Tinfoil Hat Ideas

We've all seen them, the trade ideas that just make us burst out laughing.  Remember this one?  A NY newspaper, I think it was the NY Post, suggested that the Celtics should trade Rondo to the Knicks for a bunch of end-of-bench spare parts?  It was pure comedy, right?  Well, instead of muddying up a thread with some real, plausible and mutually appealing rumors I thought I'd create this thread for all the "dumber than a bag of hammers" ones.

Senses of humor vary, so what one person might see as 'absurd' might make sense to someone else.

Here's the first:


https://www.nbaanalysis.net/2021/01/23/nba-rumors-boston-celtics-phoenix-suns-trade-forms-devin-booker-jaylen-brown-duo/


This Celtics-Suns trade forms a Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown duo


January 23, 2021




USA TODAY Images


This would be one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the season. The Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns are two teams looking to compete right away. If they want to make a big move, this is one that could be on the horizon.

In Phoenix, fans have been waiting for the Suns to build a winning team around Devin Booker. The Kentucky product has quickly turned into one of the best scorers in the game but has not been able to get to the playoffs.

Last year, Phoenix went 8-0 in the bubble but was unable to qualify for a playoff spot. In the offseason, they added Chris Paul in the trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. They could take it up a notch and acquire Jaylen Brown.

Boston would land a nice return for a player like Jaylen Brown. They are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference but still have some holes. Boston entered the offseason with a need down low but made few improvements to the frontcourt.

If there is a chance for them to land a big man and some draft capital, Brown to be on the move. Jayson Tatum is the franchise player for the Celtics and it is important to build around him.

This trade would help both teams fill some holes that they have on the roster. Let’s take a look at what it might take to land this huge blockbuster deal.


Phoenix Suns Receive: Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams II

Boston Celtics Receive: Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton, Cameron Johnson, 2021 1st Round Pick

This trade would be revolved around Jaylen Brown going to the Phoenix Suns while the Boston Celtics would command a large haul in exchange to build around Jayson Tatum. This would create a big three along with Chris Paul and Devin Booker in Phoenix.

This would turn Phoenix into a contender right away with a full perimeter of impact players. The Suns have assets they would be able to send back to Boston in order to make it happen after spending many years drafting in the lottery.

DeAndre Ayton is the biggest part of this deal going back to Boston. He is the big man that would improve the frontcourt in a big way. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson are intriguing young players that would also help, along with a first-round pick in this year’s draft.

Let’s take a look and see how this deal would help both sides accomplish their goals this season.


Why This Trade Would Benefit The Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are a team that is desperate to get back to the success level they saw years ago with names like Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire. It is important that they do not waste the talent they have in Devin Booker and it looks like they do not plan to. The trade for Chris Paul jumpstarted what could be a special season and this trade could take them over the top.

Brown is an elite player on both ends of the floor. He is one of the centerpieces in Boston and has been for many years. If he were to go to the Suns, this big three would be good enough to lead them to the postseason. There is no telling what could happen once they get in.

The Los Angeles Lakers have become the team to be in the Western Conference and teams will have to continue to join assets to take them down. The Suns need more of a push in order to get it done.

If the Suns were to make this move, it would go a long way in building a team that could eventually compete with Los Angeles. They would be able to team up some elite players at different positions which would help balance the roster on both ends.


Why This Trade Would Benefit The Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum is the franchise player in Boston and Kemba Walker is back healthy at the point guard position. There are plenty of reasons to feel good about the team the Boston Celtics have put together but they could still improve. We saw that during last year’s playoffs when they were dominated by Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat.

The Celtics signed Tristan Thompson in the offseason in an attempt to improve the frontcourt. Thompson and Daniel Theis have been inconsistent and underwhelming to start the season. This is where Deandre Ayton would benefit the team immediately.

Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson are two other places this is to improve the supporting cast around Jayson Tatum. Boston is a win-now team and if trading one of their big names for a return would help, this is what they should do.

