NBA Exec on trade - "Not highway robbery, but it's close"

[Roy H.]

Pretty much as I see it. Many fans seems to love the allure of having the #1 pick more than the actual player they would be getting.

Not really. Fans see a guy with elite size and length, coupled with production that's rarely been seen st the NCAA level in recent years. Fultz is a top-tier prospect who seems like he'll be on Kyrie's level, perhaps Harden's.

[Snakehead]

Article I just saw about the Lakers almost certainly taking Ball.  This quote:

It’s not Lonzo or bust in this extraordinarily deep draft. There’s usually a dropoff after the top one or two players, but not this year. “In a normal year, four players in this draft could have gone No. 1,” a GM told me last week, naming Washington’s Markelle Fultz, Ball, Kansas’ Josh Jackson and Duke’s Jayson Tatum (in that order).

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/16/heisler-lakers-still-look-fixated-on-lonzo-ball-for-better-and-worse/

And that seems to be the general consensus. It's just that Philly REALLY needs a dynamic guard and that we, as Cs fans, have already invested a lot of mind space into Fultz being a Celtics.

From an objective point of view, I tend to agree with the unnamed exec. If Lebron/Duncan/Davis/etc were in this draft, we wouldn't be trading the pick and, if we did, it would be for a monumental haul. Getting a 2nd top 5 pick along with the guy Danny/Brad want is very decent value (even though we always want more!  )

Yeah.  I've gotten off the ledge.

I think it's good value and there's a lot to like in both Jackson and Tatum.  And of course the big trade is always in play, another top 5 pick helps.

I am still worried about how good Fultz could be and the 76ers in general being set up but we will see what happens.

[Eddie20]

I don't know what people expected.return, probably.

Ainge either keeping the pick or getting a better return, probably.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.
[/quote]

Exactly. He actually cut salary. I think it was about 1.8M, which will go directly to Hayward or Blake.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Jordan Schultz‏ Verified account
@Schultz_Report
Asked an NBA exec for his opinion on Philly-Boston trade. His answer: "That's Danny [Ainge] for you. Not a highway robbery, but it's close."

Jordan Schultz Retweeted Jordan Schultz
Genera idea is that #celtics continue to acquire more picks
-- not merely the one extra from this trade. Are there ever 2 many picks tho?

Granted I love Fultz for Philly, but C's still win this deal, at least in current iteration. Move down 2 spots and just acquire more picks.

My take: coin flip as to who is better between fultz, Jackson and ball. Boston still gets one of those three, plus maybe future top 6 pick

Pretty much as I see it. Many fans seems to love the allure of having the #1 pick more than the actual player they would be getting.

How can you blame the fans loving the allure of the #1 pick when the guy lined up for it could be a James Harden caliber of a player?

This trade would have been fantastic in the Nerlens Noel class, but not in this class. We passed on what could be a franchise changing prospect to get someone who we think is close but really isn't (their flaws, compare to Fultz makes Markelle way ahead).

Just so we could get more picks? We already HAVE more picks!

[Casperian]

I guess that's Billy King. They didn't say it was a current NBA exec..

[BlackCeltic]

I will a bit better if we draft Jordan Bell in the 2nd round.

[SparzWizard]

I don't know what people expected.return, probably.

Ainge either keeping the pick or getting a better return, probably.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

Exactly. He actually cut salary. I think it was about 1.8M, which will go directly to Hayward or Blake.
[/quote]

It's great, but now the question here is- will either player come sign with Boston with the max? We've heard a lot of speculations, and praises about the Celtics culture, but nothing for certain from the players themselves.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

I don't know what people expected.return, probably.

Ainge either keeping the pick or getting a better return, probably.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

Exactly. He actually cut salary. I think it was about 1.8M, which will go directly to Hayward or Blake.

1. What makes you so sure those guys will sign here?

2. What makes you so sure that the LA or the Sacramento pick is going to be a top 5 pick? If that lands at #1, we miss out on it.

Now I'm not so sure myself that Fultz will be the next Brandon Roy, but his skills, talent and physical tools makes it much more likely. We have very little assurance that the two things you mentioned are going to materialize, and we are taking that gamble at the expense of what could be a franchise player.

It's not highway robbery, but it's close, for the darn Sixers!

[Scintan]

I don't know what people expected.

