I get the feeling that Memphis has already agreed to send the Celtics Tyreke Evans for our 2018 1st (why they're sitting him out), but Danny is making them wait to see if they can use the DPE on someone like Monroe. From everything I've read, he doesn't want to use the DPE on Tyreke and leave $5 mil of it on the table.
I also get the feeling that Monroe has already agreed to go to the Pelicans (due to the cost cutting move they made). I understand why this is dumb for him on all levels, but personal relationships and location may be more important than $6 million to him. Obviously it's a no-brainer to go to Boston, but I get the feeling he'll end up with the Pelicans.
Not really interested in debating why I'm wrong (because I probably am).. just putting this out here for post trade deadline heroics.
I like Baynes, but he might be the guy Ainge needs to trade for Evans in order to make this happen. That would free up more minutes for Monroe.
Yeah, agreed. I was thinking that if he gets both Evans and Monroe, Baynes is the guy to trade for Evans. Monroe is an upgrade at everything but defense (specifically block %). It's worth noting though that Baynes has improved +1.0 in DBPM (defensive box per minute) to 2.1 since joining Boston. Monroe is currently 1.4. You've gotta assume that he'll get the +1.0 - +2.0 spike that everyone gets for playing under Brad (because it's pretty much across the board with new acquisitions) and will surpass Baynes on defense as well.
Baynes just has no playing time anymore with Monroe.
I don't agree with this. Baynes and Monroe are two entirely different players. One is a defensive specialist without much of an offensive repertoire; the other is a back-to-the-basket scorer who is a less-than-stellar defender.
Now, Baynes' playing time would certainly be cut if we were to sign Monroe, but it doesn't mean he would be out of the rotation entirely.
Defensive specialist? Well, he is #50 in DBPM, so he's been playing pretty good defense. However, last year he was #106 behind the likes of "defensive specialists" such as... Greg Monroe (#84).* Any chance he's just playing pretty good defense because of the system, and Greg Monroe could be playing similarly well defense in our system? If that's the case, with Monroe's offensive upside, Aron Baynes will be odd man out, because Theis' minutes are untouchable because he actually is a defensive specialist with a "not too bad offensive game." He's ranked #10 in DBPM if you remove the unqualified low minute players with names you've never heard like Georges Niang from Utah with a whopping 1 minute played (total, not per game), PER of 54.2 and DBPM of 46.3. And based on VORP, Theis is a top 100 player.
Furthermore, when you account for playoff basketball where our starters will be off minutes restriction, Aron Baynes would most likely be entirely removed from the rotation.
*https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2017_advanced.html
Baynes just has no playing time anymore with Monroe.
Baynes has playing time just fine, and we need insurance. I don't think it's a good idea to only carry 3 serviceable bigs, and it's better if Horford and Theis didn't have to be the biggest player on the court for long stretches.
3 rotational centers is plenty for the playoffs. OKC doesn't even have one noteworthy backup center. 6'8" Jerami Grant is basically their backup center.