Why the Melo trade is Perfect

[KG Living Legend]

 The Stars have aligned. You Never get a chance at an NBA Superstar for cheap.

 Ainge is a genius if this goes down. Zeller and Amir work in the machine, add some crappy firsts and a scrub like Young and your insane if you don't do it.

 We need a second Star in the Playoffs. Carmelo fills that roll.

 We were never going to Win a ring until 2019. Now we actually can compete for a title every year? Are you kidding me?

 What do we want to save the Cap room for? Milsap? He won't sign here. Go get Carmelo. We are so spoiled.

 If we get Carmelo, we will win the #1 seed. Think about that. We may not beat the Cavs, but the plot thickens and it gets much more interesting.

[KG Living Legend]

 The guy waived his no trade clause! To come to the Celtics! A New Yorker! Awesome!


 I have to do this too. In all seriousness. If we added Ball in the draft and if he had Carmelo, Thomas, Bradley, Crowder, Horford, Brown to pass it to.

 We win the title next year. Straight up.

[Bucketgetter]

Yeah for the proposed trades on here I've seen of basically Rozier + A couple of non BKN 1sts, 2nds + Filler I would do in a heartbeat. But Ive seen writers and articles that usually include a BKN pick and Smart or Crowder in which I would say hell no.

Basically my take on a Melo trade is that while yeah it doesn't get us over the hump yet and it takes away our ability to sign a max player, since it seems like we can get him on the cheap we have to do it because now we would have Melo and the assets to trade for another star. And once we didn't get KD, trading for a star has been the plan. Its looking like our best chance for a "star" this free agency is Gordon Hayward, and he will have much longer and expensive contract than Melo. Our new lineup would be:

IT/Smart
AB
Crowder
Melo
Horford

I personally think Melo is better at the 4 where he can stretch the floor, not have to defend elite 3s, and he is actually a pretty good rebounder. We will be able to always pick on the opponent's weakest defending big by running pick and roll/pops with IT and either Melo or Horford. I think this team puts up a fight against the Cavs this year, while keeping both BKN picks and Jaylen Brown to trade for the next star to come available.

[KG Living Legend]

 I like just keeping the picks, competing for titles and then Watch a core of Brown, Smart, Fultz hopefully, Ayton develop.


 Poor Melo. The Nuggets and Knicks. Think about that, never been on a team with defenders his whole career.

[LGC88]

The truth is, we don't know Ainge's plan. He might have some wink wink agreement in FA or a trade in the work once ping pong balls are set.
We have to wait and see what happen.
We cannot assume taking Melo or giving up on him is the right or wrong solution right now. We don't have all the elements in hand to understand the situation.

[Smartacus]

Can't say I disagree. It'd be Ainge-ian to have feigned no interest for so long only to lie in wait until the price is driven down. Melo is interesting. Aigne has said repeatedly that one of the main things this team needed was late game scoring. Even when questioned about IT's end game dominance and given the chance to solely praise IT for his historic run, Ainge still mentioned that we wanted another scoring option to spell IT when the game starts tightening up.

Someone on Reddit mentioned that Melo has registered 30 or more points in 5 of his last 8 games. The guy is many things but one of them is consistent. He get's maligned for his game but back when they entered the league Melo used to routinely skunk Lebron most times they matched up.

This was one of my favorite games back when I was getting into the NBA. Melo and that Nuggets team were a tough game every night but this one was unreal...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp0mZvdsXiI

I miss having a Pierce like big shot maker on the wing. Melo has a nose for clutch put backs and has great elevation and a quick release on his jump shot. He has never in the NBA played with anyone as good as Isaiah is right now and Horford is probably a more dependable frontcourt mate than Porzingis.

Team USA Melo is a monster and Brad's system work's so well with that style of play he's been considered to succeed Popovich as the USA coach. Melo would have the space to attack and the green light from the coaching staff. We have a strange dychotmy with so much of our defense coming from the perimeter so we'd be one of the few teams well equipped to mask any issues an aging Carmelo Anthony might have. (Enter the Zizic next year too!)

