At this point you just have to assume they're signing Harden. Running with that, I would give all of Brooklyn's picks back to them plus #4, KJ, and Tate for Mikal Bridges, then sign Naz Reid for about $10M and Frank the Tank for the vet minimum. PG: Harden / Porter, Jr. / Washington SG; Green / Christopher SF: Bridges / Garuba PF: Smith, Jr. / Eason C: Sengun / Reiz / Kaminsky
We all know about Victor being a generational talent - but outside of him, how good is this draft, especially at the range we are picking? The last two years, there were a clear top 3 each year, and also a player that was considered the best of the rest. Suggs and Ivey. Now, both of them weren‘t picked 4th, but leading up to the draft, those were talked about as the best propsects, with Barnes and Murray following behind. How do Amen, Cam, Black and the other prospect compare to these players as prospects? To me it seems like the top propsects of past drafts were talked regarded higher as the prospects this year.
Harden is done as an elite player guys. He’s REALLY slowing down. I don’t want a $140 million reality check. I’m out on ALL Harden ideas.
It's going to take some back room shenanigans, but I do see a potential plan to build an immediate contender with James Harden on the roster. Also, lots of moving parts, but I believe it is feasible and financially doable. (1) Brown has told the Celtics he is NOT staying and ONLY wants to go to Htown because of Ime & Beard (only way this works IMHO) (2) Nic Claxton tells Nets het wants out & tells other teams he will only sign with Houston as an UFA next season (TX no state income tax!) (3) Renounce every player hold there is (4) 3 way trade between Htown, Boston, & Brooklyn - Houston gets F Jaylen Brown (BOS) & C/F Nic Claxton (BRK) - Boston gets #4 pick + 2025 BRK pick (top 5 protected) + Tate - Brooklyn gets #20 + 2027 BRK pick back + Garuba + TyTy Washington (5) Four way trade between Philly, Htown, NY Knicks, & Clippers (I learned this move from Daryl Morey: 3anticipate how all sides can benefit from a trade - especially when they don't really have a choice) - Philly S&T Harden into about $41M of cap space (creates $41M TPE for Philly) Beard's going to have to leave some $$$ on the table - NY sends Fournier into Philly cap space and lowest of its 2024 FRPs to Clippers Knicks give up low FRP to move off of Fournier to re-sign Hart - Clippers send Eric Gordon into Philly's TPE & Bones Hyland into HOU TPE pick up FRP & cut some of the tax bill - Philly picks up Flash (reunited with Morey!) and Fournier to replace Beard's scoring - Houston sends SRPs in 2024, 2025, & 2026 to Clippers for Hyland Houston picks up quality PG & Clips get back some draft capital (6) Use Room Exception on quality G/F (Bruce Brown Jr. or Shake Milton) (7) Sign quality players to veteran minimum deals because they like what Htown is building. I like these 3, but you could plug in just about anybody who is willing to take a vet minimum - C Thomas Bryant (DEN) - F Jaden McDaniels (PHI) - F/C Tony Bradley (CHI) Houston 2023 - 2024 Roster Beard - Scoot - Bones Thrilla - Shake - JayGup Brown - KMJ - McDaniels Bari - Tari -Bradley Claxton - Sengawd - Bryant Going to have to pay Brown & Claxton next year, but I think that team (if healthy) can contend in the West for several years. It's possible... plausible even... but not realistic. I even thought about swapping Brown for Tatum, but there would be riots in Boston and across the NBA landscape. @aelliott @BimaThug @Corrosion Somebody check my math... lol
I think I cracked it: Sengun/Capela Jabari/Grant Williams ($15 mil)/Garuba OG/Tari Jalen Green/KPJ Harden ($35 mil)/TyTy trade KJ, JC, four 2nd rounders for Capela trade #4, #20, 2024 Brooklyn and Tate for OG (Or mix and match with these combos) This roster can compete in the playoffs assuming growth from our young guys and good coaching.
I like Anunoby, but that's too much to give up. That haul should get you an All-NBA type of player, or at least a perennial all-star. We shouldn't trade away our pick this year anyway, unless we're getting a superstar back. If you replaced the #4 pick with a different future first-rounder, maybe I could see it? In any case, a quick reality check for everyone in this thread, myself included: Harden just lost in the playoffs alongside the reigning MVP as well as a third option in Maxey who's better than any of our young guys. Giving up a bunch of serious assets to pair James with some roleplayers or a second-tier star isn't going to do anything for us. I think we should all be hoping that if the Rockets add anybody alongside him, it's via cap space in free agency or requires giving up very minimal trade assets. Unless some legit superstar kicks loose and wants to play with Harden, there's really no point in pretending a team of Harden + some guys is going to win anything or be more than a first-round exit at best.
To be clear, I don’t want to trade our pick this year and I don’t want Harden back. But Harden is starting to feel inevitable and if that happens I think we will trade for another “star” player. So this is what I came up with. But I agree that it’s a lot to give up. I think I may have a higher opinion of OG, but I do think if we resign Harden we will trade for a big name. At least OG is only 25.
