If Thomas was traded and was perennial All NBA and won a title somewhere else..

[jade88]

How big of stain would it be for the Celtic franchise? Just asking, because their is a lot of risk in trading a player in his prime this good. Imagine him making that 2nd or 3rd team over the next 5 years in a row, and getting a ring.

I'd probably give up my Celtic fandom lol.

Your reaction?

[Somebody]

His max ceiling as a non celtic is jerry west because we're getting all the rings in the future 

[Roy H.]

Well, at least we'd have the #14 pick in the draft or whatever silliness people are proposing.

[tazzmaniac]

If Thomas is traded, I think it is likely that his performance drops off and wouldn't be All NBA.  I don't see where he'd go that he'd win an NBA title.  Is he going to backup Curry in GSW? 

[Tr1boy]

If Thomas is traded, I think it is likely that his performance drops off and wouldn't be All NBA.  I don't see where he'd go that he'd win an NBA title.  Is he going to backup Curry in GSW?

I agree

[jpotter33]

I agree there's no point in trading him, because he simply won't bring back all that much at all. You might as well utilize him this coming year, evaluate how well Fultz plays, and determine how close we are to title at the end of next year.

That being said, I have zero problem letting him walk if Fultz looks ready to start next year, we don't look any closer to dethroning GS with IT as the starting PG and best player, and he won't budge on the full max.

I think people conflate those two drastically differing perspectives too much on here.

[moiso]

I agree there's no point in trading him, because he simply won't bring back all that much at all. You might as well utilize him this coming year, evaluate how well Fultz plays, and determine how close we are to title at the end of next year.

That being said, I have zero problem letting him walk if Fultz looks ready to start next year, we don't look any closer to dethroning GS with IT as the starting PG and best player, and he won't budge on the full max.

I think people conflate those two drastically differing perspectives too much on here.

Just let an efficient 29ppg scorer walk for nothing?  Wow.

[jade88]

If Thomas is traded, I think it is likely that his performance drops off and wouldn't be All NBA.  I don't see where he'd go that he'd win an NBA title.  Is he going to backup Curry in GSW?

He can shoot efficiently at at a high clip,

He can drive and score at the rim or get fouled with the best of them. Those skills flourished here, but they are his elite talents.

This is one of the best inside out threats in basketball, with 4th quarter heroics and intangibles.

I have to laugh at the crowd who doesn't think he's a bonafide scorer of the highest caliber, and on a team that gives him pretty mediocre spacing and allows him to be loaded up on with it's lack of shot creators and shooting threats.

All in all this is one of the best scorers to ever play for the Celtics. The talent is in par with Paul Pierce, but he's actually better in some faucets for sure. Noone had PP trade threads when he was 27....

[chiken Green]

I am not in the trade IT camp, but I am also not in the build the team around him either..  (guess I need to pick a side..)

Nonetheless,  him being traded and winning a title else where (say Golden state, Cleveland or  the Spurs) would not have meant he could have won a title here.. So it wouldn't make me feel one way or the other.. 

Also Not sure why people bring up his scoring - the top 3 scorers in the league are not even in the playoffs right now so what does that even mean.  Heck Labroom is #8 and he is on his way to getting swept..

Elite Scoring means nothing when you cant defend your position..

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I am not in the trade IT camp, but I am also not in the build the team around him either..  (guess I need to pick a side..)

Nonetheless,  him being traded and winning a title else where (say Golden state, Cleveland or  the Spurs) would not have meant he could have won a title here.. So it wouldn't make me feel one way or the other.. 

Also Not sure why people bring up his scoring - the top 3 scorers in the league are not even in the playoffs right now so what does that even mean.  Heck Labroom is #8 and he is on his way to getting swept..

Elite Scoring means nothing when you cant defend your position..

Good point, but I think it's equally valid to say that elite defense means little if you can't score, which is the situation with a large percentage of the current rotation.

As for the thread question: I'd be bummed if IT was traded, especially if went on to help another team win a title.

[jade88]

I am not in the trade IT camp, but I am also not in the build the team around him either..  (guess I need to pick a side..)

Nonetheless,  him being traded and winning a title else where (say Golden state, Cleveland or  the Spurs) would not have meant he could have won a title here.. So it wouldn't make me feel one way or the other.. 

Also Not sure why people bring up his scoring - the top 3 scorers in the league are not even in the playoffs right now so what does that even mean.  Heck Labroom is #8 and he is on his way to getting swept..

Elite Scoring means nothing when you cant defend your position..

