'NBA stats' (70k followers) Twitter reporting Butler for #3 + AB trade imminent

[Atzar]

I'm not Butler's biggest fan, but if that's really the deal then it's a coup for the Celtics unless Simmons drops to 3 (he won't). 

Obviously taking it with a huge grain of salt though.

[TwinTower14]

I understand that many would love this trade to happen but I actually hope it falls through.

Butler isn't that much better than Bradley and Bradley actually fits our scheme better because he's a better shooter and perimeter defender.

In Chicago Butler has shown that he can't play off the ball and the team struggled with lineups that had him and Rose on the court at the same time. How will this be different with IT and Smart?

As much as I hate to say it, I'd prefer Love

The narrative that Bradley is almost as good as Butler is just delusional. Butler is one of the top 12-15 players in the NBA the last two seasons and is one of the best two way players around. He scores, rebounds and assist better than Bradley and he is pretty close defensively.

[jpotter33]

I posted this twitter rumor in my three-way trade idea with Chicago and Philly yesterday.

Boston - Butler, #14

Chicago - Okafor, Bradley, Rozier, #23

Philly - #3

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=85224.0

But, yeah, I took it as they'd be agreeing in principle and not complete anything until draft night at the earliest.

[Ilikesports17]

"if all things work out".
what a bunch of nonsense.

Woj is silent, that means nothing is hapenning yet, discussion never pass 2nd stage yet.
Move on...

I really don't think we'll see any trades announced until after the NBA SuperBowl.  Keep the focus on what's important right now.  Historical game with so much at stake. 

And the draft is a week from now.  If there's any chance of Simmons or Ingram slipping, there's no point to trading the pick right now.  Just hold tight.  We'll know what's up soon enough.  I'm basically ignoring any rumors at this point, because I don't think it makes logical sense for Boston to move the pick until they are on the clock.

Or after we make the pick for someone else. I want to see if Ingram drops to us now before I move the pick anyway.

I'm not buying this one at all. Not going to get Jimmy Butler for a pick and an injury prone guard.

Over the past 2 years Avery Bradley has missed 11 games due to injury, Butler has missed 32.

[Thruthelookingglass]

I understand that many would love this trade to happen but I actually hope it falls through.

Yeah.  In fact I hope it's not more than a rumor.  After reading all the back and forth about Butler hypotheticals, I am just lukewarm on this.  Bradley is a key reason we are unusually competitive against the Warriors.  His skill sets are needed with the way the NBA has been heading, and he seems committed to improving every year.  And I'll admit I like rooting for AB.  We need another way to find more offense.

[Surferdad]

I posted this twitter rumor in my three-way trade idea with Chicago and Philly yesterday.

Boston - Butler, #14

Chicago - Okafor, Bradley, Rozier, #23

Philly - #3

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=85224.0

But, yeah, I took it as they'd be agreeing in principle and not complete anything until draft night at the earliest.

Chicago loses that one big time.

[walker834]

This to me is plan A for the reason it sets the ball in motion for our plan A which is trade for Butler.    Sign Horford and dudley this summer and get Durant.

[Evantime34]

I'd love this trade. I'm pretty sure this guy isn't credible though. If I had to wager I'd guess that he didn't have near 70k followers before posting this. I know I followed him after I saw this, what can I say, I love trade rumors.

[Ilikesports17]

This to me is plan A for the reason it sets the ball in motion for our plan A which is trade for Butler.    Sign Horford and dudley this summer and get Durant.

get Durant next summer?

[Bobshot]

This deal is OK by me. Butler will attract another big name, whether it's Love or Durant or Horford or even Gasol.  A Butler deal will signal Danny is going whole hog next year.

[walker834]

This to me is plan A for the reason it sets the ball in motion for our plan A which is trade for Butler.    Sign Horford and dudley this summer and get Durant.

get Durant next summer?

I think so.  I think Dudley is definately a sign this summer regardless.  We will try for Horford.  If we can't get Butler we will draft accordingly.  There are other guys out there like Parsons and Batum over Dudley but I think Dudley is a definate sign this summer.

durant could surprise and come here this year.  We could target Okafor over Horford as well but i kind of doubt it.  I think plan A is Butler, Horford, Durant, Dudley.  Ainge probably has this all mapped out.  The when on Durant is the question.

