If Ainge Knew He Would Get Irving, Would He Have Kept Bradley?

[CelticsQuestFor18]

Because honestly, it's an interesting scenario and I think an Irving-Bradley backcourt would have been LIT.

Bradley as a solid 15-18 PPG w/ELITE defense to go along with Irving and his 25+ PPG and elite ability to finish around the rim (and close games too). Bradley could have helped hide Irving on defense a bit sort of like how he did with Isaiah the last 2 seasons.

Smart and Rozier off the bench would have made it an ideal guard lineup.

I am a member of the Marcus Smart fan club but I say this because Bradley is also a better shooter than Smart (despite some inconsistencies). And I also know Smart brings A LOT MORE to the game besides his shooting, but I just don't view him as a starter (more like a legit 6th man option off the bench).

Wall-Beal, Lilliard-McCollum, and all these elite backcourt duos, but how would Irving-Bradley have been?

[Erik]

I guess that depends on whether you would rather have Bradley on the Cavs or the Pistons? Remember we had to dump someone to get Hayward.

I prefer how things are now, personally.

Even though Kyrie showed that he can blow through Bradley in the ECF, I think that he is still much better than Crowder.

[CelticsElite]

Considering we blew up the team, I have a feeling that we were going to move bradley no matter what.

[Vermont Green]

If we didn't trade Bradley, we wouldn't have Morris.  We are light on Bigs as it is.  All we would have is Horford and Baynes plus two very unproven rookies (Yabusele and Theis).

No, I don't think these are related at all.

[Phantom255x]

I guess that depends on whether you would rather have Bradley on the Cavs or the Pistons? Remember we had to dump someone to get Hayward.

I prefer how things are now, personally.

Even though Kyrie showed that he can blow through Bradley in the ECF, I think that he is still much better than Crowder.

Pretty much this.

We wouldn't have had Morris and we needed to get rid of someone to sign Hayward anyways, so even if you kept Bradley, we wouldn't have Morris AND wouldn't have either Smart or Crowder.

[Alleyoopster]

That might have been an ideal situation to have been able to keep Bradley. On the other hand, it could be Danny is moving away from the 6'2" and under guards to taller players. At least it seems that way this summer? 

[Tr1boy]

No

Danny realized mins r required for Brown, Smart, Rozier to develop

AB trade was good.  Plus balance the lineup out/buy a extra cheap year (Morris)

[Jon]

Maybe. But a) he didn't know Kyrie would be available and b) I think he also wasn't going to give Avery a long term contract.

[KGBirdBias]

I think major moves were coming anyway.

Something tells me Ainge didn't like that team. I don't think he thought their basketball skills were at a championship level. I think he believes they played very hard but at the end of the day, he was going to blow it up and the gap was much further between the Cavs and Celtics than it appeared. The ECF proved that point.

Here's the crazy thing to think about. If we had signed KD, Irving may have still be available but we wouldn't have Hayward. KD and Irving could've easily been playing together to take down Bron.

[Fafnir]

No I don't think so, he was still the logical one to move to make space for Hayward. I am curious if they will retain Smart now with Irving in the fold.

[action781]

No I don't think so, he was still the logical one to move to make space for Hayward. I am curious if they will retain Smart now with Irving in the fold.

Yeah, the alternative would have been to trade away Crowder in the Hayward acquisition.  Which means Bradley would have been to Cleveland in the Kyrie trade to match salaries.  I'm much happier with Jae in Cleveland and Avery in Detroit than the other way around.

[Moranis]

No I don't think so, he was still the logical one to move to make space for Hayward. I am curious if they will retain Smart now with Irving in the fold.

Yeah, the alternative would have been to trade away Crowder in the Hayward acquisition.  Which means Bradley would have been to Cleveland in the Kyrie trade to match salaries.  I'm much happier with Jae in Cleveland and Avery in Detroit than the other way around.

Not necessarily.  It could have been Smart in the Hayward transaction (though morris wouldn't have come back it would have been someone else).  Or if it was Crowder in the Hayward transaction Smart + a 2nd round signee or two could have been sent to Cleveland with Bradley staying behind.  Or maybe Bradley would have allowed Boston to send out a lesser draft pick or a lesser player than Zizic.

There are lots of things that might have happened had Bradley not gone out for Morris.

[Tr1boy]

No I don't think so, he was still the logical one to move to make space for Hayward. I am curious if they will retain Smart now with Irving in the fold.

I disagree

Hayward is a sf, AB is a sg

[Phantom255x]

No I don't think so, he was still the logical one to move to make space for Hayward. I am curious if they will retain Smart now with Irving in the fold.

Honestly, I think this affirms DA will keep Smart unless, God forbid, some brutal injury occurs or a team like NOP wants him in a package for Davis.

But we all knew that between IT/AB/MS, Smart would likely get the "smallest" contract of the 3 while IT and AB would get near max or max. They have Smart's Bird Rights too and I feel it's no coincidence that of all the players that have left, Smart is still here and Ainge in general is REAL high on him.

With Crowder gone too, MS is sort of like the heart and soul of this team with his "pit bull mentality" (sort of like Draymond with GSW - not comparing the players in terms of basketball, but I mean in attitude and what else they bring to the table). Both are guys who other teams HATE to play BUT if he was on your team, you'd LOVE him lol.

[Fafnir]

No I don't think so, he was still the logical one to move to make space for Hayward. I am curious if they will retain Smart now with Irving in the fold.

I disagree

Hayward is a sf, AB is a sg

The older upcoming UFA is definitely the most logical piece to move to shed some salary. I don't think Danny thinks about SG and SF as different positions.