Wojnarowski: Can’t imagine scenario where C's trade Nets pick

CSNNE

The NBA Trade Deadline is almost here and the Boston Celtics still hold the Brooklyn Nets first-round pick, a valuable trade chip if they choose to use it.

While there’s been a lot of talk about potential deals, Adrian Wojnarowski doesn’t see the Celtics moving that pick.

“The Brooklyn pick has tremendous value,” Wojnarowski told CSNNE. “I can’t imagine a scenario where the Celtics trade that. If they do trade that it’s got to be for a really elite, star-level player. I don’t think that player is out there available for them.

“They don’t want to overreach and give away these assets. They’re looking for that Kevin Garnett-Ray Allen deal that they did to put the previous champion together. Those deals probably aren’t out there for them.”

Watch the video above for the full conversation with Wojnarowski

http://www.csnne.com/boston-celtics/wojnarowski-can-t-imagine-scenario-where-cs-trade-nets-pick

There are certainly lots of rumored to be available guys who I would not trade the Nets pick for, but I think if it is known to be available there may just be some guys becoming available who may very well interest the Cs.

With this draft pick not even being guaranteed in the top five (never mind the top three when there are thought to be only three "top" guys this year) this pick is a big gamble for a team that is clearly looking to be able to get much closer to Cavaliers (possibly this year and definitely next year. I am not sure that even one of the top three picks will significantly close the gap on the Cavs next season, none of these guys will help draw a quality free agent this summer and may not even be able to get eight to ten minutes per game next season.

I would use this pick to get Cousins in a trade this week, but would not want to touch Howard, Horford, Durant or any other guy not under contract for at least a couple of years unless one of these types of players were ready to sign an extension before such a trade.

The supposed top three kids in this year's draft (I think) are all still teenagers and really are quite unlikely to "make a difference" as early as next year on a team that is expected to be as good as Boston will be next season.

I would tend to agree with Clyde.  Cousins?  Absolutely.  Where I would disagree with Clyde is that I would absolutely give up the pick for Durant too.  They are both game changers and on the right side of 30.  As far as Durant's contract goes he's going to get the same money everywhere he goes.  There are max players and there are players who think they should be max players.  Both of these two are of the former.  I like Horford, I think he'd be a great addition, but I'm not sure he'd be worth the pick AND a max contract.  If he wants the money, then he can sign with us in the summer as a free agent.  I have limited interest in buying a Dwightmare.  Gallinari is definitely not worth the pick.

On the other hand, we don't know what that pick is really worth.  They are currently tied for 4th worst and Brooklyn has no reason to tank and every reason to win, while Phoenix is the opposite.  It could be as "bad" as #7 in a draft that is not deep.  Personally, I'd trade the pick.  "Sell on the rumor" that it could be the top pick, so to speak and not sell on the irrefutable fact of what it actually is after the lottery positions are clarified on 5/17.

We're already too young.  A massive youth infusion, like we'd get if we keep all our picks, is not the direction we want to go in.


bob


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Adding  Cousins or howard or Love or the beaded one for example does not make the Celtics a contender.

We have been around the block about this so many times i am starting to get dizzy.

We need a rim protector -  everybody agrees Right?

We need more shooters that are also skilled ball handlers and defenders - everybody agrees Right?

This draft is going to fool a lot of fans out there.  There are more than just 3 good players available depending on a particular team's needs.  

A trade probably should be made  so that Ainge can realize some benefit from the Lee situation.  But maybe a major deal is not possible.  So What.  We can go into the draft with the assets that we have and add pieces that address our weaknesses.

The celtics could take their two lower 1st round picks and maybe even their high 2nd round pick and move up so that they would have 2 top ten picks.  There is room to add two more players if they are of high quality.  Then you have the summer to land a prominent free agent.  No real need to take on a large contract now unless it is for an ELITE player.

dboss

dboss,

If Boston has the #3 pick, who would you want them to draft?
I think there's two potential stars in Simmons and Ingram and then the star potential drops off from there.

Right now taking on salaries for very good players is not a bad idea.
Even salaries for Greg Monroe or Tobias Harris won't seem that high in a year or two.

