If we are trading away the #1, I think we are getting Butler or Paul George

[Yoki_IsTheName]

I'd hate to miss out on Fultz but It/Bradley/PG/Blake/Horford features 4 all stars and a bonafide all-defense 1st teamer. How does this team not have a chance against GSW? I'd say it's got a real decent shot!

How will we have the cap room to have both of these guys?

[jpotter33]

I'd hate to miss out on Fultz but It/Bradley/PG/Blake/Horford features 4 all stars and a bonafide all-defense 1st teamer. How does this team not have a chance against GSW? I'd say it's got a real decent shot!

How will we have the cap room to have both of these guys?

You pick up George or Butler after signing Hayward or Griffin. It's definitely possible, especially without this year's pick in the mix. The longer term finances of that group would be the problem.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

I'd hate to miss out on Fultz but It/Bradley/PG/Blake/Horford features 4 all stars and a bonafide all-defense 1st teamer. How does this team not have a chance against GSW? I'd say it's got a real decent shot!

How will we have the cap room to have both of these guys?

You pick up George or Butler after signing Hayward or Griffin. It's definitely possible, especially without this year's pick in the mix. The longer term finances of that group would be the problem.

We'd have to give up Avery, Jae? Their salaries combined are just at around $15 million. Not that I'm against moving them for Paul George (I don't want Jimmy Butler, I don't like his fit with IT, ball stopping SG), but isn't that a bit short? We'd have to move another guy...

[CelticsElite]

Stephen A Smith says he's hearing  Danny wants to move the picks for Butler, then go and get Hayward

[max215]

Stephen A Smith says he's hearing  Danny wants to move the picks for Butler, then go and get Hayward

He's hearing nothing except the voices in his head.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Stephen A Smith says he's hearing  Danny wants to move the picks for Butler, then go and get Hayward

Good God, I hate that fit so much...

If Hayward has the ball, Jimmy Butler is close to useless on offense. If Jimmy Butler has the ball, he'll pound the air out of it until the shot clock runs out.

Why does it have to be Jimmy Butler???

[CelticsElite]

Stephen A Smith says he's hearing  Danny wants to move the picks for Butler, then go and get Hayward

Good God, I hate that fit so much...

If Hayward has the ball, Jimmy Butler is close to useless on offense. If Jimmy Butler has the ball, he'll pound the air out of it until the shot clock runs out.

Why does it have to be Jimmy Butler???

plus does the salary even work with horford max contract? Bradley and smart might be a goner

[jpotter33]

I'd hate to miss out on Fultz but It/Bradley/PG/Blake/Horford features 4 all stars and a bonafide all-defense 1st teamer. How does this team not have a chance against GSW? I'd say it's got a real decent shot!

How will we have the cap room to have both of these guys?

You pick up George or Butler after signing Hayward or Griffin. It's definitely possible, especially without this year's pick in the mix. The longer term finances of that group would be the problem.

We'd have to give up Avery, Jae? Their salaries combined are just at around $15 million. Not that I'm against moving them for Paul George (I don't want Jimmy Butler, I don't like his fit with IT, ball stopping SG), but isn't that a bit short? We'd have to move another guy...

I think AB is assumed to be gone in a trade for someone like PG. One or more of AB, IT, and Smart will need to go before next summer anyways. So something like:

1) Make trade with Philly - #1 for #3, 2018 Lakers pick, future Philly pick

2) Agree to trade terms with Indy (though will have to wait until after free agency and 30 days after rookie is signed, I believe)  - something like #3, Bradley, Smart, Philly pick/lesser of our 2018 Lakers/Nets pick (just spitballing)

3) Use PG as a selling source to sign Griffin in free agency. Make Indy trade after free agency when rookie contract is set and able to be traded.

Lineup:

PG: IT, Rozier
SG: Brown, Green (vet minimum)
SF: PG, Crowder
PF: Griffin, ? (perhaps O'Quinn trade from NY)
C: Horford, Zizic

[CelticsElite]

George and griffin aren't coming.

