2017: Would you trade the #1 pick for Jimmy Butler ?

[PhoSita]

Yeah, probably.

Chances a #1 pick turns into a better player than Butler are low, and this draft doesn't have any ZOMG freak of nature athletes e.g. Towns / Davis.

[A Future of Stevens]

This franchise has had multiple opportunities for franchise players via the draft and whiffed in 1997 (though Billups developed into a great player for other teams), 2007 (though we made the best of it), 2014 (though Smart looks like a quality role player) and 2016 (though Jaylen may still develop into something special).   We're due to actually land a special player.   Considering it would likely take more than just that pick to land Premium Brand Ricky Davis, I'm definitely in the "no" camp.   Keep the pick and let's hope for the best.

Wow, how many "thoughs" can one have in one sentence? Though you make a good point about Billups developing into a great player, your other statements are way off. Should top 5 picks guarentee franchise players? I don't think so. Otherwise we'd have about 50-75 franchise players in the NBA.

How can Danny get criticized for wiffing on Jeff Green when he traded him for Ray Allen?

How do you know that Marcus will be just a role player?

How is Jaylen Brown a wiff? You called last years draft very weak.

Most interestingly, how is Jimmy Butler a premium Ricky Davis?

Though I disagreed with most of what you wrote, I do think that the Celtics are due to pick a special player.

Look I agree on every point except the last one. Larbrd has provided evidence in the past that Butler is special version of Ricky Davis. Now Brown doesnt look like a whiff, and the allen trade was awesome, but unless smart takes huge leaps, he probably is a whiff in general bball terms. Sure he is like a great tony allen, but he is still very tony allen with the 6th pick.

Do you Lar, do you.

[greece66]

@LarBrd33

Our past record has nothing to do with our odds in the coming draft.

@saltlover

So, Bradley + Jaylen, or Bradley + BRN '18.

Either would be a nice deal for us, although in a perfect world I would keep Jaylen and trade the '18 pick. Feels safer.

I agree that the safest course is avoid offering much for Butler. He's a good but not good enough player for us rn.

[Chris22]

Keep the pick.
Get Noel.

[Phantom255x]

I asked my Bulls friend this (if the pick lands #1, what else would you take back for Butler) and he said if the Nets Pick turns out to be #1, he would be fine taking the Nets Pick, Rozier, the 2019 Grizzlies OR Clippers Pick, Zeller/Amir (salary filler), and Yabusele.

He doesn't think the Bulls will deal Butler at the deadline though, so it has to be this summer, and he thinks the Bulls will want one of Bradley/Crowder still.

I truthfully don't think a Butler deal gets done. The Bulls are also winning games now and their FO is becoming as dysfunctional as the Kings one... (signing Rondo + Wade this off season made no sense especially after trading Rose..)

[fubar089]

nope.

[Ilikesports17]

This franchise has had multiple opportunities for franchise players via the draft and whiffed in 1997 (though Billups developed into a great player for other teams), 2007 (though we made the best of it), 2014 (though Smart looks like a quality role player) and 2016 (though Jaylen may still develop into something special).   We're due to actually land a special player.   Considering it would likely take more than just that pick to land Premium Brand Ricky Davis, I'm definitely in the "no" camp.   Keep the pick and let's hope for the best.

I see you have chosen to go down with the ship on the whole "premium brand ricky davis" thing.

After last season if you really stretch the meaning of "premium brand" I think you could get away with that, but Jimmy has taken his game to another level this season.

[jambr380]

This franchise has had multiple opportunities for franchise players via the draft and whiffed in 1997 (though Billups developed into a great player for other teams), 2007 (though we made the best of it), 2014 (though Smart looks like a quality role player) and 2016 (though Jaylen may still develop into something special).   We're due to actually land a special player.   Considering it would likely take more than just that pick to land Premium Brand Ricky Davis, I'm definitely in the "no" camp.   Keep the pick and let's hope for the best.

I see you have chosen to go down with the ship on the whole "premium brand ricky davis" thing.

After last season if you really stretch the meaning of "premium brand" I think you could get away with that, but Jimmy has taken his game to another level this season.

Yeah, Jimmy has certainly become a real force.

