Westbrook Trade Rumors (Beck)

[RJ87]

For a one year rental?  Are you kidding me?

This is how the NBA works. Are you pretending that you didn't see the Goran Dragic (which was a two-month rental) and Kevin Love trades go down or what?

what did Miami give up for Dragic?? Squat, that's what. Kevin Love was being traded to play with the commissioner of the NBA (de facto), Lebron James.  Basically, he told the Cavs that if he signed with them, they needed to make that trade. It was, we can all agree, a foolish trade in retrospect. Who on the Celtics is refusing to sign if we don't trade for Westbrook??

Miami gave up 2 first rounders for Dragic. Cleveland gave up Wiggins - in retrospect, can't really call it foolish because they won a championship. You don't have to like it, but your not getting a star of any caliber mid-contract without giving up some type asset. Even with NYK and Denver, everyone knew Carmelo wanted to be a Knick longterm but they still gave up the farm for him.

[Endless Paradise]

For a one year rental?  Are you kidding me?

This is how the NBA works. Are you pretending that you didn't see the Goran Dragic (which was a two-month rental) and Kevin Love trades go down or what?

Goran Dragic was not a rental.  He stated clearly to Phoenix that he wanted to be traded and he WANTED MIAMI.  There was no doubt he would resign.

Please do not compare Westbrook to these guys.  Westbrook will not re-sign with Boston, guaranteed.

Unless Dragic signed an extension locking him into a deal, there was nothing official about him staying in Miami. DeAndre Jordan "WANTED DALLAS" until a week later, when he didn't. Kevin Love probably "WANTED CLEVELAND," but that didn't mean anything until he re-signed with them at the end of the 2014-15 season.

He requested a trade to Miami.  If Westbrook was requesting a trade to Boston some time next season I would feel 1,000% better about our chances to resign him. 

Otherwise, your comparison is pointless.

Who gives a crap what he requested? How he felt in February about Miami wasn't necessarily how he was going to feel in April about Miami -- and vice versa.

[dannyboy35]

After further review, I am not buying that the Celtics are seriously interested in Westbrook. Cousins? Sure. Griffin? Absolutely.

Westbrook? No. And here's why.

Westbrook is a multi-faceted scorer, rebounder, etc. But he's ball-dominant, and we know what happened within Brad Stevens' system the last time we unloaded a ball-dominant guard, albeit one who couldn't score the basketball, was horrific from the foul line and bragged about his disinterest in defense.

I don't think Westbrook and Brad Stevens mix.

Stevens needs to be able to coach more than one style.

[dannyboy35]

I like Westbrook as a player, but it's just wrong to give up any assets for him.

Westbrook is one of the prime examples of how the rule changes have benefitted athletic scoring PGs, but that also means that whatever he can give you can be somewhat replicated by lesser, and more importantly, cheaper players (see IT). The NBA is loaded at the PG position.

I think in general, Westbrook has become incredibly overrated by being the guy who stole all these shot attempts from KD on national TV. He's good, but not BRK pick good.

So Jaylen Brown will be better? Our next two Nets picks could be the 5th pick and the 7th pick for all we know.

[RJ87]

Oh, and everyone knew Rondo was re-signing with Dallas because Carlisle and Cuban publicly said they traded for him with the intention of making him their long-term point guard. How'd that work out?

I don't think you're helping your own argument. Think about that situation: Rondo and Dallas both wanted each other longterm but it didn't work out. If anything, you're pointing out that situations change and you don't know what's going to happen in the future, so it makes no sense to say unequivocally that Westbrook will not want to stick around.

[walker834]

I doubt Westbrook signs an extension with us unless we add Blake.  Getting one or the other does very little for us.

[dannyboy35]

Sadly, I think all these Rumors are just a combination of Danny & Co. making the "We're not done" statements last week--and Danny making phone calls this week.

i think so too...it seems like its been every day this week. althought today's Beck rumor, carries so much more weight than the other 2.

Those are not rumors just speculations (turned into rumors)
Only because we have assets, cap space and in win now mode.

"in win now mode"---what does that even mean??  We are winning now. We won 48 games, and just signed a top 3 free agent. 

If a trade for Westbrook could guaranty one championship, to be followed by years of mediocrity, i pass on that offer.  I'd rather take my time building up a great team, like the Warriors did.  We have drafted well, and are going to draft even better in the next couple of years.  And we are attracting good free agents.  Why throw away assets on one year ball hogs??

This is not a video game.

I'll take the one championship.

[boscel33]

I like Westbrook as a player, but it's just wrong to give up any assets for him.

Westbrook is one of the prime examples of how the rule changes have benefitted athletic scoring PGs, but that also means that whatever he can give you can be somewhat replicated by lesser, and more importantly, cheaper players (see IT). The NBA is loaded at the PG position.

I think in general, Westbrook has become incredibly overrated by being the guy who stole all these shot attempts from KD on national TV. He's good, but not BRK pick good.

So Jaylen Brown will be better? Our next two Nets picks could be the 5th pick and the 7th pick for all we know.