If Cousins is made available, it will take way more than Brooklyn's 1st round pick to trade for him.
Smart and Olynyk would probably also have to be included. Plus other draft picks.

Love makes no sense to me for Boston. They don't need a slow PF who is a poor defender. I just don't see Love being the same player he was a couple of years ago.
Dwight Howard is a risk. There's high upside but also a very good chance he won't be very effective and he messes up team chemistry on the court.

tjmakz wrote:dboss,

If Boston has the #3 pick, who would you want them to draft?
I think there's two potential stars in Simmons and Ingram and then the star potential drops off from there.

Right now taking on salaries for very good players is not a bad idea.
Even salaries for Greg Monroe or Tobias Harris won't seem that high in a year or two.

If Cousins is made available, it will take way more than Brooklyn's 1st round pick to trade for him.
Smart and Olynyk would probably also have to be included. Plus other draft picks.

Love makes no sense to me for Boston. They don't need a slow PF who is a poor defender. I just don't see Love being the same player he was a couple of years ago.
Dwight Howard is a risk. There's high upside but also a very good chance he won't be very effective and he messes up team chemistry on the court.

In no particular order here are three players that may be a good fit

Buddy Hield
Denzell Valentine
Jalen Brown (provided his 3 point shooting improves)

I do not like any of the players that you mentioned however if the other team would take the lower of our 1st round picks along with lee I may make that deal. No reason to give up the Brooklyn pick unless it is for an Elite player that fits the Celtics style. There are a lot of Elite players out there but for example i would not want Harden becasue he cannot defend his own position

dboss

I can't see trading the Nets pick when it's an unknown where it will land.

If the pick is 1 (VERY highly unlikely in the best trade/ping pong scenario) - 4 (maybe) it nets us one of...

Ingram
Simmons
Hield
or Brown

...we're probably talking Hield or Brown.

(dboss, I wouldn't argue with Valentine either, but I think he could still be on the board later if we haven't traded away later 1st round picks.)

We upgrade our offense.  THEN we see if there is anything we can do to find a big, defensive minded forward.

From the Entirely Possible department, IF picks land as projected, AND we were to actually keep and use all three, we could end up with Brown or Hield with the Nets pick, as well as two players like Diamond Stone and Denzell Valentine.  That would be as many as three players matching needs we have in what is supposed to be a relatively weak draft.  Other good combos are also possible, but I think this is just one example of how drafting could be in the cards absent any good trade prospects.

There don't seem to be any promising or realistic trades being publicly discussed at this point.  Don't rule using those first round picks out just yet.

In my opinion, if all we can get is Love or Howard, I'd rather keep at least the top two of the three first rounders.

dboss wrote:Adding  Cousins or howard or Love or the beaded one for example does not make the Celtics a contender.

The celtics could take their two lower 1st round picks and maybe even their high 2nd round pick and move up so that they would have 2 top ten picks.  There is room to add two more players if they are of high quality.  Then you have the summer to land a prominent free agent.  No real need to take on a large contract now unless it is for an ELITE player.

dboss

Don't count on this happening. No way those two picks bring back a top ten pick, even if you throw in Philly's #2 (likely a late 1st rounder). Couldn't do it last year, won't be able to do it this year.

I can see only Cousins being able to help us become competitive with Cleveland this season, but getting to that very competitive position this season will help get us another star type player sooner rather than later.

Trading for just about any other guy (plenty of rumors with evn more to come, I am sure) is likely to only move us closer, and there is nothing really wrong with that concept either since this is only the third year of the re-build.

Keeping and picking all of the draft picks currently in Ainge's hands is going to be a mistake as the total value of all the draft picks only goes down if they are all still owned by the Cs in June. Some of these potential picks need to be moved this week to make them all (and, especially the ones left in June) more valuable.

Everyone and his brother in the NBA will fully understand that the Cs cannot draft 8 guys in this year's draft as our team is already pretty young and have 4 guys who were drafted in the last two years who already do not play any meaningful minutes. There just will be no space for any more than two of these potential draft picks no matter what spot they get drafted on a team that is hoping to chase or get passed Cleveland and Toronto next season in the East.

I think that at least three of the eight picks need to be moved this week for at least one player who can move us closer to Toronto and Cleveland before this season ends.