Report: Cavaliers talking with Celtics about facilitating three-team trade

Report: Cavaliers talking with Celtics about facilitating three-team trade

NBC SPORTS

Dan Feldman Dec 24, 2014, 4:00 PM EST

The Celtics trade of Rajon Rondo didn’t just net Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, a first-round pick and a second-round pick.

Boston also got a $12,909,090 trade exception.

The Cavaliers have sure taken notice.

Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN:

Sources say the Cavs, in recent days, have been in contact with the Boston Celtics about working as a facilitator in three-team trade scenarios. The Celtics, blessed with frontcourt depth in the wake of their recent acquisition of Brandan Wright in the Rajon Rondo deal, have been aggressive recently in their attempts to acquire future draft picks.

The most obvious Cavaliers-Celtics trade is Wright for a draft pick(s), especially because Anderson Varejao’s injury will keep him out the rest of the season. The Cavaliers are still looking for a defensive-minded big after failing to land Timofey Mozgov or Kosta Koufos. Wright is a bigger offensive threat, but there’s obviously a limited pool of available quality bigs, and Tristan Thompson would need help.

However, Cleveland, which could absorb Wright’s salary into the Keith Bogans trade exception, and Boston could make that deal without a third team.

As for three-team deals, the possibilities are practically endless. The Celtics could use their trade exception to absorb unwanted salary, collecting another draft pick in the process. Boston already has five extra incoming first rounders (not counting one it’d receive only if the 76ers make the playoffs this season), but Danny Ainge would always take more picks to help the rebuild.

Only Varejao, if his injury is severe enough, is the only Cavalier who’d have that type of toxic contract. But, because of his recently signed extension, he can’t be traded until Cleveland’s season ends. That means the Celtics’ trade exception would be most useful accepting salary from another team.
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ESPNBOSTON

• Rapid Reaction: No surprise here. Even after Danny Ainge suggested that he'd take a deep breath and enjoy the holidays after the Rondo trade, the Celtics are already onto the next phase of (1) Adding future assets and (2) Unclogging a jammed roster. Boston needs to move a big (or two) and this is exactly the sort of situation that can help them get max value: A contender with a potential hole to fill that might be willing to overpay to make a move before the February rush. The Cavs could seek recent Boston acquisition Brandan Wright with that $5.2 million trade exception. Celtics fans won't like the idea of moving the best player acquired for Rondo, but Wright is a free agent after the season and if Boston can get a pick -- especially one that loosens in protection in future seasons -- then they absolutely have to do it. If that happens, the Celtics will have plucked two first-round picks for Rondo by moving Wright for another (and generate another big trade exception in the process). That Memphis pick is protected for selections 1-5 and 15-30 in 2015, then 15-30 in 2016, before loosening to just 1-5 in 2017 and 20018 (becoming unprotected in 2019).

112288

Err it better be a good draft pick for them to spend that trade exception to absorb some unwanted salary..

At least make this one worthwhile...



KJ

Man, I hope they don't send Wright out for a draft pick. I'll be a lot happier when, instead of having to hear that Danny has piled up more picks, we hear that picks have actually been used in return for human beings who know how to play basketball. Personally, I'd like the Celts to have an opportunity to see what Wright might be able to bring to the table.

Sam

Celtics will be amazing in 2045!

Sam,

I have not seen very much of Wright yet, but agree with you in that I would like to see more of him before trading him away for another possible later round first round pick. At least I would like to see what he can do until the trade deadline.

The number of Celtics draft picks right now is probably good enough to either get a couple of good rookies and a couple of good young players. Another mid to late first rounder is not likely to bring either.

Now if Wright (or Green or Bass) could bring a top five pick, I would change my thoughts on adding more picks for players.

sam wrote:Man, I hope they don't send Wright out for a draft pick.  I'll be a lot happier when, instead of having to hear that Danny has piled up more picks, we hear that picks have actually been used in return for human beings who know how to play basketball.  Personally, I'd like the Celts to have an opportunity to see what Wright might be able to bring to the table.

Sam

another way to look at moving wright to Cleveland for a first round pick (and trade exception of course) is :

1) lessens the logjam of players that should be getting minutes on this team right now (we have 11-12 players who can play in the NBA).

2) makes the Rondo trade (in essense) for TWO first round picks, Crowder and Nelson AND TWO trade exceptions (one at $12.9M and one at $5M).

"Celtics will be amazing in 2045!" (True, Shamrock; something for our grandchildren to look forward to!). Hawk

Can I have more?....More

Is Danny trying to wind up in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most #1 draft picks in a year?

kdp,

I don't believe the way to lessen a logjam is to send out two players and bring in three players in a trade.

At this point, I'd almost be happier facing a dentist's pick than yet another first round pick rather than a living, breathing, helpful basketball player.

I wonder if records are kept on most upcoming first round picks held by a team.

Sam

Surely we are close to the top in that category, except maybe the Jax Jaguars when they entered the NFL.

sam wrote:kdp,

I don't believe the way to lessen a logjam is to send out two players and bring in three players in a trade.

At this point, I'd almost be happier facing a dentist's pick than yet another first round pick rather than a living, breathing, helpful basketball player.

I wonder if records are kept on most upcoming first round picks held by a team.

Sam

I meant the logjam we have now, not before the Rondo trade.

yes there we traded one NBA player for three (lesser) ones.

which puts us where we are now. So yes Gviing up a current player for "future assets" of some type helps the logjam as least.

I think it would be good if they could draft some more PFs or maybe SF/PF tweeners.

Just what we need. Plus a few more draft picks that we could get for Zeller.

I am sure they will be used to trade up for a melo type player in the draft

Varajao  has been diagnosed with a torn achilles.  This will significantly motivate the Cavs to cut a deal for a big man.

A motivated buyer is Trader Danny's best friend.  Even if he can't convince them to take one of our bigs he has picks up the yin-yang and TPEs to throw in to facilitate a 3-way deal.  Between facilitating the move of LeBron to Cleveland and Hump to Wiz maybe we should start calling him Broker Danny?  The man is a whirling dervish of activity.  

If you can improve your assets by greasing the skids of other people's business eventually you accumulate enough to pull off your own deals.  That is how brokerages are successful, they help other people get what they want for a fee while keeping their eyes open for a good opportunity for themselves to be a principal party in a deal. Right now we have Bass, Bradley and Green as truly bankable assets and that's about it and none of them are all-stars (although Green is probably having the best season of his career).  Unless and until one of our players is named to an all-star team (Bradley is the closest we've got with his naming to all-defense) then we need picks and TPES to make up the difference between who we have and who we want and that is what Danny is doing.  He's amassing sweetener as Brad builds the players so Danny won't have to use as much sweetener when the time comes.




bob



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