Danny Ainge is one of the best basketball minds in any front office around the league. If he makes a move, it would be hard to argue given his track record — even if it featured Jaylen Brown. Ainge knows what is best for the team and has a plan moving forward.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Brown for Booker would have been a non-starter.  Brown and RWill for Ayton and Bridges is tinfoil hat material, in my opinion.  I came up with my list of players I would trade Brown for.  Every one of them was a repeat starting All-Star (Giannis, Embiid, Simmons) or almost certain repeat All-Star (Luka).  At this point, with the massive step up Jaylen has shown this year, I'm taking Simmons off that list.  Notice that neither Booker nor Ayton were on my list.  I like both players, and would love to get either one of them, but not for Jaylen.  I'd give up Kemba for Ayton. Then there's the question as to how we're going to find roster spots for a net two additional players.


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Bob

Come up with a trade that does not have Jaylen's name attached to it.

I would not trade Jaylen for ANY of the players mentioned.

Jaylen has become an elite level two-way player.  The Celtics now have 2 of them on this team.

Bob you must get over your obsession with looking for trades involving Jaylen Brown.

dboss wrote:Bob

Come up with a trade that does not have Jaylen's name attached to it.

I would not trade Jaylen for ANY of the players mentioned.

Jaylen has become an elite level two-way player.  The Celtics now have 2 of them on this team.

Bob you must get over your obsession with looking for trades involving Jaylen Brown.

dboss,

A.  This trade was not my idea.

B.  I posted this under the "Tinfoil Hat Idea" thread, meaning that I think the proposal is "nuts".

C.  I will post other nutty ideas, be they for Celtics or players on other teams, as soon as I find them.

D.  I explicitly stated in MY NOTE that my original list for worthy trade targets for Jaylen has shrunk and did not, and still does not, include either one of the more valuable Phoenix pieces named.


Bob


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Nutty sounds about right

worcester wrote:The pigeon can live in the rafters of TD Garden. Plenty of popcorn on the floor after games too.

Worcester,

We already have a Bird in the rafters. He'll feel right at home.


Bob


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https://hardwoodhoudini.com/2021/01/27/boston-celtics-trades-cs-consider-nola/



2 trades Cs should consider making with NOLA



by Mark Nilon

3 hours ago




To start out the 2020-21 campaign, the Boston Celtics once again find themselves ranked as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and, more broadly, the entire NBA.

Boasting a record of 10-6 through the first 16 games, the shamrocks hold the second-best winning percentage out east and the fourth-best in the league.

Unfortunately, however, even with these early successes, the oddsmakers still find themselves putting numerous teams ahead of the Cs in regard to the likelihood of coming away with the Larry O’Brien trophy come year’s end.

In their own conference, they often find themselves behind the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks and the newly established big-3 of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.

Because of this, it is our opinion here at the Houdini that Boston should strongly consider making some moves this season to better position themselves for a run at glory later on down the road.

This can come in the form of many ways, such as free agency, waiting to attack the buyout market, and, our personal favorite route, via trade.

Should they look to make some deals, the first step in the process is, of course, to find a specific trade partner and, over the past few weeks, we have listed a few that could be quality candidates.

Recently, however, a new realistic partner may have emerged in the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Boston Celtics should consider making a deal with NOLA

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
The Pelicans, viewed as a key team in NBA trade market, are receiving calls on Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick from interested teams and have shown openness to discussing both, per sources.

More in latest Inside Pass at @TheAthletic:
Pelicans open to Lonzo Ball trade? New Orleans may be...
The trade market is beginning to pick up pace with two key dates approaching. Our insider has the latest on trade chatter around the NBA.
theathletic.com
12:09 PM · Jan 26, 2021

In possession of a few quality players that could soon be viewed as attainable, New Orleans could soon be seen as a realistic trade partner for the Cs.

Today, we present to you two deals Danny Ainge should consider proposing:

Trade No. 1) Boston Celtics land JJ Redick, Pelicans get protected draft capital

PELICANS GET
2022 FIRST-ROUND PICK (TOP-20 PROTECTED)

CELTICS GET
JJ REDICK

This is one of the simplest moves the Boston Celtics could actually make this season that would help better their odds of attaining their first Larry O’Brien trophy is over a decade.