[walker834]

Kevin Love may figure into that mix too if we can get him for later picks.  I dont think we give up the 3 for him unless we aren't getting Butler or something. Just trying to read between the lines but Ainge probably has it all mapped out if such and such doesn't happen better than I can.

I think Brown, Chriss, Hield, Bender figure in the mix if we actually keep the pick.  Maybe Murray but I doubt it.  Dunn if we trade the pick.  That's the jist i get from stuff I've seen and read.

I think this deal is plan A for us and something we definately do though.  AB +3 for Butler.  Probably going to have to sweeten it come draft day to get the Bulls to do it if they evn will Butler is a huge steal for us though. That's a no brainer.  Bradley is good.  So is Brown.  But Butler is a huge steal.

There may be some weird way where we trade Marcus and draft brown later but I dont know. I sort of hope not where the bulls get Dunn and Marcus, Rose goes somewhere else and we get Brown.  But I don't think so.

[diconzo]

For the record, AB+JJ+#3 for Jimmy Butler does work salary-wise (According to Trade Machine and RealGM Trade Checker), so that may be the salary filler DA uses.


It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep Amir on the books until Danny gets to talk to some free agents on July 1st (Amir isn't guaranteed until July 3rd), just incase. Amir is still a serviceable big man. I like Jonas, I just think Amir may have a bigger impact on the court next year if we don't sign a premier FA big man

[crimson_stallion]

Much rather have this go down than pick Dragan.   This could draw a free agent, Dragan cannot.   Butler is a proven NBA player, Bender is not proven in Maccabi.

If I were Danny, I wouldn't care what happens on draft day. 

Only guy in this draft class who I'd even dream of taking over Butler would be Simmons, and there's no chance he's slipping to #3.

[Granath]

I understand that many would love this trade to happen but I actually hope it falls through.

Butler isn't that much better than Bradley and Bradley actually fits our scheme better because he's a better shooter and perimeter defender.

In Chicago Butler has shown that he can't play off the ball and the team struggled with lineups that had him and Rose on the court at the same time. How will this be different with IT and Smart?

As much as I hate to say it, I'd prefer Love

The narrative that Bradley is almost as good as Butler is just delusional. Butler is one of the top 12-15 players in the NBA the last two seasons and is one of the best two way players around. He scores, rebounds and assist better than Bradley and he is pretty close defensively.

No one is saying that Butler's not better. The question is "by how much"?

First of all, let's not overvalue him. Curry, Westbrook, Lebron, Davis, Leonard, Durant, George, Green, Cousins and Griffin are clearly ahead of him. That's 10. Then there's Lillard, Lowry, DeRozan, IT, Klay Thompson, Harden (all O, no D), Whiteside and a few others that Butler is in with. He's probably ahead of a few of those second tier guys and behind a few.

It's obvious that he's a very, very good player. But he's not a GREAT player. Bradley is merely a good player. We know that even while Butler is the focus of his offense and Bradley is not, Butler only outproduces Bradley by 4 points, 2 boards and 2 assists per 36. He doesn't outproduce Bradley on the defensive end. So Butler is an upgrade but not an exceptional one from a statistical standpoint. People here don't give Bradley enough credit for becoming a better-than-average pro.

So if Butler isn't an incredible statistical upgrade over Bradley and he's not a defensive upgrade, then he must be a better fit in the system, right? But there's a real concern on how Butler's game fits with this team. Butler is not a great outside shooter - an area Bradley has worked his tail off to become quite good at. Butler is a slasher who can get to the line and can create his own shot. But so can IT. Because opposing players can - and almost have to - sag off Butler does that narrow the lane for IT? How does that impact the offense? It's a reasonable question. And once that's figured out, is the increase in production worth the #3 pick and increased salary cap?

I don't have all the answers to those questions. But I do know enough to at least ask them. I think a case can easily be made that due to Bradley, Butler is not worth as much to the Celtics as he is to his own team or some other team. The same case can be made that assets like the #3 pick are better spent elsewhere to get "more bang for the buck".