Boston Celtics: Most Likely to be Traded

https://hardwoodhoudini.com/2016/04/04/boston-celtics-most-likely-to-be-traded/




Boston Celtics: Most Likely to be Traded


by Jeremy Karll 2d ago Follow @JeremyKarll5





The Boston Celtics are expected to have a big off-season, here’s who could be on the move.


With the high draft picks, the abundant amount of cap space, or the likelihood of them trying to trade for a star, the Boston Celtics are expected to have one of the busiest off-seasons in the NBA this summer. While the Celtics are currently in the midst of a playoff race, and have a chance at home-court advantage in the first round, there’s no doubt they are still missing a couple of pieces to become a true contender.

Unlike most teams that are on the verge, the Celtics have an abundance of assets that they can offer to other teams. They have a lot of young players who have team-friendly contracts. Also, two potential lottery selections in the upcoming draft.

While Boston has a very deep team this season, they will be entering free agency with five fewer players. Evan Turner, Tyler Zeller, Jared Sullinger, Jonas Jerebko, and Amir Johnson all could hit free agency this off-season. It means the Celtics have a little less firepower in trade talks, however, they’ll still have their core intact.

Here is how likely each player or pick will be on the roster next season.



Not Going Anywhere

This is the group of “untouchables” on the Boston Celtics. While an extremely good offer could sway them from Boston, it’s very unlikely that they will be anywhere but on the Celtics’ roster next season.


Isaiah Thomas: This one is a no-brainer. Isaiah Thomas has become an all-star this season, leads the team in points and assists per game, and is now in All-NBA Team discussions.

For a team that is considered not to have a true superstar, Thomas is about as close as it gets for them. Averaging 22.3 points per game, he has shown the ability to take over late in games and lead the Celtics to a win. His 29.5 percent usage rate is also by far the highest on the team, not to mention it’s raised to over 30 percent since the all-star break.

Thomas is one of the few players on Boston you can count on to score every night. Despite his size, he’s not afraid to attack the basket and finishes well in the lane. Boston hit the jackpot last season when trading for him and it would take a mind-blowing offer to get him away from Danny Ainge and the Celtics.

Jae Crowder: His absence was felt hard during the eight games he missed. The Celtics plummeted down the standings and now may lose home-court advantage in the first round. Their offense was stagnant and it was obvious that Crowder is a bigger part of the offense than many thought.

Despite only averaging 14.4 points per game, Crowder is the rare type of player whose impact is felt more when he doesn’t have the ball. Whether it’s on defense – owning a 102 defensive rating – or creating offense for his teammates through screens or hockey assists, Crowder has just as big of an impact on the game as Thomas.

He’s the heart and soul of the team and unless Boston wants to have a full 82-game season like their eight game stretch, they’ll hold onto him.

Terry Rozier: This may surprise a lot of people considering the rookie out of Louisville has only seen action in 34 games. There was a reason he was drafted 16th overall though and he finally got his chance in March, when Crowder went down, to show why.

Rozier’s 25.8 field goal percentage and 27.3 three-point percentage is far from what Boston was hoping for. Although, he did shoot 30.6 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from behind the arc in March. Still not great, but it shows that the potential is there for Rozier to develop a jump shot. He also has very good size and rebounds at a very effective rate – 7.2 rebounds per 36 minutes.


When it comes down to it, Rozier was the team’s first draft selection last season because he can run a team. He was able to score, rebound, and pass efficiently while at Louisville and is now only starting to show what he can do in the NBA.

He has had some rookie struggles but another off-season and increased minutes next season will be the key to showing what he is capable of. Also, this playing time at the end of the season will help him grow into a solid rotational player in the near future.

Jordan Mickey: He has played in only 15 games this season for the Boston Celtics, however, his 7.3 blocks per 36 minutes shows the type of defensive potential he has. Also, his D-League leading 4.4 blocks per game in 23 appearances with the Maine Red Claws adds to the hype. Mickey may not average crazy numbers like that in the NBA, but the defensive potential for the long, athletic big man is there.

He has been the only rookie that hasn’t gotten significant time at any point in his rookie year, however, with four potential big men off the books next season, Mickey could be in line for a huge second year. Boston knows they got a steal in the second round last season and if Mickey continues to progress like this, he has the potential to be a starter or very good bench player in the NBA.



Probably Not, But You Never Know


This is the tier under the untouchables on the team. These players will most likely be on the roster next season but if they’d be the key to landing a star, they’ll be on the move. However, that doesn’t mean the Celtics will be shopping them around this off-season.

Kelly Olynyk: The impact that the loss of Jae Crowder had was nearly as big when Kelly Olynyk went down and missed a couple of games after the all-star break. Olynyk’s game, despite what a lot of people believed when he was drafted, has developed nicely in the NBA. The seven-footer is the best three-point shooter on the team at 40.9 percent – 15th in the NBA.

