It's Very Early to Look at this, But....

[Smokeeye123]

Zeller and Olynyk are for sure goners. Probably Bradley too. I'd be up to keeping Amir at the right price.

[JBcat]

We can pay all these players if we want to keep them.  The salary cap is pretty high and we have bird rights to most.

I doubt Danny is stressed out, he is in one of the best positions of any GM in NBA history.  None of his cap space is tied up, he can pick and choose who he wants to pay, he has plenty of 1st round picks and top 5 team.

Yep, and since it's a soft cap we can easily go over it with the bird rights and into luxury tax territory if Ainge and ownership choose too.  I don't think they are afraid to for the right situation.

[mctyson]

How the heck are we going to keep all these players? IT is going to get the max. Smart is gonna command some mula. I think Avery is gone. Horford is obviously getting paid. What about when the time comes to possibly extend Jaylen, he's already shown he'll be ballin' in this league. And then having to potentially do the same for our other lottery picks that will come in? Yeesh. Ainge is going to gray even more thinking about this.

We can't keep them all.  It is a fact of life in all professional sports and especially in the those with salary caps.  The players know this, the agents know this, the coaches and the GMS all know this.

[mctyson]

We can pay all these players if we want to keep them.  The salary cap is pretty high and we have bird rights to most.

I doubt Danny is stressed out, he is in one of the best positions of any GM in NBA history.  None of his cap space is tied up, he can pick and choose who he wants to pay, he has plenty of 1st round picks and top 5 team.

Yep, and since it's a soft cap we can easily go over it with the bird rights and into luxury tax territory if Ainge and ownership choose too.  I don't think they are afraid to for the right situation.

If they add a max contract this off-season they would have to go deep into the tax to re-sign just IT and Avery.  That would most likely result in them being above that level for multiple years and having to pay the repeater tax.  I severely doubt ownership will do that.

[jambr380]

I do think we will use up most of our cap space this summer on a FA signing. Ideally we land someone like Hayward or Griffin, but more likely I see a medium signing or two as to allow us to keep KO and/or JJ - taking into account their cap holds (of course we could go over the cap to sign each after our other supposed vet signing).

Adding players like Ibaka or Noel (close to max signings) may not be ideal since that would mean letting go of KO/JJ. Danny doesn't strike me as the type to just let those 'assets' walk for a minimal upgrade. He definitely would for Hayward and Griffin and would probably trade off AB if need be, as well.

No matter, it will be interesting to see if anything happens at the deadline.

[jambr380]

We can pay all these players if we want to keep them.  The salary cap is pretty high and we have bird rights to most.

I doubt Danny is stressed out, he is in one of the best positions of any GM in NBA history.  None of his cap space is tied up, he can pick and choose who he wants to pay, he has plenty of 1st round picks and top 5 team.

Yep, and since it's a soft cap we can easily go over it with the bird rights and into luxury tax territory if Ainge and ownership choose too.  I don't think they are afraid to for the right situation.

If they add a max contract this off-season they would have to go deep into the tax to re-sign just IT and Avery.  That would most likely result in them being above that level for multiple years and having to pay the repeater tax.  I severely doubt ownership will do that.

If we have a contender, then ownership surely will; otherwise, it is a good question. I think if we are able to sing a big time FA this summer, then the answer is yes. A trade is also possible - if players like AB and KO are shipped off in a deal, then the worry about re-signing those guys goes away.

The best part is, Danny has LOTS of options  - it will be really interesting to see how it all plays out.

[Greyman]

The thing that isn't clear to me about the idea that somebody has to go and AB and KO are the likely victims, is that with a team going so well and two players who will be starters on most teams, what do you get back in their place? Unless you are trading for a really big star moving those two just helps some other teams get a lot better while, with AB especially, you weaken your established core.

It is really too early to look at until you see how a few things pan out. Amir is ageing and his impact is very inconsistent. Brown is showing good signs but still has a way to good before I am convinced he will be a 'star'. I don't think AB, KO or some of the other assets mentioned are as dispensable at this stage as others suggest. Too much guess work involved.

[jacigar]

DA must decide on the future worth to the team of AB and IT.If he feels  that they will be to .expensive,then he will be trading one or both and looking to replace in this years draft.This is what the Patriots due all the time.Think C.Jones and Collins. That is what makes BB had to figure. They are always looking down the road.I think Da may trade AB,Draft Fultz ,and see where we stand at end of next season.He would still have It-Smart-Rozier-Fultz-jackson as guards and whatever we get for Bradley.

[crimson_stallion]

How the heck are we going to keep all these players? IT is going to get the max. Smart is gonna command some mula. I think Avery is gone. Horford is obviously getting paid. What about when the time comes to possibly extend Jaylen, he's already shown he'll be ballin' in this league. And then having to potentially do the same for our other lottery picks that will come in? Yeesh. Ainge is going to gray even more thinking about this.