It'll be Butler and Hayward

[jpotter33]

Salty, I know we've all talked at length on here before how adding a max free agent (Hayward or Griffin) AND a trade for someone like Butler or George is really impractical financially moving forward.

However, what about in the scenario I presented above? If we remove the first pick this year and replace AB and Smart with George (all who will need new contracts in 2018), how much more feasible is that cap situation going forward? You'd probably be carrying four max to near-max contracts for two years until Horford goes off the books, but they'd mostly be surrounded by rookie scale players, Crowder's excellent contract, and veteran minimum contracts.

How feasible would that be with the new CBA, our current owners, etc.?

[CelticsElite]

Renting George for a year before he bolts to LA is scary

[jpotter33]

Renting George for a year before he bolts to LA is scary

He's not leaving a probable Finals-bound team with IT, Griffin, Horford, and 1-2 top-5 picks in the 2018 draft for LA in the West to compete in the same conference as GS. He wants to win. Much of that George to LA narrative is overblown, just like it is with every potential free agent.

[aingeforthree]

I'm genuinely curious as to what those who complain about our team's inability to win anything of consequence this year are going to say when we go all-in and still can't win jack.

East is just so weak right now. With Butler or PG AND Hayward, we'd probably be favorites vs Cavs with a solid 30% chance vs GSW. I mean the Cavs should have won at least 2 games vs GSW, and if we can beat the Cavs we would probably give ourselves at least 2 or 3 games vs the Warriors.

I can see the logic of capitalizing on a weak East and then worrying about Warriors when we get there.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if we get either PG or Butler, wouldn't our cap room be NOT enough to sign Gordon Hayward?

It becomes workable without the salary from #1, I believe.

Really? Because we're taking $16 million from Butler, or $19 million from George. Wouldn't take take a big chunk of our cap space?

In the meantime, we can get Fultz, sign Hayward (open up room by trading a small contract) and still have the talent.

I really don't get the obsession with PG or Butler when we can draft for the future and sign a player for the present.

I haven't looked at the numbers myself, since the very thought of a move like this makes me physically ill, but I've seen Ryan Bernardoni indicate that trading #1 makes it doable. I'm with you on PG/Butler. If he pick isn't Fultz, and the end game isn't AD, Towns, or Giannis, I'll be devastated.

My guess with Ainge is that he loves Fultz, Jackson, or Tatum, and believes he can land one plus inherit 2/3 more first rounders by trading down to #3. Then he uses the 2/3 more first rounders in a package for Butler.

You won't be devastated over that, would you ?

Okay, if he gets 3, 2018 Lakers, 2018 Sixers, and 2019 Kings, even I will have to acknowledge that that is a ridiculous amount of value. There's still a pretty good chance we'd never get a prospect as good as Fultz.

Or if he gets 3, 18' Lakers, 18' Sixers.....that's a great haul

[CelticsElite]

Danny is trying to make the picks value into butler. Genius

[jakeopp]

Does Jimmy Butler push us into contending? I don't think so, is Ainge delusional enough to think that adding Hayward or Griffin with Jimmy Butler makes us as good as Golden State?

How are we even keeping this team together long term?

IT has a big payday coming up, his health is a question mark right now with his knee injury and possible surgery. I'm not sold on giving him the max at all.

Avery is due a payday the same time as Thomas, we need a guy like this to compete with GSW and Cleveland IMO. His defense is huge. Can we even afford to pay him and as well as IT after maxing Griffin or Hayward?

Where are Hayward and Butler even playing on defense if we aquire both? Neither one is a PF, and we still have a massive rebounding issue to solve in this case. I'd much prefer a lineup of IT/Avery/Butler/Griffin/Horford.

Is Butler better than PG13? Is the extra cost worth it to get him over PG13 or is PG13s contract situation too much of an issue? Can Butler even be aquired without throwing in the 2017 Philly pick or 2018 Nets pick?

Are the Sixers 2018/2019 picks even worth anything if they stay healthy? They were winning some games when Embiid was healthy last year, adding Simmons and Fultz should make them significantly better.