Rumor has it that the New Orleans Pelicans are “open” to the idea of trading away JJ Redick, so let’s have the sharpshooting two-guard make his way to Beantown.

While the Celtics do rank as the fifth-best 3-point shooting team in the league, they also come in ranked 21st in hoisting up such attempts.

Yes, while their conversion rates are pretty solid, they could use more firepower in this department as the NBA is now completely devoted to the long-ball.

Frankly, with this in mind, who better to pursue than one of the greatest 3-point snipers who ever lived?

15th all-time in 3-pointers made and 18th in career 3-point percentage (41.4), JJ Redick finds his skill set wallowing away on this underwhelming 5-10 NOLA squad.

Just last season we saw the veteran post solid averages of 15.3 points on 45 percent shooting from both the field and long-range.

Through five games played this year, Redick’s numbers have diminished greatly, as he is only posting 8.1 points on a lowly 30 percent shooting clip from deep.

That said, this dip is likely attributed to the fact that the playcalling has simply been abysmal for the Pelicans all season, especially when beyond the arc where they rank second to last in both percentage and attempts.

With the Boston Celtics, Redick will certainly find cleaner looks on offense, what with their bevy of talented playmakers drawing a defense’s attention and the superb play calling of Brad Stevens.

When looking at other concocted trade proposals across the media landscape, we’ve found that a majority of return packages consist of an unwanted player grouped together with a lowly second-round pick.

Because of this, we believe that a heavily protected first-rounder could be enough to convince New Orleans to part ways with the 36-year-old shooting guard.


Trade No. 2) Boston Celtics get a haul, Kemba Walker heads to NOLA

PELICANS GET
KEMBA WALKER

CELTICS GET
LONZO BALL
JOSH HART
JJ REDICK
2021 FIRST-ROUND PICK (VIA LAL)

The New Orleans Pelicans have recently been linked to rumors suggesting that they may be sellers at some point this season. That said, by no means should one be under the impression they are looking to throw away their season.

When you have the likes of All-Star Brandon Ingram and promising young stud Zion Williamson, that simply isn’t the mindset.

In this deal, we see NOLA make a trade to upgrade at the most important position in the sport as they attempt to improve their chances of winning in the now.

Make no mistake about it Boston Celtics fans, I am a huge fan of Kemba Walker and would love for him to stay put in Massachusets. That said, a package such as the one listed above is something that should be strongly considered by Danny Ainge and co.

After having yet another All-Star campaign last season — 20.4 points, 4.8 assists on 38 percent shooting from deep — Walker has kicked off his 2020-21 season quite nicely, averaging 17 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.3 steals on 35 percent shooting from deep while being on a minutes restriction.

He alongside Ingram and Zion in New Orleans would formulate quite a nice big-3 that, ultimately, would easily find themselves vying for a postseason spot which, at the moment, seems like a long ways away.

As for the Celtics, they land the likes of Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and JJ Redick, players that would make this team — who, mind you, is 9-3 without Walker in the lineup anyway — deeper and more well-rounded.

The pass-first Ball could find himself thriving while running alongside offensive studs like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the starting lineup or, if Brad Stevens wanted to thrust Marcus Smart back into the first-five, have the youngster come off the bench and help run the second-unit.

Though he may not be off to the best start during the early stages of this campaign, he is just one season removed from posting 11.8 points, seven assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals a night on 40 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent shooting from deep.

With a little help from the point guard whisperer in Stevens, and when having some pressure come off his shoulders running alongside Tatum and Brown, we could see Lonzo’s efficiency come back to these numbers listed above.

As for Redick and Hart, the Boston Celtics get two new scoring punches to add to the rotation.

We already devoted an entire slide to what JJ would add to the Cs, but Hart is a young (25) and talented two-way scorer who can also grab boards (averaging 7.7 this year) and play solid defense.