If we can consolidate assets and add Carmelo Anthony to the second best team in the East I don't see how we say no. Agree with KGLL. Worried about tying up the cap? Melo is that max free agent we've been waiting for. Firmly believe that the acquisition would revitalize both the team and Melo himself.

[BE-Celtic]

You raise a point : Danny is good at stealing value from other teams. If he can get Melo for cheap, so be it, even if the chemistry isn't there, he still has trade value.

But honestly, I'm not a fan of Melo here

[A Future of Stevens]

So nobody cares that he is on the wrong side of 32? What you see now is the best he will ever be again. Thats my biggest problem with him. Our core is the young guys, we shouldnt go in on a core that has a 2 year window.

If he is brought in to compete while the core is acquired and developed, so be it. But he wont like that.

[Androslav]

M

Can't say I disagree. It'd be Ainge-ian to have feigned no interest for so long only to lie in wait until the price is driven down. Melo is interesting. Aigne has said repeatedly that one of the main things this team needed was late game scoring. Even when questioned about IT's end game dominance and given the chance to solely praise IT for his historic run, Ainge still mentioned that we wanted another scoring option to spell IT when the game starts tightening up.

Someone on Reddit mentioned that Melo has registered 30 or more points in 5 of his last 8 games. The guy is many things but one of them is consistent. He get's maligned for his game but back when they entered the league Melo used to routinely skunk Lebron most times they matched up.

This was one of my favorite games back when I was getting into the NBA. Melo and that Nuggets team were a tough game every night but this one was unreal...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp0mZvdsXiI

I miss having a Pierce like big shot maker on the wing. Melo has a nose for clutch put backs and has great elevation and a quick release on his jump shot. He has never in the NBA played with anyone as good as Isaiah is right now and Horford is probably a more dependable frontcourt mate than Porzingis.

Team USA Melo is a monster and Brad's system work's so well with that style of play he's been considered to succeed Popovich as the USA coach. Melo would have the space to attack and the green light from the coaching staff. We have a strange dychotmy with so much of our defense coming from the perimeter so we'd be one of the few teams well equipped to mask any issues an aging Carmelo Anthony might have. (Enter the Zizic next year too!)

If we can consolidate assets and add Carmelo Anthony to the second best team in the East I don't see how we say no. Agree with KGLL. Worried about tying up the cap? Melo is that max free agent we've been waiting for. Firmly believe that the acquisition would revitalize both the team and Melo himself.

Melo is superstar no more. Probably hasn't been one for a couple of years. Not every guy that can score in ISO situation is a superstar. He would also diminsh the chances of bringing back one of IT4, AB and MS two years from now (one will go regardless of Melo) as well as extinguishing our cap space this summer.
He is a below avg. defender. Not exactly what we need at this point.
Not all that shines is gold.

[Stig]

The Stars have aligned. You Never get a chance at an NBA Superstar for cheap.

 Ainge is a genius if this goes down. Zeller and Amir work in the machine, add some crappy firsts and a scrub like Young and your insane if you don't do it.

 We need a second Star in the Playoffs. Carmelo fills that roll.

 We were never going to Win a ring until 2019. Now we actually can compete for a title every year? Are you kidding me?

 What do we want to save the Cap room for? Milsap? He won't sign here. Go get Carmelo. We are so spoiled.

 If we get Carmelo, we will win the #1 seed. Think about that. We may not beat the Cavs, but the plot thickens and it gets much more interesting.

I agree that Milsap and Gordon Hayward are unlikely to sign anywhere else than their own team. Especially Hayward, the Jazz is as good  a team as Celtics.

Besides, if we do sign Gordon Hayward, what do we do with Jae Crowder? Hayward can only play 3, with that incident earlier I don't think Crowder would want to be a backup of Hayward, we'd have to send Crowder away for cheap. While Melo can play 4, and he's probably better at 4 these days, allowing us to keep Crowder at his place.

[Androslav]

The Stars have aligned. You Never get a chance at an NBA Superstar for cheap.

 Ainge is a genius if this goes down. Zeller and Amir work in the machine, add some crappy firsts and a scrub like Young and your insane if you don't do it.