Also, going back to '97 to discuss drafting franchise players and then not mentioning Pierce, who was drafted a year later, was a bit peculiar.

Still, though, I am happy to have LB back in the forums - it just wasn't the same without him.

[saltlover]

@LarBrd33

Our past record has nothing to do with our odds in the coming draft.

@saltlover

So, Bradley + Jaylen, or Bradley + BRN '18.

Either would be a nice deal for us, although in a perfect world I would keep Jaylen and trade the '18 pick. Feels safer.

I agree that the safest course is avoid offering much for Butler. He's a good but not good enough player for us rn.

Yep, with Zeller for salary purposes.  I'd be perfectly happy with Butler on this team, but he is not the player who makes us any more of a title contender than we are now (i.e. hope LeBron gets hurt.)

[Ilikesports17]

This franchise has had multiple opportunities for franchise players via the draft and whiffed in 1997 (though Billups developed into a great player for other teams), 2007 (though we made the best of it), 2014 (though Smart looks like a quality role player) and 2016 (though Jaylen may still develop into something special).   We're due to actually land a special player.   Considering it would likely take more than just that pick to land Premium Brand Ricky Davis, I'm definitely in the "no" camp.   Keep the pick and let's hope for the best.

Wow, how many "thoughs" can one have in one sentence? Though you make a good point about Billups developing into a great player, your other statements are way off. Should top 5 picks guarentee franchise players? I don't think so. Otherwise we'd have about 50-75 franchise players in the NBA.

How can Danny get criticized for wiffing on Jeff Green when he traded him for Ray Allen?

How do you know that Marcus will be just a role player?

How is Jaylen Brown a wiff? You called last years draft very weak.

Most interestingly, how is Jimmy Butler a premium Ricky Davis?

Though I disagreed with most of what you wrote, I do think that the Celtics are due to pick a special player.

the point is not that Ainge didnt do well with those picks. Perhaps the term "whif" is wrong. The point is that the team was in a position to potentially acquire a franchise player and havent been able to.

In '97 we had a chance at Duncan and werent lucky enough to get him, same with Durant and a few years later with Embiid(neither Wiggins nor Parker look like franchise players to me) and last year with Simmons.

This isnt to say that Ainge made a bad decision in picking Brown or even that Brown wont be a star. It just means that barring a miracle the only guy with franchise player type potential was Ben Simmons and the ping pong balls didnt go our way.

This year represents another shot at it. Maybe there is not franchise guy. Maybe the ping pong balls will leave us saying what if and maybe we get our guy afterall.

The main reason Id trade the pick for Butler is because I see a lot of potential stars in this draft and no potential superstars. As I learn more about the draft(I dont know a ton right now) Ill reevaluate this position.

[Phantom255x]

Ask yourselves this. Add Jimmy Butler to this roster in your minds.

Do you envision that team being legitimate contenders (enough to beat CLE or GSW?)

I don't. This team needs a BIG who can score and rebound (even with Zizic coming over next season).

I would trade the #1 pick in a bigger package for Cousins, *maybe* even Paul George (granted they agree to long term commitments as well, because after this season they are expiring deals), but not Butler. He may have elevated his game a ton but I'm still not on board.

If we didn't already have Bradley, then sure, but Bradley's defense is ELITE and he's doing well too (18/7). You may need to include Bradley in any Butler deal and possibly even Crowder/Smart (Bulls won't sell Butler for cheap).

[Atzar]

Butler wouldn't be my first option, but I would be very interested in trading this pick.  I don't like this draft.  Guard-saturated, Celtics are already strong at the guard positions, and guard play across the NBA is so high that I have a hard time expecting newcomers to outperform the average by enough to justify a #1 selection.  So if the value is right, move the pick. 

[Clench123]

Absolutely not

[Celtics4ever]

I would take the known over the unknown.   It is very unlikely that pick becomes a player of Butler caliber in the next few years.  So I would make the trade.  I think we need a big but odds of us getting one in the draft impactful as Butler is small.

Maybe trade for Butler and a decent big.

[Phantom255x]

Is there a way to trade for Butler using the Nets pick AND sign a big like Noel or Ibaka?

Or would that limit our cap space this summer to sign anyone?

I mean, trading for Butler + signing Ibaka/Noel/Millsap would be very nice.