6 days to go: who gets cut?

[trickybilly]

After some good performances by all so far, and with 4 more games till the 24th deadline..

Who ya got? PICK 2!!!!

[Monkhouse]

Hunter.

Bentil following suit.

I think Young, and Mickey stay.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'll just copy my post from a similar thread, the Final Fifteen (I'll also say your poll is quite limiting):

Assuming no trades, these are guaranteed:

Al Horford
Amir Johnson
Avery Bradley
Tyler Zeller
Isaiah Thomas
Jae Crowder
Jonas Jerebko
Jaylen Brown
Marcus Smart
Kelly Olynyk
Terry Rozier
Jordan Mickey

Semi-guaranteed:
Gerald Green

Battling final 2 spots:

James Young
Demetrius Jackson
R.J. Hunter
Ben Bentil

These final spots all have similar contracts, but not the same.

For example, Ainge would have to make a decision on the team option of Hunter and/or Young in in October 31st, and decision I don't think Ainge would want to make when he's also playing the cap space game next season.

Considering an assumption that there's low confidence on those two, I very much doubt Ainge would pick their options, unless he visualizes an easy exit strategy. That in turn means these two players would become unrestricted free-agents next Summer. So little value.

So, with Young and Hunter he either needs to trade them off or let them go for nothing. Of course, if they somehow become studs then we have them for cheap still (don't think anyone is betting on this).

On the other hand, Bentil and Jackson have long contracts full of non-guarantees. So much easier to manage. This also gives us contracts to trade through the Draft and Free-Agency. They also bring depth to our ball-handlers and some toughness for our big depth.

I don't know where to go. I think Jackson is a fairly easy choice just because we really could use some more ball-handling depth.

James Young is still, well, very young... I wouldn't be opposed to keeping rolling the dice with him.

Hunter has shown flashes of decent basketball IQ, but I don't think he's going to make it, plus he's older. The X-Factor here is the Stevens connection, I think that might play some in this.

Between Hunter and Young, I'd keep Young easily even as he looks quite trashy so far.

I wouldn't be opposed to Bentil over both just because of reasons mentioned above.

I put Green in semi-guaranteed simply because the other players are simply more valuable assets wise. But I think we have too many of that as it is, so we'll end up taking the most prepared player regardless (which is him).

[Ilikesports17]

Jackson makes it for sure. Im rooting for Young for that last spot. Why? Ive got no ****n idea. Hunter maybe makes more sense.

[alldaboston]

Jackson and Mickey are pretty close to safe.

I think RJ's playmaking and handle (which isnt great but is better than Young's) ends up giving him the advantage over James.

Young is the cut. He goes on to have a double digit scoring year with another team

[Ilikesports17]

Jackson and Mickey are pretty close to safe.

I think RJ's playmaking and handle (which isnt great but is better than Young's) ends up giving him the advantage over James.

Young is the cut. He goes on to have a double digit scoring year with another team

I do think Young will eventually become a decent scorer, but I dont think it will be this year, whether hes cut by us or not.

[saltlover]

I'm really not sure who gets cut.  I sort of think there's a trade involving Rozier and one of Young and Hunter, resulting in no cuts.  Both Young and Hunter also have option decisions to be made -- do the Celtics pick up the option on the one they keep?

Neither Jackson nor Mickey get cut.

[trickybilly]

I'll just copy my post from a similar thread, the Final Fifteen (I'll also say your poll is quite limiting):

Assuming no trades, these are guaranteed:

Al Horford
Amir Johnson
Avery Bradley
Tyler Zeller
Isaiah Thomas
Jae Crowder
Jonas Jerebko
Jaylen Brown
Marcus Smart
Kelly Olynyk
Terry Rozier
Jordan Mickey

Semi-guaranteed:
Gerald Green

Battling final 2 spots:

James Young
Demetrius Jackson
R.J. Hunter
Ben Bentil

These final spots all have similar contracts, but not the same.

For example, Ainge would have to make a decision on the team option of Hunter and/or Young in in October 31st, and decision I don't think Ainge would want to make when he's also playing the cap space game next season.

Considering an assumption that there's low confidence on those two, I very much doubt Ainge would pick their options, unless he visualizes an easy exit strategy. That in turn means these two players would become unrestricted free-agents next Summer. So little value.

So, with Young and Hunter he either needs to trade them off or let them go for nothing. Of course, if they somehow become studs then we have them for cheap still (don't think anyone is betting on this).

On the other hand, Bentil and Jackson have long contracts full of non-guarantees. So much easier to manage. This also gives us contracts to trade through the Draft and Free-Agency. They also bring depth to our ball-handlers and some toughness for our big depth.

I don't know where to go. I think Jackson is a fairly easy choice just because we really could use some more ball-handling depth.

James Young is still, well, very young... I wouldn't be opposed to keeping rolling the dice with him.

Hunter has shown flashes of decent basketball IQ, but I don't think he's going to make it, plus he's older. The X-Factor here is the Stevens connection, I think that might play some in this.

Between Hunter and Young, I'd keep Young easily even as he looks quite trashy so far.

I wouldn't be opposed to Bentil over both just because of reasons mentioned above.

I put Green in semi-guaranteed simply because the other players are simply more valuable assets wise. But I think we have too many of that as it is, so we'll end up taking the most prepared player regardless (which is him).

Just assuming that Bentil is cut. I guess you could do it more easily by adding Bentil and saying "pick two". Which I will do!