On top of this, we also see the Boston Celtics bringing on the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2021 first-round pick to soften the blow of losing their All-NBA/ perennial All-Star point guard.

In the end, the New Orleans Pelicans land an easy upgrade at the one while also establishing their own version of a star-studded trio and the shamrocks get a haul for a player they’ve proven capable of winning without.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I consider these to be tinfoil hat trade ideas because:
1.  We don't need another 3pt sniper off the bench, we have Nesmith (34.6%) and Edwards (30.8%), Pritchard (42.5%) and Teague (43.5%).  Redick's only shooting 30% from 3 this year so far, despite shooting 5.3 3pt fgas/game in 20mpg.

2.  At 36 Redick is a "this year rental" at most.  

As far as the 2nd idea goes, the "blockbuster", that's double-layer tinfoil.
1.  Lonzo is shooting 38.9% for the year, 29% from 3.  He's averaging 4.7apg and 2.5TOpg (1.88:1).  Kemba's shooting 43%, 34.5% from 3.  He's averaging 4.8apg and 2.3TOpg (2.09:1).  Kemba's better in every way over Ball.  Even in rebounding, where the bigger Ball should be killing Kemba, Ball gets 3.8rpg while Kemba gets 3.3rpg.  Not that big a difference.

2.  Josh Hart might be an interesting player.  He's 6'5", so he's a nice size for a guard.  His numbers are good too.  But as part of a package for Kemba?  Get out your hats!  If Ball is the centerpiece, the deal is stupid.  If Hart is the centerpiece, it's WAY inadequate.  I'd trade Romeo for Hart, maybe even give a 2nd rounder to NOP, but that's about it.  Hart's a nice rotation player.

Lastly, where the hell are we going to put these net +2 roster additions? We're already at full roster. Which two players does Danny cut? They have to be one of the 15, because they have to have NBA contracts. Tacko and Tremont don't qualify.


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https://swarmandsting.com/2021/01/28/charlotte-hornets-2-proposed-trades-celtics-daniel-theis/


MY NOTE:  This is from a Charlotte blog site.



2 Trade proposals for Celtics’ Daniel Theis


by Shawn Simmons1 day ago


The Charlotte Hornets acquire Daniel Theis from the Celtics without giving up any capital.

HORNETS GET
DANIEL THEIS

CELTICS GET
MALIK MONK


The Charlotte Hornets can make a simple deal to acquire Daniel Theis from the Boston Celtics by sending back guard Malik Monk.

With every passing game, and with the Hornets completely healthy, it is clear the Monk is not going to be part of the team’s future. Monk has only played in 4 games this season, registering less than 10 minutes in 3 of those games, under 4 minutes in two. His season high in minutes (22) came on January 14 against the Toronto Raptors when forward Gordon Hayward missed the game due to a left hip strain. In his only extended play of the season, Monk scored 11 points off the bench, shooting 50% from the field.

Now that Cody Zeller is back in the lineup and coach James Borrego sticking to his nine-man rotation, it is tough to see Monk seeing the floor any time soon. Monk could provide a boost in the arm in terms of scoring from the second guard position. He would be an upgrade over Celtics’ guard Javonte Green, who is not a threat from the outside.

This swap would be a low risk/high reward from both teams. Monk and Theis are both on expiring contracts and the Hornets and Celtics can move on after the season if things don’t work out with either player.


HORNETS GET
DANIEL THEIS

CELTICS GET
CODY ZELLER

The Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics exchange two starter caliber centers.

In another straight-up trade that deals expiring contracts, the Charlotte Hornets land the Celtics’ Daniel Theis by sending Cody Zeller to Boston.

Because Theis is on a $5 million contract and Zeller holds a $15.4 million salary cap figure this season, in order for this trade, not a require additional players to make the salaries work, the Celtics could use one or a combination of their trade exceptions to make the deal.