In a perfect world he would at least be a capable defender, though we did at one time have a top 5 defense despite him. I think we can hide him the way GS hides Curry, if we had the right guys.

Scoring makes the world go round, those are the stars. The guys who can shoot are coveted, the guys who can create off the dribble and get to hoop for the basket or free throws are the hardest to acquire.

When you do all of that and your measurably clutch with intangibles..... nothing better than having a guy like that. If Thomas was a good little scorer the defense isn't worth it, he's an incredible scorer though.

Too many lunch pail guys who can't score on this team, especially off the dribble. I'm protective of one of the best scorers we've ever had.

[chiken Green]

I am not in the trade IT camp, but I am also not in the build the team around him either..  (guess I need to pick a side..)

Nonetheless,  him being traded and winning a title else where (say Golden state, Cleveland or  the Spurs) would not have meant he could have won a title here.. So it wouldn't make me feel one way or the other.. 

Also Not sure why people bring up his scoring - the top 3 scorers in the league are not even in the playoffs right now so what does that even mean.  Heck Labroom is #8 and he is on his way to getting swept..

Elite Scoring means nothing when you cant defend your position..

In a perfect world he would at least be a capable defender, though we did at one time have a top 5 defense despite him. I think we can hide him the way GS hides Curry, if we had the right guys.

Scoring makes the world go round, those are the stars. The guys who can shoot are coveted, the guys who can create off the dribble and get to hoop for the basket or free throws are the hardest to acquire.

When you do all of that and your measurably clutch with intangibles..... nothing better than having a guy like that. If Thomas was a good little scorer the defense isn't worth it, he's an incredible scorer though.

Too many lunch pail guys who can't score on this team, especially off the dribble. I'm protective of one of the best scorers we've ever had.

IF he were traded it would be because we felt like we had that guy (and more) in Fultz.. and It possibly wouldn't make sense to back up the Brinks truck for a guy who will not be around when we are truly ready to contend.. this is why we could stomach it if it happened..   Again not pushing for it but understanding why if it did happen.. 

[Celtics4ever]

I don't see this happening in any scenario.   I could see him traded but I do not see him winning a ton of titles here or anywhere.   He is a liability on d, that teams would mercilessly expose in a seven game series.  CLE and WASH tried to beat him up which is hard to take for a small guy.

I am not advocating him being traded.  He is the best player we got but he has limitations.

[BitterJim]

I am not in the trade IT camp, but I am also not in the build the team around him either..  (guess I need to pick a side..)

Nonetheless,  him being traded and winning a title else where (say Golden state, Cleveland or  the Spurs) would not have meant he could have won a title here.. So it wouldn't make me feel one way or the other.. 

Also Not sure why people bring up his scoring - the top 3 scorers in the league are not even in the playoffs right now so what does that even mean.  Heck Labroom is #8 and he is on his way to getting swept..

Elite Scoring means nothing when you cant defend your position..

That's only because Curry and Durant teamed up this year and each had to take a smaller scoring load. They were the #1 and #3 scorers, respectively, last year.

If IT teamed up with Harden or Westbrook next season, they'd both drop out of the top 3 in ppg, but that wouldn't mean they were worse at scoring - it would just mean that they had another elite scorer to split the load with. That's what's happening in Golden State right now.

[mmmmm]

I am not in the trade IT camp, but I am also not in the build the team around him either..  (guess I need to pick a side..)

Nonetheless,  him being traded and winning a title else where (say Golden state, Cleveland or  the Spurs) would not have meant he could have won a title here.. So it wouldn't make me feel one way or the other.. 

Also Not sure why people bring up his scoring - the top 3 scorers in the league are not even in the playoffs right now so what does that even mean.  Heck Labroom is #8 and he is on his way to getting swept..

Elite Scoring means nothing when you cant defend your position..

That's only because Curry and Durant teamed up this year and each had to take a smaller scoring load. They were the #1 and #3 scorers, respectively, last year.

If IT teamed up with Harden or Westbrook next season, they'd both drop out of the top 3 in ppg, but that wouldn't mean they were worse at scoring - it would just mean that they had another elite scorer to split the load with. That's what's happening in Golden State right now.

Yeah, people seem to forget that Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett ALL had their individual scoring averages drop when they got together.

The year before:

PP  25.0 points per game
RA  26.2 points per game
KG  22.4 points per game

After joining together (title year):

PP 19.6 points per game
RA 17.4 points per game
KG 18.8 points per game