[jpotter33]

I'm really not sure who gets cut.  I sort of think there's a trade involving Rozier and one of Young and Hunter, resulting in no cuts. Both Young and Hunter also have option decisions to be made -- do the Celtics pick up the option on the one they keep?

Neither Jackson nor Mickey get cut.

Philly or elsewhere? It'd have to be a decent upgrade to get rid of Rozier I would think, though I'm ultimately unsure of how him and Smart are going to co-mingle in the second unit.

Sacramento is another good target that desperately needs a point guard, though I'd rather keep Rozier for the hopeful Boogie trade rather than anything else they have on the roster.

[Smartacus]

Can't... we keep them all?

There are aspects I like about each of them. Young has shocked me by growing into a contributing member of this team- best pedigree of any of the choices. Jackson is safe IMO, every game he's looking like he was drafted way too low, think he's going to have some games where his aggressive shooting gets us back.

I think Hunter has the ability to make plays that the other's aren't capable of. Strong passing, crazy length, shooting form that looks like it will eventually become automatic. Mickey was the D league Goat last year and just seems like the kind of guy that will be a staple of a good rotation for years to come.

R. J. Hunter gets my vote by the slimmest of margins but I wouldn't be upset if they chose Young to go instead for chemistry reasons. R.J. seemed to be well liked last year and Young wouldn't find himself unemployed for long.

[jpotter33]

Will we actually cut anyone anyways? Danny has always been the guy to trade a player before cutting them, and I think some team would cough up a top-55 protected 2nd rounder for either Young or Hunter, especially with their reputations of being shooters.

[saltlover]

I'm really not sure who gets cut.  I sort of think there's a trade involving Rozier and one of Young and Hunter, resulting in no cuts. Both Young and Hunter also have option decisions to be made -- do the Celtics pick up the option on the one they keep?

Neither Jackson nor Mickey get cut.

Philly or elsewhere? It'd have to be a decent upgrade to get rid of Rozier I would think, though I'm ultimately unsure of how him and Smart are going to co-mingle in the second unit.

Sacramento is another good target that desperately needs a point guard, though I'd rather keep Rozier for the hopeful Boogie trade rather than anything else they have on the roster.

Philly seems most logical because they REALLY need to trade someone.  They also could use a PG.

I don't think Rozier matters in a Boogie trade.  They'll want a higher profile young player and picks.  The 4th or 5th guard in our rotation shouldn't move the needle.

I just think that there won't be enough minutes to properly utilize Rozier and Smart, and I think Smart is the preferred player.  I'm sure Ainge and Colangelo have been staring at each other.  Colangelo blinks first.

Alternatively I could see the loser of the Young-Hunter death match winding up in Milwaukee (or maybe even the winner depending on the return.)  They're very shallow at the wing.

[jpotter33]

I'm really not sure who gets cut.  I sort of think there's a trade involving Rozier and one of Young and Hunter, resulting in no cuts. Both Young and Hunter also have option decisions to be made -- do the Celtics pick up the option on the one they keep?

Neither Jackson nor Mickey get cut.

Philly or elsewhere? It'd have to be a decent upgrade to get rid of Rozier I would think, though I'm ultimately unsure of how him and Smart are going to co-mingle in the second unit.

Sacramento is another good target that desperately needs a point guard, though I'd rather keep Rozier for the hopeful Boogie trade rather than anything else they have on the roster.

Philly seems most logical because they REALLY need to trade someone.  They also could use a PG.

I don't think Rozier matters in a Boogie trade.  They'll want a higher profile young player and picks.  The 4th or 5th guard in our rotation shouldn't move the needle.

I just think that there won't be enough minutes to properly utilize Rozier and Smart, and I think Smart is the preferred player.  I'm sure Ainge and Colangelo have been staring at each other.  Colangelo blinks first.

Alternatively I could see the loser of the Young-Hunter death match winding up in Milwaukee (or maybe even the winner depending on the return.)  They're very shallow at the wing.

Yeah, they seemingly have no choice but to trade someone, but the Simmons injury allows them to rationalize in keeping one of them a bit longer. It'll be interesting to see what ends up happening with that.

As for the Boogie deal, I think Rozier would be something like the third most valuable piece going to them. I imagine something like Amir, Brown, Rozier, the 2017 Brooklyn swap, and the Memphis pick would be about fair value for Boogie and Collison. Brown and the Brooklyn pick swap are the obvious gems in that deal, but Rozier would represent a nice pg prospect for them to also build around with WCS, Brown, and their picks in the next draft.

[trickybilly]

I'm really not sure who gets cut.  I sort of think there's a trade involving Rozier and one of Young and Hunter, resulting in no cuts. Both Young and Hunter also have option decisions to be made -- do the Celtics pick up the option on the one they keep?

Neither Jackson nor Mickey get cut.

Philly or elsewhere? It'd have to be a decent upgrade to get rid of Rozier I would think, though I'm ultimately unsure of how him and Smart are going to co-mingle in the second unit.

Sacramento is another good target that desperately needs a point guard, though I'd rather keep Rozier for the hopeful Boogie trade rather than anything else they have on the roster.

I hate that we would have to give up a ton to get Noel, or, God forbid, Okafor, but I'm starting to lean toward doing it. It's going to be Terry or Marcus and a pick at least...ugh

[IDreamCeltics]

I'd cut at least four and probably all five of them.  Realistically I don't see any of them contributing in any meaningful way.

 Sign two vets on their last legs that can give you a handful of games if anyone goes down and will contribute to a professional culture...  The club will still have 6 prospects to groom in Zizic, Yabu, Nader, Marcus, Jalen, and Rozier which is more than enough young guys.