I think Avery will be brought back.  He's been too valuable to this team with what he provides, and he's a coach and GM favourite with his posiitve attitude and work ethic.  He's just too good a player to allow him to walk away for nothing. 

Smart will be gone.   He's walking the Sully road in too many ways, with his attitude and decision making.  Like Sully he is a talented player who does some things very well, but he doesn't do ENOUGH things well to justify paying him big bucks and bringing him back.

Thomas will get brought back.

Crowder is a 50/50.  It depends on what offers he gets from other clubs I think.  He's very good, but he's replaceable. 

Olynyk will also depend on the type of offers he gets elsewhere.  If he can be brought back on a nice affordable deal (like the $8m / year deal Zeller got) then he's probably a no brainer to bring back.  But if some team offers him a deal in the $15M+ range then I doubt Danny matches. 

[crimson_stallion]

The thing that isn't clear to me about the idea that somebody has to go and AB and KO are the likely victims, is that with a team going so well and two players who will be starters on most teams, what do you get back in their place? Unless you are trading for a really big star moving those two just helps some other teams get a lot better while, with AB especially, you weaken your established core.

It is really too early to look at until you see how a few things pan out. Amir is ageing and his impact is very inconsistent. Brown is showing good signs but still has a way to good before I am convinced he will be a 'star'. I don't think AB, KO or some of the other assets mentioned are as dispensable at this stage as others suggest. Too much guess work involved.

Exactly, it really makes no sense.  Bradley is worth more to us then he is to any other team, especially since we are very weak at SG right now.  If Bradley goes, who starts at SG?  It's not Jaylen's natural position, Smart is too limited offensive, and Green just isn't good enough.  OF all the positions we CAN'T afford to permanently lose someone at, SG is probably the biggest.

[Celtics4ever]

Adding players like Ibaka or Noel (close to max signings) may not be ideal since that would mean letting go of KO/JJ.

You act like this would be a bad thing.   I would wager quite a few people would perform the former not the latter.

[CelticPride2016]

I think Avery will be brought back.  He's been too valuable to this team with what he provides, and he's a coach and GM favourite with his posiitve attitude and work ethic.  He's just too good a player to allow him to walk away for nothing. 

Smart will be gone.   He's walking the Sully road in too many ways, with his attitude and decision making.  Like Sully he is a talented player who does some things very well, but he doesn't do ENOUGH things well to justify paying him big bucks and bringing him back.

Blogger is attacking Marcus Smart. What kind of fans go after their own players like this when the team is doing well and Smart has been a big reason?

Thomas will get brought back.

Crowder is a 50/50.  It depends on what offers he gets from other clubs I think.  He's very good, but he's replaceable.

If it's not trade speculation that never ends and never happens, it's let's attack our own guys.

Crowder just signed a five year deal at a bargain rate. Part of winning in the NBA is knowing how to dish out the money. Crowder is not replaceable. Maybe he is replaceable when his contract runs out. Why worry about four years from now with Jae Crowder?

Olynyk will also depend on the type of offers he gets elsewhere.  If he can be brought back on a nice affordable deal (like the $8m / year deal Zeller got) then he's probably a no brainer to bring back.  But if some team offers him a deal in the $15M+ range then I doubt Danny matches.

This is about the only thing I agreed with. If some team offers Kelly $7-10 million more than he deserves, say like with what happened with Turner, then Danny might let him walk. He let Sullinger walk because he was pitiful and not fitting in. How is Smart's situation comparable to Jared's?

But Olynyk is only worth $8 million and is comparable to Zeller? I don't agree with that. Tyler Zeller is worth a minimum contract. He didn't work out. He is the one who looks to be gone no matter what. He is the Bass or Humphries type who we can assume is definitely out the door. Not Olynyk. Not Smart. Olynyk and Smart are crucial cogs for a top team.

Turner and Sully were never good enough to worry about their walking with nothing in return.

A lot of time and effort was put into developing Sully and it was a failure. Smart and Olynyk are key rotation players on the 5th best NBA team. But to loud voices which dominate the blog, it's as if we are Atlanta or Indiana, hello treadmill and let's attack our key players, if you read here too much. It's like the game threads. It's as if those guys are watching a different team. And others see this. The majority of fans are good, but they are not the loud ones.

It's funny how many people know so much without the ability to prove it. Danny said no to Larry Sanders and is moving on. Marcus Smart is another Sully, whatever that means.

We have the NBA's fifth best record. That says it all. You'd think the negative people would have adjusted to the new reality we are a top team, but no, they will apparently always be negative and attempt to drag others down.