The Celtics have trade exceptions from the departures of Gordon Hayward ($28.5 million), Enes Kanter ($4.7 million), and Vincent Poirier ($2.5 million).  The Celtics would need to attach $10.4 million of their trade exception capital to make this particular deal happen.

This trade would reunite Zeller and Kemba Walker in Boston and could add another layer of offensive to the Celtic attack with the utilization of Walker and Zeller’s exceptional pick-and-roll game.

For the Hornets, this presents another avenue for the team to acquire Theis without giving up future draft capitals or a young player on the roster.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Both of these ideas are "tinfoil hat" worthy.  We're supposed to give up a big, one that has started on a #4 defensive team, for a 6'3" guard who doesn't play defense straight up and struggled to get off the bench despite injuries giving him the chance?  

And trading Theis and his $5M salary for a Zeller (any Zeller really, take your pick) with a $15M salary just because we have a TPE?!  Zeller has only played in 5 games this season.  He has taken a total of 7 3pt fgas and hit exactly NONE of them.  He's shooting 46.7% this year, Theis is shooting 63.5% and 35.5% from 3.  Theis has taken 31 3pters this season vs 7 for Zeller, and has hit 11.  Theis' frito % is better too.  The only area Zeller is better is rebounding, that's it, and that's not worth $10M.

If there's one thing about these tinfoil hat ideas that is positive it's that they prove there are opposing fans who appreciate, and want, our players even as we complain about them.  For all the shit Theis gets from Celtic fans sometimes he's not costing us anywhere near $15M and he's a better performer too.

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RosalieTCeltics wrote:No, I think Hayward is in Jordan's ear. Theis and Hayward were buddies in Boston, worked well together on the floor

ROSALIE'S BACK!!!!!


YAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!


Hope all is well. People have been asking for and about you, I didn't know what to tell them.


Bob


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https://www.yahoo.com/sports/hawks-willing-listen-offers-john-192518098.html



Hawks willing to ‘listen to offers’ on John Collins; potential Cs target?



Justin Quinn
Fri, February 12, 2021, 11:25 AM


While a lot of attention has been focused on what the Boston Celtics will do to improve the team with their $28.5 million traded player exception (TPE), they may want to make a call regarding a player who’d fit very nicely into the $5 million exception created by dealing away center Enes Kanter.

That player, forward John Collins, is on an expiring deal for $4.2 million and looking for big money on the open market in the coming offseason. While Boston will probably want to avoid losing the cap flexibility they shelled out draft assets to the Charlotte Hornets to retain, a deal for Collins would allow them to do so, while also hedging their bets in case the Hawks big man ends up garnering a better-value deal than expected.

Keith Smith
@KeithSmithNBA
·
Feb 12
Boston should throw a bunch of stuff at Atlanta for Collins. Pick a combo of 3-4 of the kids (Williamses, Langford, Nesmith) and picks. And then also swap Rondo for Teague.

Teague seems to be good in Atlanta and Rondo gets to come back full circle with Boston.

The question in the way of such a move until now is whether Atlanta even had any interest in moving the big man, but in a recent piece in The Athletic, Sam Amick relates that the franchise is “shown a willingness to listen to offers for Collins”.

Amick is sure to note his contribution is so important it seems unlikely the forward will actually be moved, but Boston has several players Atlanta might conceivably be interested in if the reticence is more posturing than not.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I consider this to be a "tin foil hat" proposal because, c'mon, would you trade a 23 year old 7'er who is averaging 18ppg and is shooting 39% from 3 for a bunch of end-of-benchers?  Atlanta is only 1 game out of the playoffs.  They would be in the "Play In" playoff tournament if it started today.  They are not at or near the bottom of the Conference.  I'm not saying Atlanta wouldn't move Collins, he's eligible for a Qualifying Offer after this season and is looking for, and will probably receive, big $ but why would they go for this weak-ass deal?  Spare parts for a legit NBA starting big? Could one of our board members living in the Atlanta area please tell me what I'm missing about John Collins? Dboss? KJ? Hooter?

Now watch Danny prove me a fool and pull this off...


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