How are we gonna balance the future with the present?

[Roy H.]

It's not hard to balance both.

Keep Fultz. Sign Hayward. Keep KO. Bring in Zizic and Nader. Add somebody with the 4.3 million room exception.

That satisfies the present. For the future, you develop Fultz, Brown, Zizic and the 2018 Nets pick.

I have never believed in rebuilding while remaining competitive, but Danny seems to have pulled it off.

This.

I do not believe the Cs can sign KO and Hayward. Signing Hayward would also involve moving Smart or AB.

They can if they trade AB for future picks and don't bring Yabu over.

[CFAN38]

Carmelo Anthony is a malcontent. No way I'd invest a pick, a worthwhile player, or a significant contract in him.

Typically I would agree however this can not be looked at in a bubble. The Cs are likely to draft Fultz and add him to a ridiculously deep back court. IT and AB will both be FA next off-season and its unrealistic to think the Cs will sign both and retain Fultz and Smart not to mention Rozier. By trading for 1-2 season of Melo the Cs add talent. It will be up to Melo to buy into the system. At 32 years old I would hope that Melo would embrace the chance to play on a team that has a legit chance to again make a deep playoff push.

Next season I expect the Cavs to still be the East's elite with the Cs, Wiz, Bucks and Raptors (if Lowry stays) in the second tier. I would feel confident with a Melo at PF vs all 4 of those teams.   

[tstorey_97]

TP to jade88 for timely post.

The arrival of the #1 gets us to what will Ainge do?

Is "Win now" a legit proposal? If it is then the assets go out the door this summer and the "max's" come in.

I realize the popularity of Gordon Hayward on this board, I just think he's staying in Utah. By taking him off the shopping list things get simpler.

Butler and George are the next two possibilities. I don't see the addition of PG bringing the Celtics to the promised land. It would be fun though wouldn't it? I wish we could get him but...is PG this summer a "win now" move. Ainge gives up the #1 and Jae and whomever for a "win now".

I am going to go with this.

Ainge sticks with "win tomorrow." This next season he will add Fultz. He will assuredly lose KO to the FA money pit and other moving parts don't matter. He literally has to take a long look at Zizic, Yabusele and Nader as he has money and draft capital invested in them. If Ainge stays with "win tomorrow" then he has the following...

Plenty of time to evaluate/develop the boat load of young talent he already has.

What else could Ainge do to improve this year's team? Get a FA big and maybe get Carmelo Anthony.

I don't care either way as melo has his warts, but, he may fit into Ainge's plans for "win tomorrow".

Horford, Melo, whomever...gone in a couple/three of years...right?

Brown, Fultz, maybe one of Zizic, Nader, Yabusele and one of the 8 other upcoming pix are really good. So 2021 "today's stars" are fading and tomorrows stars or....the max's we trade them for are in place for title run.

Between now and 2021 what do we fans have? A young "loaded" team with terrific, defensive minded veteran talent going on consistent playoff runs while getting the young guys ready for the future title run.

What if an incredible opportunity comes along between now and 2021? Ainge will obviously go all in as that is what this cap management and talent stockpiling has been about the whole time.

[Kuberski33]

You guys need to get off the Griffin thing.  His days as an impact player are over.    I think they're going to lose KO to free agency because someone is going to come in and overpay him.

If they can sign Heywood, then they need to find a poor man's KO somewhere who they can bring in for not a lot of cost.