Random off season 1. Trade pick 4 and Garuba for 9 and 16 and Olynyk 2. Draft Hendricks, Whitehead (and rehab him for a year), Lively 3. Trade Green, Tate, KjM, Sengun for Jaylen Brown 4. Sign FVV to his Max ($33M per) 5. Offer the rest of the cap space to Naz Reid (8-10M) 6. Torrey Craig for MLE 7. Get Smith in the weight room and have him play C VanVleet/ PorterJr/ TyTy/ Brown/ Christopher/ Craig/ Eason/ Whitehead (inj) Olynyk/ Hendricks/ Smith/ Reid/ Lively It's probably a worse option long term than just running back the youth.... but there is still plenty of young talent on the team, and some older heads (who can shoot) to show them the ropes. Still have all the BKN picks, and winning games increases the value of the younger guys
Let's say this Houston smoke is just that to get Philly to pony up + give Harden what he wants (Pringles HC + Sixers trade Harris to Clips for Flash & RoCo + maybe even sign Westy to vet min), what then? I am glad you asked. I think there is a way to construct a decent team that could possibly punch toward the play-in games. (1) Renounce everything not nailed down (including Nix) (2) Trade 4 + 20 + 2025 BRK (lottery protected) + Tate to CHA for 2 (Draft Sterling Henderson) Sidenote: Hornets trade up to 3 for 4 + 20 + Tate to take Miller. (Could even make a 3 way between HOU, CHA, & POR... giggity) Blazers move 4 & 20 for CHI vet players who want to play with Dame (Derozan + Caruso + Drummond for #4 + Nurkic + Nassir Little + Knox) Another sidenote: Game of 1-on-1 between KPJ & Sterling for the Scoot nickname (3) Free Agency - F Grant Williams (BOS) 4 years, $80M (19 - 20 - 20 - 21) TO on 4 - C Naz Reid (MN) 4 years, $48M (11 - 12 - 12 - 13) TO on 4 - G Bruce Brown Jr (DEN) 4 years, $48M (11 - 12 - 12 - 13) TO on 4 - F Jaden Daniels (PHI) 2 years, $4M (2 - 2) - C Thomas Bryant (DEN) use Room Exemption Still have about $20M in cap space if a team wants to unload a disgruntled vet (4) Roster Scoot I - Scoot II - TyTy Thrilla - Brown - JayGup Williams - KMJ - Daniels Bari - Tari - Garuba Sengawd - Naz - Bryant (5) With improved coaching and veteran leadership (Brown, Williams, Naz, Bryant), there exists the possibility of 10 spot / play-in. I think Udoke would envision 2021 Celts Scoot I / KPJ = Tatum-defense Thrilla = Tatum-offense Scoot II = Smart with less 3ball Bari + Tari (combined) = J. Brown Sengawd = Horford (with less defense, but better passing... has to improve that 3ball) Naz + KMJ = TimeLord Grant = Grant Brown = White (= Tan... I already made this joke, but I like it) Bryant / Garuba = Theis That's putting a lot of eggs in the coaching basket, but you gotta believe in something, right? This realistic enough? @aelliott
If Im just trying to win next year. #4+Garuba+Eason for Siakam and OG. Nets assets+Christopher+Washington+Garuba+#20 for Bridges and Claxton SnT Tate and KPJ for Harden Claxton/Sengun Siakam/Smith OG/KMJ Bridges/Green Harden
You're advocating investing $44M/Year for Williams, Reid and Brown? That seems like a huge overpay. Williams hasn't even been a regular in the Celtics rotation the last part of the year. Why would he command an $80M contract? Also, if you still have cap space then you don't have a room exception (or any other exception). To me, that lineup doesn't even make the playoffs and you've killed 3/4 of the cap space that we have. Is your ultimate goal to possibly get in the playoffs as fast as possible or is it to keep building to eventually contend again. If it's the latter, then I don't think that roster helps you. If you're going to spend almost $50M then at least get someone with high upside.
That is wild. The Rockets play youth and tank for 3 years. Year 4 they trade the #4 pick away, along with every single young player they have or send them to the bench and tie up all cap space for the next 4-5 years. Get rid of ALL available draft capital to help facilitate any other moves in the next 3-4 years. Absolutely wild.
I mean…. It’s far fetched but you are keeping Green/Sengun/KPJ/Smith. That is tge youth that counts…. and honestly, that looks like a pretty good team.
I don't understand it though. You really need to see if Smith/Sengun/Green sink or swim. You have a better coach and Harden or someone more competent at PG in setting a team up. You need to see how especially Smith and Green progress with that help and a few seasons of experience. If you did this it shrouds what you have. How do you know who to resign or trade if they are all bench players? I am not hating it is just extremely perplexing trading away every single draft pick and relegating the rest to bench players.
I don't believe that the new CBA allows you to trade the same player in two separate deals. You've got Garuba in both trades.
