Avery is a starter for a Title contender

[KG Living Legend]

 This is how I want to play this. We are using the Celtics as the example. Say we are landing Hayward and Fultz.

 Many have said here how Avery was a perfect fit for the Thunder with Durant and Westbrook. He was. He is. He's perfect to put with Hayward and Fultz in the starting lineup.

 In all honesty, as much as I love him on a Championship level team Thomas is best suited as the sixth man.

 Ginobli was a starter that came off the bench his whole career cause it was best for the team.

 In summary

 Bradley is a starter on a title contender
 Smart is a stopper of the bench
 Crowder is a perfect backup
 
 Thomas is the main scorer on the second unit, where he can dominate the ball.

 We have half the season to see if Thomas can play effectively with Hayward and Fultz, if he can great, if not sixth man role or sayonara.

[action781]

Here's the issue:
How many minutes do you plan on playing the starters of Fultz, Bradley, and Hayward?  Because if you plan to play them 30 minutes each (which is on the low side for starters generally), then you are giving IT, Smart, and Crowder all only 18 minutes per game... and you haven't even budgeted any for Jaylen Brown yet.

The issue goes far beyond starters/bench.  Minutes available is the problem.

[CF0022]

If IT were healthy to start next year weird thing is I could see AB coming off the bench for us until Fultz is ready if we even decide to go that route.  Popovich did this with Ginobli.   Nothing is set in stone at this point.

With IT hurt more than likely Bradley will start barring a trade though.  AB definately was our most playoff ready player this year.

[Denis998]

IT is All NBA 2nd team

[Roy H.]

IT is All NBA 2nd team

And led the 7th best offense, which ranked #2 in assists per possession.

[CF0022]

AB is the closest thing we have to manu ginobli right now the way he moves without the ball. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  Pop himself moved Ginobli to the bench when he could have started for a lot of championship teams.  Not saying that will happen here but definately could.

[KG Living Legend]

 Hayward, Bradley, Thomas is a nice lineup but you have a defensive weak spot against good team's.

 Thomas is great but only if your using him. He's a one trick pony that has an amazing trick.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

 Hayward, Bradley, Thomas is a nice lineup but you have a defensive weak spot against good team's.

 Thomas is great but only if your using him. He's a one trick pony that has an amazing trick.

hmmnnnnn

[Future Celtics Owner]

Ainge will make the right decision and take the team in anew direction. Keeping IT, AB, and Smart would be negligent on DA's part because he can get the most value for them this summer...or he can lose them next summer. Since we are drafting our new PG and already have a SG/SF in Jaylen, those 3 need to bring back value.

AL and Crowder should also be shipped out for value while we can get it. We signed Al to lure KD but that never happened, well we tried. But Al's legs are not able to keep up with a stretch 4 and he's not the center of our future.

I'll leave it up to DA, the players know he gave them everything to win and they still had no chance to get out of the east in a 7 game series.

[Future Celtics Owner]

AB is the closest thing we have to manu ginobli right now the way he moves without the ball. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  Pop himself moved Ginobli to the bench when he could have started for a lot of championship teams.  Not saying that will happen here but definately could.

You must mean the 40 year old Ginobli.

[CF0022]

IT being injured definately throws a wrench in things depending on when he gets back.  Smart should be our pg going into next  year.  Make a run at hayward.  Draft fultz and either start him or bradley or trade the pick for butler.  This team is ultimately going to need something that sets them apart from the lebrons of hte world where having a really good 6th man might be it to go with a very strong starting 5. Keep the 18 pick to add to that.  Also trades are very dependnt on the cost.  I don't think anything is set in stone though except Horford and IT most likely wont be traded. Smart more than likely will be our starting pg as well if IT isn't going to be ready. Rozier might win that if Smart's lack of speed is a problem in the starting  unit.  Even Fultz might start.

Bradley definately deserves notice though.  He was our most prepared player these playoffs.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

IT being injured definately throws a wrench in things depending on when he gets back.  Smart should be our pg going into next  year.  Make a run at hayward.  Draft fultz and either start him or bradley or trade the pick for butler.  This team is ultimately going to need something that sets them apart from the lebrons of hte world where having a really good 6th man might be it to go with a very strong starting 5. Keep the 18 pick to add to that.  Also trades are very dependnt on the cost.  I don't think anything is set in stone though except Horford and IT most likely wont be traded. Smart more than likely will be our starting pg as well if IT isn't going to be ready. Rozier might win that if Smart's lack of speed is a problem in the starting  unit.  Even Fultz might start.

not sure how many times it needs to be said but we are NOT trading the fultz pick for butler.

AD is the only one we would trade it for within reason. I mean we are not getting lebron so.........

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

 This is how I want to play this. We are using the Celtics as the example. Say we are landing Hayward and Fultz.

 Many have said here how Avery was a perfect fit for the Thunder with Durant and Westbrook. He was. He is. He's perfect to put with Hayward and Fultz in the starting lineup.

 In all honesty, as much as I love him on a Championship level team Thomas is best suited as the sixth man.

 Ginobli was a starter that came off the bench his whole career cause it was best for the team.

 In summary

 Bradley is a starter on a title contender
 Smart is a stopper of the bench
 Crowder is a perfect backup
 
 Thomas is the main scorer on the second unit, where he can dominate the ball.

 We have half the season to see if Thomas can play effectively with Hayward and Fultz, if he can great, if not sixth man role or sayonara.

The only way Bradley is a starter on a legit contender is if he's the worst of the starting five. He's just too unreliable on offense, and as Kyrie Irving proved in this series, Bradley's defense isn't as great as we think.

[Kuberski33]

They're so far behind Cleveland and GS right now - the talent level needs to be upgraded.  And if you're going to keep so many small guards around - you better have some length and physicality in the lineup to go along with them.

Ultimately if Fultz is the pick and he's as good as advertised, two of IT/Bradley/Smart/Rozier likely have to go - and I'm not sure there are enough minutes for IT/Fultz/Bradley if all stay. And two years from now does it make sense to pay IT max money and Bradley something north of $16 million for a year for 4/5 years and have them and Horford as your Big 3 with Jaylen/Fultz in the wings expecting to be paid?

There's at least one uncomfortable move that has to be made that's going to tick off a lot of Celtics fans.

[Future Celtics Owner]

IT being injured definately throws a wrench in things depending on when he gets back.  Smart should be our pg going into next  year.  Make a run at hayward.  Draft fultz and either start him or bradley or trade the pick for butler.  This team is ultimately going to need something that sets them apart from the lebrons of hte world where having a really good 6th man might be it to go with a very strong starting 5. Keep the 18 pick to add to that.  Also trades are very dependnt on the cost.  I don't think anything is set in stone though except Horford and IT most likely wont be traded. Smart more than likely will be our starting pg as well if IT isn't going to be ready. Rozier might win that if Smart's lack of speed is a problem in the starting  unit.  Even Fultz might start.

not sure how many times it needs to be said but we are NOT trading the fultz pick for butler.

AD is the only one we would trade it for within reason. I mean we are not getting lebron so.........

How nice of you to give Fultz like a 1% chance of starting....OVER SMART. Even if IT were not injured and we keep him( which DA prob won't bc IT's value will be lost) Fultz would still play himself into the starting PG spot.

Jaylen Brown is a different form of Jimmy Butler...so why trade for Butler?