Dream and Realistic Off-season Predictions

Given all of the moral victories, and even the 40 actually victories, I figured I'd throw my two cents into the pile given that I do not post on here very often.

I think it should be assumed that this season was a great building block and certainly rekindled something that did not exist at all last year. I came up with two scenarios, a dream and realistic off-season that in my opinion could happen this summer.

Dream:

Trade for DeMarcus Cousins: Giving up Wallace's expiring contract, Sullinger, Olynyk, and multiple 1st/2nd round picks.

Resign Jae Crowder: I think this is pretty popular opinion around team circles. Represents everything a Celtic should be in my opinion and plays like so.

Sign Omir Asik: New Orleans has the best center in the NBA, and it's certainly not Asik. Falling in Davis' shadow this season, Asik certainly hits the free agent market with a little less hype than he did when he was a back-up to Joakim Noah in Chicago. He is one of the best interior defenders and certainly fills a huge void that Cleveland tore apart in the playoffs.

Sign Kyle O'Quinn: O'Quinn in my opinion is one of the more intriguing restricted free agents this summer, given how he really never got much of a chance in Orlando but showed glimpses. I think this is a perfect buy-low option for Ainge to get and has gotten in the past.

Draft Sam Dekker: I think he is the perfect space and pace kind of player that would thrive under Stevens and his system. He very well could be there in the mid-late 1st and if the C's don't package the pick in another deal, could be a really nice pickup.

Here is what I see as a possible depth chart: (Given Pressey's team option is picked up)

PG: Smart, Thomas, Pressey
SG: Bradley, Young, Babb
SF: Turner, Crowder, Dekker
PF: Cousins, O'Quinn
C: Asik, Zeller

I think in the East, this team is very competitive and Thomas/Cousins would be a very exciting P&R duo. Obviously Cousins has a lot of baggage, but being in a structured locker room with a head coach like Stevens very well could put him right back on track.

Realistic:

Resign: Crowder, Bass and Jerebko: All three appear to have enjoyed their stay, and despite Bass' disappointing playoffs, still has been one of it not thee most consistent Celtic these past two years.

Draft: Frank Kaminsky, Rondae-Hollis Jefferson, Oliver Hanlan and Rakeem Christmas.

Kaminsky offers the spacing that Stevens loves in his bigs, Jefferson brings physical defense, Hanlan (BC guy) appears to have quite an exciting game and is a combo guard that Ainge has drafted recently, and Christmas is a four-year college guy who got better every single year, who should be there late in the 2nd round.

Depth chart: (Not picking up Pressey's option)

PG: Smart, Thomas
SG: Bradley, Young, Hanlan
SF: Turner, Crowder, Jefferson
PF: Sullinger, Bass, Jerebko, Christmas
C: Zeller, Olynyk, Kaminsky

I think this team has a ceiling similar to this years team. I don't think Ainge needs to (or should) take any shortcuts to this rebuild and using the draft picks certainly is a possibility, at least for this year. This team wouldn't have a player over 29 on opening night, which would be rather exciting but doesn't answer any of the teams pressing needs which Cleveland exposed.


Both of these scenarios are in my opinion feasible with around $27 million in cap, with picks and young good players as well. Taking off the green shaded glasses, I do not see Love opting out to come to Boston, nor do I see the Celtics landing a Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge type of player through free agency. Here's to a fun next couple of months.

Nice, thoughtful post, M.S., and I hope it will be the start of many more to come.  I'm sure that, over the next few weeks, we'll see a lot of dreams, conjecture and predictions.  My main question about your teams is how you think Danny might be able to part with Wallace's contract.

Sam

Christmas???

Drinking your Matt McClusky tea I see.

Of course in his first couple years at SU he was so far in JB's doghouse he was about to be waived to the American Kennel Club.

beat

2015-16>>>50 or more regular season wins
>>>upper part of eastern conference standings
>>>first round playoff win

any even better season to be a Celtics fan!!!!!!

some interesting thoughts there for sure, my take on them for now.