Ainge either keeping the pick or getting a better return, probably.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick?

Obvious answer:  To avoid a bad surprise about the player you drop down to pick, assuming you are actually planning to pick.

Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

They obviously didn't get enough value back for the pick to make it a slam dunk, so calling it an excellent move overall is highly questionable.  It's much more a product of "I believe in Danny!" than a product of common sense and analysis

Now, I can see a scenario where they drop from #3 (if Fox is their guy, for example) for even more picks, and that would mean it made sense to make this trade a few days early.  But the idea that this was unquestionably some slam dunk win for the Celtics is absurd.  Philly's getting the player they covet just for swapping this year and giving up another team's draft pick, and that part might not even happen for two years.

[Snakehead]

Philly's getting the player they covet just for swapping this year and giving up another team's draft pick, and that part might not even happen for two years.

Why is that being talked about like it isn't an asset of value?  It will probably be another top 5 pick.  Who cares if the 76ers traded for it, Celtics have it now.

If you want to have a "house money" attitude about them trading that pick away, how about this pick is the Nets.  Ainge is just giving up another team's draft pick to get two.

[Casperian]

I don't know what people expected.

Ainge either keeping the pick or getting a better return, probably.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

Why are we the ones who have to justify this deal? If it's not a total slam dunk for us, it's a massive undersell.

C'mon people, this is economics 101. In fact, in economics 101, they expect you to already know this stuff.

[Dchuck]

I don't know what people expected.return, probably.

Ainge either keeping the pick or getting a better return, probably.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

As I said in the part of my post that you left out, he wasn't taking Fultz, he doesn't want him, so why keep the pick? Last year when he took Brown at #3 everyone criticized him for not trading down. This year he not only traded down to get the guy he wants, he got a future likely top 5 pick for it. That is awesome. Getting a top 5 pick is a great asset. He purposely didn't take any players back in the trade because he wants to keep the cap space this summer for a max free agent. Excellent move overall.

Exactly. He actually cut salary. I think it was about 1.8M, which will go directly to Hayward or Blake.

1. What makes you so sure those guys will sign here?

2. What makes you so sure that the LA or the Sacramento pick is going to be a top 5 pick? If that lands at #1, we miss out on it.

Now I'm not so sure myself that Fultz will be the next Brandon Roy, but his skills, talent and physical tools makes it much more likely. We have very little assurance that the two things you mentioned are going to materialize, and we are taking that gamble at the expense of what could be a franchise player.

It's not highway robbery, but it's close, for the darn Sixers!

Preach it Yoki!

If we draft 6'8" Marcus Smart 2.0, we'll have yet another player who can't shoot (can't have enough of those).

THEN

We'll probably end up with another 5th or 8th pick with the future first and grab Marcus Smart 3.0!

Yay!

[Eddie20]

Pretty much as I see it. Many fans seems to love the allure of having the #1 pick more than the actual player they would be getting.

Not really. Fans see a guy with elite size and length, coupled with production that's rarely been seen st the NCAA level in recent years. Fultz is a top-tier prospect who seems like he'll be on Kyrie's level, perhaps Harden's.

Perhaps. Or perhaps he ends up being Dejuan Wagner. In a weak draft that thought would be more valid, but there are several players this year that would've been #1 overall picks in prior drafts. Also, putting up numbers on a bad team isn't hard to do. The entire offense went through Fultz and he went from a likely lottery pick before the season, to the #1 overall pick as large part of those individual accomplishments.

If memory serves me, you were hell bent against the KG/Pierce trade too. The point is it's best to save judgement, especially when it involves future picks. If the #3 and/or the pick we're getting end up being homeruns, then it's a different story. Again, it's a wait and see.

[rochrist]

Pretty sure we're being robbed.

No one in the right mind should trade the #1 pick for #3, and two protected picks.

Don't even get me started with that Justise Winslow discussion, glad that idiot Jordan declined that offer.

SAC pick is unprotected.

[SparzWizard]

Pretty sure we're being robbed.

No one in the right mind should trade the #1 pick for #3, and two protected picks.

Don't even get me started with that Justise Winslow discussion, glad that idiot Jordan declined that offer.

SAC pick is unprotected.

Yeah just reread the proposal my bad lol. Still, Lakers are unlikely going to suck next year- maybe a 30-win team. And we're just stockpiling on picks at this point.