Avery Bradley and #16 and he definitely doesn't make us a contender. He's a good/great player, but we already have the best perimeter D in the league - which is Butler's greatest value. He's also ball dominant, which we already have IT and can't shoot coming off screens, he's heavily dependent on slashing; coupled with IT teams will just clog the paint. If we didn't have AB then I would love this trade, but AB checks too many of Butler's boxes for me to get excited on a trade like this.

I see trades for Okafor/Noel that include #3 and Smart... these are gross overpays.

[Dedalus]

Nice points, sundance. I don't think biased is the correct term. The only comparison was to his salary/ability as a trade chip vs. his peers. His value seems more easily replaceable than others. I like him. Basketball-ref said his nickname is "pizza guy."

[Granath]

I'd do Bradley, Smart, JJ, and 3 for Butler.  Trade doesn't make sense if you move IT though.  I'd happily add in Amir and Rozier and get Pau back as well.

so post-trade (return own free agents, no other free agents)

Starters
Thomas, Butler, Crowder, Sullinger, Gasol

Rotation
Turner, Olynyk, Hunter, Mickey, Zeller

Deep Bench
16, 23

DLeague/Trade fodder
Young, 31, 35

That is a much improved team that is one big free agent acquisition away from actual contention.

Ugh. Sorry, I don't think you thought this through very well.

(1) Gasol is a FA.

(2) Gasol will be 36 by the time the season starts. So unless you acquire that "big free agent" NOW, your window slam shut very quickly because you'll need to replace him very soon. I like Gasol and think he's put up great numbers over the years. He's a class act. But time catches up to everyone and he's already past due. Thus he doesn't fit in well with a team of mid-20s guys who have a window of 4-5 years.

(3) I don't think a Sullinger / Gasol pairing in the middle works very well. I think the Cs are better off finding another candidate than Sullinger anyway.

(4) Here's the biggest issue. IT is not a good defender and you're going to get killed nightly at the PG spot. By moving Smart and Rozier, you take away that defensive stopper you need against good teams and especially playoff teams. You need one of them to remain on the team. Of course the Rozier/Amir deal is dead anyway because Gasol is a FA. 

----

(5) I'm probably in the minority here but I think the Cs will greatly regret it if they trade Smart. He only just turned 22. Guys that young who can win games without the ball in their hands are fairly rare and Smart does that. He can obviously shoot - 78% from the free throw line last year - and he (and Brad) have to figure out how to make it happen in games. But if/when he can do that, that's really the last big hole in his game.

To compare him to Butler, he's already as good of a rebounder. He's about as good on assists. He's a better defender. At some point if he gets the offensive side of his game down he has every chance to be a Jimmy Butler-type of player. I'm not willing to cut ties with him just yet. If he doesn't show growth in his offensive game next year, then perhaps it's time to move on. But if he does show growth in that area then you have truly something special on your hands.

[TheSundanceKid]

Nice points, sundance. I don't think biased is the correct term. The only comparison was to his salary/ability as a trade chip vs. his peers. His value seems more easily replaceable than others. I like him. Basketball-ref said his nickname is "pizza guy."

Pizza guy is IT's nickname? I don't get it? 

Bias may have been strong. What I do think is that his value to teh team is higher than his value in trade. I think Smart and Bradley can fetch more relative value than IT. It may be too early to consider this but Bradley, IT and Smart will all be up for extensions in the summer of 2018. If we don't have a contender set before then you have to think at least one of those guys will be moved prior to 2018 because we can't pay all three and still look to add top tier talent

[td450]

I'd do Bradley, Smart, JJ, and 3 for Butler.  Trade doesn't make sense if you move IT though.  I'd happily add in Amir and Rozier and get Pau back as well.

so post-trade (return own free agents, no other free agents)

Starters
Thomas, Butler, Crowder, Sullinger, Gasol

Rotation
Turner, Olynyk, Hunter, Mickey, Zeller

Deep Bench
16, 23

DLeague/Trade fodder
Young, 31, 35

That is a much improved team that is one big free agent acquisition away from actual contention.

This is not a much improved team.  Gasol is very close to the end of his career, and a major downgrade defensively from Amir Johnson. Butler is a strong defender, but adding him and Gasol while subtracting AB and Marcus is a substantial step backwards defensively. We improve scoring with the starters, but mostly inside and midrange stuff. Team outside shooting actually regresses. Bradley is a better outside shooter and is better for spacing than Butler. And our bench is no longer loaded.

We are left sticking with Sullinger at power forward, and it ends our cost effective positioning.

I wouldn't do this deal without the #3, much less with it.

[Moranis]

Gasol has a player option for about $8 million that he will almost certainly opt out of and become a free agent.

He does, but he might actually want to come to Boston, so you might get him to opt in so the trade can be completed.  Boston would be a pretty good spot for him.  A mid 40 win team that has a need for a center and that will only get better adding Butler.  Seems like a good place to be if you are Gasol.

[kozlodoev]

There is nothing in this article that suggests we're considering trading Bradley AND Thomas AND the #3 for Butler.

[spikelovetheCelts]

There is nothing in this article that suggests we're considering trading Bradley AND Thomas AND the #3 for Butler.

Another post of wasted time. This board has been getting to many stupid posts and redundant posts. Please Moderators step up.

[mef730]

Can't wait to start my Celtics clickbait website. Gonna be a millionaire. 

Mike

[Roy H.]

This trade would make us significantly worse.

[Roy H.]

There is nothing in this article that suggests we're considering trading Bradley AND Thomas AND the #3 for Butler.

Another post of wasted time. This board has been getting to many stupid posts and redundant posts. Please Moderators step up.

We don't moderate based upon "stupid" posts.