 We need a second Star in the Playoffs. Carmelo fills that roll.

 We were never going to Win a ring until 2019. Now we actually can compete for a title every year? Are you kidding me?

 What do we want to save the Cap room for? Milsap? He won't sign here. Go get Carmelo. We are so spoiled.

 If we get Carmelo, we will win the #1 seed. Think about that. We may not beat the Cavs, but the plot thickens and it gets much more interesting.

I agree that Milsap and Gordon Hayward are unlikely to sign anywhere else than their own team. Especially Hayward, the Jazz is as good  a team as Celtics.

Besides, if we do sign Gordon Hayward, what do we do with Jae Crowder? Hayward can only play 3, with that incident earlier I don't think Crowder would want to be a backup of Hayward, we'd have to send Crowder away for cheap. While Melo can play 4, and he's probably better at 4 these days, allowing us to keep Crowder at his place.

You can't diminish your chances of getting good players in free agency based on uncertainty and fear. Hayward is not a lock to stay.
It depends on a lot of variables in the future and basic one is having about 30 million in cap space.
Hayward's fine versatility would allow him to play 1-4. Versatile guys are easier to incorporate than specialists. Also, he is an O.K. defensive player, that also helps a lot in securing the rotation minutes and playing in different lineups.
In today's game, you can ALWAYS play together multiple wings that can both defend and shoot. Heck, Embiid, AD, Towns and such, could play with 3 or even 4 (if there is a guy like KCP on the roster to defend quick guards) of those guys together.
Melo is simply worse than him in almost all aspects than posting up and shooting staredown mid-rangers. His knees are not young anymore so he can't get to the line as he did. His rebounding % are expectedly dropping too. It is easy to pump yourself up on a big name, but sobering moment comes quickly after realising they are not as good as they were or what we would like them to be.

[LilRip]

Yknow, something people are overlooking is the supposedly low price tag of Melo, given that Knicks have no leverage thanks to his NTC. We might get him with Rozier and a non-BKN pick being the centerpieces. While getting a guy like Butler would be a better fit, which would you prefer:

1) Melo, Fultz/Ball, and Crowder and/or Bradley
2) Jimmy Butler

Personally, I prefer the first:

IT/Smart
Bradley/Fultz
Crowder/Brown
Melo/Jonas
Horford/Olynyk

Seems like a good lineup moving forward. If we could sign a big who can bruise and rebound for certain match ups (Zizic?), we're all set.

[CelticGuardian]

How would CBlog feel if this is what ends up happening after the trade deadline?

Boston gets:
Kyle O'Quinn
Paul Pierce
trade exception from LAC

NYK Gets:
Jamal Crawford
Tyler Zeller
Wesley Johnson

LAC Gets:
Carmelo Anthony
Gerald Green

It wouldn't push through for me on Trade Machine, it totally ignored that trade exception the Clips have.

But anyway, while playing around with it I realized that dealing with these two teams won't do much for us except bringing Pierce back to the Bean and bring KOQ's physical play to our frontcourt. There are better moves and trade partners out there.

[Smartacus]

So nobody cares that he is on the wrong side of 32? What you see now is the best he will ever be again. Thats my biggest problem with him. Our core is the young guys, we shouldnt go in on a core that has a 2 year window.

If he is brought in to compete while the core is acquired and developed, so be it. But he wont like that.

Come on man what does that even mean the wrong side of 32, it's not like he's ancient. Melo's basically the same age as Horford. Melo's game was always bully ball anyways and had never really been predicated on athleticism. He could easily have four or five good years left in him at a high level.

I think some folks need to reevaluate that we're not talking about the gut the team, Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown and multiple picks 1 being a Brooklyn for Melo deal.

We could be talking minimal change to the rotation for acuiring a top 35 player. If we can do it without losing Crowder and/or still come away with the 2017 Brooklyn pick were going to be within striking distance of Cleveland.

[Diggles]

IF they want a salary dump.  Where addition from subtraction I'd do this:

I'd toss in the worst of our first rounds in the next two years and a second or two.   

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=hdccp35