I'll take fifth next year.  One of the deepest drafts in history.  Could get a substantial player throughout the lottery.

[byennie]

I certainly understand how people have an issue with Westbrook's style, but I don't most are (fully) realizing how good he is regardless.

He has average (not bad) efficiency on record breaking usage along excellent assist percentage. True shooting is around 54-55% the last few years. This basically means you can have a good offense by just giving him the ball and letting him finish a whopping 30-40% of possessions. He's a poor outside shooter but hits just enough (30%) to keep the defense a little honest, gets to the line at an elite level, and racks up assists and rebounds like nobody's business. Lots of steals, lots of minutes. It's basically peak Rondo except he makes your offense better instead of worse.

He rebounds as well as your average PF. He passes better than most starting PGs. He can easily carry 25 ppg. His steal rate is way up there. His plus/minus stats are through the roof. BPM is league-leading. He's 27.

I dunno about the whole Durant thing. Westbrook is clearly an alpha type, for better or for worse. Look at Durant - he's opting to go lose shots to Stephen Curry. Westbrook wants to be the guy. So let him be here, and build a team around those strengths.

[GreenCoffeeBean]

The story line is perfect. Get Westbrook and beat the team Durant turned us down for in the finals.

Westbrook is pretty much un-guardable so we don't have to worry about someone like Kyrie Irving. The only person that can beat Westbrook is Russell Westbrook taking crazy shots.

[dannyboy35]

I like Westbrook as a player, but it's just wrong to give up any assets for him.

Westbrook is one of the prime examples of how the rule changes have benefitted athletic scoring PGs, but that also means that whatever he can give you can be somewhat replicated by lesser, and more importantly, cheaper players (see IT). The NBA is loaded at the PG position.

I think in general, Westbrook has become incredibly overrated by being the guy who stole all these shot attempts from KD on national TV. He's good, but not BRK pick good.

So Jaylen Brown will be better? Our next two Nets picks could be the 5th pick and the 7th pick for all we know.

I'll take fifth next year.  One of the deepest drafts in history.  Could get a substantial player throughout the lottery.

Fair enough.

[walker834]

Crowder + 18 nets pick for Blake
Isaiah + 17 nets pick for Westbrook

PLus other picks and throw ins.. Keep Brown and Smart.

[chiken Green]

I certainly understand how people have an issue with Westbrook's style, but I don't most are (fully) realizing how good he is regardless.

He has average (not bad) efficiency on record breaking usage along excellent assist percentage. True shooting is around 54-55% the last few years. This basically means you can have a good offense by just giving him the ball and letting him finish a whopping 30-40% of possessions. He's a poor outside shooter but hits just enough (30%) to keep the defense a little honest, gets to the line at an elite level, and racks up assists and rebounds like nobody's business. Lots of steals, lots of minutes. It's basically peak Rondo except he makes your offense better instead of worse.

He rebounds as well as your average PF. He passes better than most starting PGs. He can easily carry 25 ppg. His steal rate is way up there. His plus/minus stats are through the roof. BPM is league-leading. He's 27.

I dunno about the whole Durant thing. Westbrook is clearly an alpha type, for better or for worse. Look at Durant - he's opting to go lose shots to Stephen Curry. Westbrook wants to be the guy. So let him be here, and build a team around those strengths.

Westbrook is an Alpha Type who wants to be the Alpha in Los Angeles.. Thats all we are saying.. He will not Sign and extension this year because it makes Zero sense to. That leaves anybody who signs him hoping, praying and begging that he resigns after you gave up the Farm for him.. Thats a Risk that a GM should lose his job over if they lost that gamble.

[Endless Paradise]

Oh, and everyone knew Rondo was re-signing with Dallas because Carlisle and Cuban publicly said they traded for him with the intention of making him their long-term point guard. How'd that work out?

I don't think you're helping your own argument. Think about that situation: Rondo and Dallas both wanted each other longterm but it didn't work out. If anything, you're pointing out that situations change and you don't know what's going to happen in the future, so it makes no sense to say unequivocally that Westbrook will not want to stick around.

I think you're getting confused, because you're making my exact point. mctyson was arguing that the Dragic trade "was not a rental" by Miami because he wanted to be traded there and it was understood that he'd re-sign. I'm saying that words don't mean anything unless something official and legally binding is signed.

My ultimate point is that it's foolish to act as though the Celtics would be doing something unheard of to trade for a guy like Westbrook or Griffin with no official assurance that they would stick around past this year. That's how the NBA operates under this CBA. Scared money don't make no money.

[merkins]

The story line is perfect. Get Westbrook and beat the team Durant turned us down for in the finals.

Westbrook is pretty much un-guardable so we don't have to worry about someone like Kyrie Irving. The only person that can beat Westbrook is Russell Westbrook taking crazy shots.

Great point. Want Westbrook to resign in Boston? Get past the Cavs with him and to the finals to battle GSW.  Almost shame the guy into a situation where if he left, he is not about winning.  If we sign him and suffer a second round exit, he is gone.