Marc Spears: Two teams to keep an eye out for if Celtics make changes: Rockets and Spurs

This is so true.

The KD stuff as an example is basically a meme at this point, but it gets views and clicks and KD drives interest in discussion so it gets repeated over and over, even though it is basically totally confirmed not to be happening.

>95% of the trade talk on this board, twitter, podcasts etc. takes the framing that the Rockets HAVE to choose between KD or Giannis or Booker. And Brown may be added to that list. Because they are names that make for a simple discussion.

But there are ~445 other players in the league. I don't think in the slightest that the guys Stone really dreams about are these four 29+ year olds on supermax contracts.

Like you said, if there's a trade this summer, it's going to be a Shams bomb out of nowhere that we traded for Franz, or LaMelo, or Maxey, or Trey Murphy, Bane, or Derrick White... some player that the FO has a strong positive view on that they've been keeping close to the vest, not someone they are giving Kelly Iko regular updates on.

(That's not a particular list, just naming names)

 

Jalen Green is a perfect option for tanking

 

Really hope you're right. There are so many good young players out there who could upgrade our roster, surely one of them could shake loose for the right price. Every front office is always working to balance out their roster and tune things just right.

 

All things are not equal if one team is not making them available.

 

Cam Johnson might someone to keep an eye on...

 

KD is a plug-and-chug interim player for Boston while Tatum takes his rehab sabbatical. New ownership wants to remain competitive. Hard to believe no one else sees that...

 

Aren't the new owners something we should consider in all of this? These new owners (not an individual, but an investment fund) are spending $6 billion and are facing a $500 million team who will not win a title for the forseable future with KD, or any other player as long as Tatum is on the shelf with an Achilles injury. As an *investment,* overpaying for this team may not be something they want to continue.
Tatum is a top 5-10 two way player who has been incredibly durable. He's not really replacable right now.

 

KD's going into the last year of a contract paying him $54.7M. I'm no capologist but he's the definition of a guy who can fill the space left by a team's superstar while the guy heals. Just sayin'...

 

I would really really really hate for "our guy" to be Jaylen Brown. He's good but he's better suited to being a #2 yet acts like he definitely wants to be considered as a #1. He'd be incredible on a team like the Spurs but here, I don't want some top 15-20 player playing Kobe wannabe. Now Tatum is interesting. He's been an All NBA 1st player for a couple years now and if we can get him for a reasonable price, I don't mind letting him chill in the incubator for a year like Goku. One way or another, this Celtics situation is really really bad and we'd be foolish not to take advantage in some way, even if it's just like taking someone like Pritchard for the bench.

 

Durant will want an extension, bro.

 

I was listening to HST podcast and they said a 3 team trade with the Nets for a Houston to get Derrick White. The Nets have the cap space and would obviously get assets from us and the Celtics to help facilitate the deal. Love the idea and love for White to be here. Him and Amen would be perfect together.

 

On my previous post the basis of the 3-team deal would have Jalen Green going to the Nets.

 

Brown is a poor 3 point shooter and has regressed as a player since he got 60m. We can’t spend our picks on guys that don’t solve our paint issues or if we do Sengun will have to go in the trade. It’s the same with Giannis. If we trade for Giannis we have to trade Sengun. The paint will be off limits packed from game one next year. No amount of offensive rebounds will save us. This team needs to be built around Amen which means athletes that can shoot. If we have to trade Sengun for Giannis you do it and then find a way to get a shooting center even if it takes a year. I fear Stone is going to screw the pooch on this one. He doesn’t know how to do anything other that BPA in the draft. He has never demonstrated the ability to build a balanced roster (some of that may be attributable to Ime’s power).

 

Both the Celtics and Bucks are 2nd apron teams so it would take a third team like the Rockets to make it happen and it would still be extremely difficult, but I might spend some time on a trade machine just for fun.

 

Straight up trade with Celtics doesn't save them any money. Would have to include BKN and compensate the Nets for absorbing a contract. So let's say by default Cam Whitmore is going to Brooklyn.

Now you get to choose between FVV for Holiday or FVV for Porzingis. They're obviously not trading Pritchard, Brown, White. Not really exciting.

I guess I would prefer Holiday over FVV but I'd rather use the FVV contract to acquire a major shooter at the 4 or 5.

 

If the sixers had a decent GM that is interested in the long-term good of the team then our ideal target would be Maxey.

 

Yup that and the "new" cap rules (1st/2nd apron) that hurts teams with multiple big contracts

 

Why would trading maxey be good for the sixers long term? That would be like the rockets traded Amen. Just utter idiocy.

 

They're in a weird spot--Morey is caught between trying to make it work with Embiid and PG (because he is stuck with those contracts for now) and trying to rebuild--without many assets or much flexibility to work with. If Embiid and PG are more or less done you're in a really bad situation in terms of trying to build a contender, and Maxey may just end up asking for a trade sooner or later. In that case, his value may not get much higher than it is now, depending on what you perceive his ceiling to be.

 

Still a great list of players