The whole point is that Boston is trying to shed salary so why would they take back salary in return. Smart is dpoy candidate year after year and has become much better offensively. He is not one-dimensional.
Because smart is under contract for a couple of more years at a high salary whereas kpj is guaranteed one season and his salary is significantly lower than smart’s. Smart shoots around 40 percent from the floor. His offense has gotten better but average at best. He doesn’t run that offense. I’d rather have White or Brogdon. but you’ll probably get what you prefer becaue celtics fans been wanting to move Smart. They want both brown and smart gone so I wouldn’t be surprise if Houston oblige and take their leftovers that couldn’t properly compliment their best player and even help pick him up when he got hurt in the most important game of the year for them
Just don’t see a point in including any player. Boston gets to save 18m on the cap and we get our PG for If Boston fans want both of them gone, then they are idiots. Both are very good players and core to their success. I want Smart because of his defensive chops. I don’t want Brown and an exorbitant cost because he is not worth the max, but if Boston wants to give him away for next to nothing for a year sure why not?
Trade 1 Houston out: 2023 FRP (#4) & 2024 FRP (via Brooklyn) Houston in: 2023 FRP (#3) & Nurkic Portland out: Simons and 2023 FRP (#3) Portland in: Mikal Bridges and Gary Harris Orlando out: 2023 FRP (#11) & Harris Orlando in: Simons Brooklyn out: Bridges Brooklyn in: 2023 FRP (#4), 2023 FRP (#11) & 2024 FRP (via Brooklyn) Trade 2 Houston out: Martin Houston in: 2023 FRP (#17) LAL out: 2023 FRP (#17) LAL in: Martin Free Agency Sign Pat Beverly DeAndre Jordan and Grant Williams Draft 1.2 - Scoot Henderson 1.17 - Dereck Lively 2023/2024 Roster PG - Henderson/Beverly/Washington SG - Green/KPJ/Christopher SF - KPJ/Eason/Williams PF - Smith/Williams/Eason C - Sengun/Jordan/Lively RGV: Washington, Lively and Walsh until they can supplant one of the above
I'm starting to come around on Amen at 4. Lively shot up probably to 10-14 range. Doubt we can get in there and if we could, i'd wonder if it would be better to do a small trade down from 4 to get Hendricks or Walker and Cason Wallace with the late lottery instead? If stuck at 20, i'm liking Leonard Miller. Size and length, role player fit. Acquire a 2nd and take Emoni Bates just because i still think highly of the size and shooting ability and he has zero pressure on this young team with Udoka here to be the leader. If we can take a chance on KPj after his troubles, we can do the same for Emoni and i'd argue having possession of a gun is far less than what KPj did. The serial number stuff just sounds like he was playing gangster. Lucas can get Emoni on the right path.
His first two seasons he was an elite defensive player with those 14 and 16 points. He was 8th in the nba in dws as a 19 year old rookie. Points aren't the only thing that matters unless your name rhymes with Jailin Screen...
If I'm Boston Brogdon is the 3rd or 4th most desirable to keep. White and Grant Williams are most likely their cuts. Smart is their Beverley. I doubt they part with him...
Im assuming Miller drops with Thompson going #3. Im taking Whitmore over Miller at 4. #20+Christopher+KMJ for #9 (Black) Harden 3 years 45 million per with a 15 million buyout on third year. Tate+Washington+Garuba+ Brooklyn pick top 14 protected for Daniel Gafford and Corey Kispert. Sengun/Gafford Smith/Eason Whitmore/Kispert Green/KPJ Harden/Black
Trade #4, Jalen Green, KJ Martin, and Nix for Dame Draft Noah Clowney Sign Dillon Brooks with the MLE Sign Pat Beverley with the BAE PG: Lillard / Beverley / Washington SG: Harden / Porter, Jr. / Christopher SF: Brooks / Tate PF: Smith, Jr. / Eason C: Sengun / Garuba / Clowney
No WHITMORE. If I cannot get Amen I would want Ausar. A elite defender, elite 1st step, great rebounder and shot blocker. He is a average shooter for now but he is a secondary playmaker with great passing skills.
Why do we trade Brooklyn's pick to move up one spot in the draft? Couldnt' we just pick at #4 and snag Amen Thompson while trading Brooklyn's picks + young assets back to them for Bridges? I like it though if Scoot falls to 3.
I really want Scoot Henderson on this team. So much so that I am willing to overpay somewhat in comparison to what Dallas gave up in moving from 5 to 3 for Luka or what Philly paid to go from 3 to 1 for Markelle Fultz (in each case an additional first did the job). I also think that someone like Bridges is what we would need to get the pick from Portland and he is going to require at least that Brooklyn 2024 I would imagine. While I can see where the Amen love comes from, I am firmly in Henderson's camp at the moment.
Like the trades, although I think Portland is giving up a lot. Do they have a center if they give Nurcic? Beverly sucks do not want. Jordan is pretty much cooked. We can do better. Like Grant Williams as a defensive first sub.
I mean...so am I but again are you assuming that the Hornets take Miller? I feel like they're just going to draft Scoot and the Blazers are just going to take Amen.
But are the Rockets popping half-chubbers over Amen? @Nook! @Nook! Where TF is Nook? Info! (Parenthetically, I'm going to be in Yosemite National Park during the draft. Our hotel is nice but has no TV setup. The idea being that who would watch TV when you need to snooze up for another day out on the trails? I should sue the hotel.)** **(Why Lord did I book during that week?)
The Rockets have Amen Thompson in their top 4 from what I have heard, but at this point nothing is set in stone. Being an elite athlete does not mean that someone will be an elite athlete - but I will say that the more I see of Amen, the more I am impressed with his athleticism, and get through short windows. He is really an exceptional athlete and specimen. Athletically someone pops every 4-5 years... and Amen stands out. Over the last 15 years........ Westbrook, Rose, Wall, Embiid, Giannis, Morant and Zion are the guys that really popped for me - but even guys like Wall and Embiid didn't pop for me overall athletically, but had a few traits that were just special. It is quite possible that Amen is a better player and athlete in transition than anyone on that list...... Westbrook and Wall are the closest, but I think that Amen is better because of his size and fluidity. He shot almost 90% from the floor in transition this year. I am more confident with Amen as a shooter than I was Westbrook, because Amen is smoother in his movements and very fluid. I am not saying that Amen will become a good or even passable shooter, there should be concerns - but the upside is tremendous. He is a better playmaker than Morant or Rose or Westbrook and he has excellent size and acceleration and deceleration in tight areas similar to the way Derrick Rose did before the injuries. Guys like Westbrook and Wall and Rose and Morant were not really point guards, they were undersized shooting guards that could use their ability to suck players to them, that it opened up easy shots and assists. Amen Thompson isn't Stockton or Magic or Mark Jackson - but he is really good at it.
Most of that sounds encouraging, but what I don't want is a long term project. 2-3 years ago, sure, but right now, we need guys who can help us, right now!
As Harden & Lillard in the past and always exceptional defense continues to improve into their mid to late 30's (when the rockets will be paying them over $100-120 million combined per season) while having Sengun locking down the paint with exceptional shot blocking. Sign me up!
There are no 19 and 20 year olds not named Wembanyama who will help us right now. That's not what the NBA draft is for. We have $65M in cap space to do that. Plus extra future picks and multiple extraneous young players we can trade.