First the dream:

While I agree that a Cousins and Karl marriage may not work in Sacramento, I am not sure that it will be this off-season that any trade would happen.

but if Ainge wows them with an offer, who knows ( of course that's saying Ainge and Stevens even want Cousins). so IMO to wow Sacramento Sully and Kelly and a couple first ain't gonna cut it.

I guess maybe One of them along with THREE first rounders (and not that #28 this year either), might make them look over at you. Realistically, think it would take Smart (a lottery pick last year) the #16 pick this year, our top over all pick next season and the year after to make them take real notice.

to me that's just too much for Cousins, even if he is on a pretty fair deal for the next 3 years.

BTW, the deal can be done without sending them back equal salaries (IE, Wallace). NO ONE wants Wallace's salary or will take his salary off our hands unless, we pay them to do it.

also why would you want Asik With Boogie? both are Centers only.

hard to see having that draft pick to get Dekker unless he falls to #28 after a Cousins trade.
but it is a dream scenario, so....

onto the realistic one;

it is well named, and like most realistic approaches won't give anyone that tingly feeling. But I think you are onto a more likely approach for this off-season.

Crowder (4yr/$18M) Bass (3yr/$22M) Jerebko (2 yr/$8M)....all market deals and use about $15M in salary for next season. Which would put us around $61M in real salary's counting the two draft picks.

Babb is a placeholder on the roster only right now and if Luigi goes elsewhere, you have two spots for both first rounders.

Kaminsky at #16- check could happen.
Jefferson at #28- also may be there and I believe he is Danny was checking out earlier this year in a game.
Hanlan and Christmas would be fighting for roster spots on this team at best. With Pressey and Wallace Hanlan could win the battle with Pressey and Wallace could be outright released and paid to stay home there.

of course you'll also upset a lot of Celtic fans who would hoping for a bit better off-season.

now an off-season I would be happy with and a relative realistic one as well.

1) trade Sullinger , #16 pick this year and own first rounder next season ( 2016) to Philadelphia for N. Noel. ( we send a total of $3.79M in salary's and bring back $3.47M).

2) re-sign Bass (3yr/$23M), Jerebko (2yr/$8M) and Crowder ( 4yr/$18M). This is about $15-16M in salary for next year.

3) draft:
#28- Robert Upshaw or Dakari Johnson (which ever Ainge think is best value).

#33- Anthony Brown, Rashad Vaughn or Norman Powell.

#45- International draft and stash player.

Roster: ( est. total minutes played)
C- Zeller (1600)
C- Upshaw ( 100)
C/PF- Noel (2200)
PF- Bass (1800)
PF- Olynyk (1600)
PF- Jerebko (1000)
SF- Crowder (1600)
SF- Wallace ( 300)
F/G- Turner ( 2000)
SG- Bradley (2200)
SG- Young (850)
SG- A. Brown ( 100)
SG/PG- Smart (2000)
PG- Thomas (2200)
PG- Pressey (200)

a second option I would look at (if I were Ainge of course), would be Dieng from Minnesota.
IF they keep one of the top two picks after the lottery, they may be open to moving him. Pekovic is under contract for $12M per year and with his recent injury problesm, they won't be able to move him. If they get Towns (best fit for them) and KG returns for one final year (as has been talked about), Dieng could be the odd man out.

Maybe Sullinger and ONE of our three frist rounders next year could pry him lose from Flips hands....let say we ahve to send them this yeasr #33 pick also.

While Dieng is not the defensive player overall that Noel is, he is a real shot blocker and has good size (even bigger than Noel).

so insert Dieng in place of Noel on the roster above and since we'd keep both ouir draft picks instead., we coudl look something like this:

Zeller
Dieng
Upshaw (or Johnson) -#28 pick
Bass
Olynyk
Jerebko
Crowder
Wallace
Turner
Bradley
Smart
Thomas
DEVIN BOOKER- #16 pick
Young
Pressey

Here's your "dream" being discussed again:

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25170018/report-celtics-to-try-to-trade-for-demarcus-cousins?FTAG=YHF7e3228e