Olynyk provides a threat on offense that many teams don’t have. The ability to shoot the three ball, go inside, and being able to attack off the dribble makes it extremely hard to guard him. While he likes to hang around the three-point line a lot, Olynyk has taken 34.6 percent of his shots from inside of three feet – 38.2 percent of his shots come from three-point range.

His stats may be down from last season but that could be due to less minutes this season. His contract of $3 million next season makes him a steal, and worth holding onto. It’s hard for me to imagine Olynyk going anywhere, however, if he was the deciding factor between a Jimmy Butler trade then he would be on his way to the Windy City.


R.J. Hunter: Despite all the hate I have given Hunter this season, Boston won’t give up on him, yet. Let’s face it, the rookie hasn’t gotten a fair shot in the NBA. He has appeared in only 32 games, averaging 9.1 minutes per game. He is set to make just over $1 million next season, which makes him non-existent on the books.

His disappointing rookie campaign and D-League stint will most likely drives team away who may want a young player in a trade. Boston won’t be shopping him hard, but if he was to be part of a trade, they wouldn’t object to it either. The Celtics haven’t given up on the former first round pick yet, but that could change very quickly next season.

Boston Celtics Draft Pick: Out of the three first round picks the Celtics own, this is the least valuable one. It’s going to be lower than 20 and by that point it has very little significance to a team trying to rebuild. It’s not that no team will want it, it’s that teams will be asking for the Brooklyn Nets‘ or Dallas Mavericks‘ pick instead.



Maybe, Maybe Not

The next tier down has players whose future is undecided. If the Celtics really want to make a big splash in the trade market this off-season, one or two of these players may have to be involved.

Avery Bradley: He is having the best season of his career and has transformed his game into one of the most reliable 3-and-D players in the NBA. His 15.2 points per game on 35.9 percent shooting from behind the arc has given the Celtics another guard to rely on, on offense, other than Isaiah Thomas.

Bradley’s 106 defensive rating also doesn’t tell the full story as he is more than likely asked to guard the best opposing guard due to Thomas’s height most nights.

Not to mention that his contract of just over $8 million the next two seasons makes him a steal. However, the Celtics will most likely have to restructure or give him a big extension at the end of next season if they want to keep him for the future.

Bradley is a solid starting shooting guard but isn’t someone you can’t play without. His 1.5 steals per game proves his defensive worth, however, he isn’t an extraordinary passer and doesn’t rebound as well as Smart or Rozier. If he were the key, or main piece, to landing a star, then he would be on the move. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was involved in a lot of trade talks this upcoming off-season.




Marcus Smart: Arguably the biggest question mark on the team is Marcus Smart. Whether to keep him or not is one of the biggest questions that revolve around Boston. In just his second season, he is arguably the best defensive player on the Celtics, although, does that make up for his terrible offensive output?

Smart has gone through some good shooting stretches, however, in the grand scheme of things, he has been anything but a reliable shooter. He shot 36.7 percent from the field in his rookie season but has managed to shoot even worse this year (34.7 percent). His three-point percentage wasn’t terrible his rookie season (33.5 percent) but has gotten to a new-low (24.7 percent). The biggest problem may be that Smart continues to jack up threes despite his poor percentages.

There is no doubting Smart’s ability on the glass or on defense. He also has as much potential as any young player and sometimes it seems to be forgotten that he is only in his second season. Smart will probably never develop into a good shooter but a respectable one is likely. If he can develop any type of jump shot then he’ll quickly start to become one of the better guards in the NBA.

I don’t see the Celtics trading away both Smart and Bradley so they’d be able to keep at least one of their defensive wings. However, despite Smart’s poor shooting in the NBA, he could be a key piece in a big trade this off-season based off of potential.

Brooklyn Nets Draft Pick: The Nets have decided to rest Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young for the remainder of the season. They also recently got blown out by the New Orleans Pelicans and the thought of a top-three selection is becoming more and more real for the Celtics. With that being said, it makes it one of their most valuable assets if they wanted to try and trade it for an established veteran. It really comes down to where the pick lands, but every team will be asking about it.


Little Chance You're On The Roster Next Season


This is about the biggest guarantee of a trade this off-season. While it is by no means is a sure thing, it would be a shocker if the Celtics didn’t have a trade involving these players.

James Young: It’s time to classify Young as a bust. He has shown nothing in the NBA or D-League, besides that he’s a shooter who can’t shoot. His contract makes him non-existent in the books, but he doesn’t have the talent to take up a roster spot. He’d spend most of the season in the D-League, much like this season, although, the Celtics will have more free agents and rookies coming in which will push Young down the totem pole even more.

It may not be a trade but there is not a good chance Young is not on the roster next season. Whether he is just flat-out released or traded for a second round pick to pick another international project is unknown, but we have probably seen the last of James Young with Boston.

Dallas Mavericks Pick: The Dallas Mavericks are without Chandler Parsons for the rest of the season and they have been on a downward spiral over the past month. They are on the verge of missing the playoffs and giving Boston another lottery selection. The Nets pick is what everyone wants, however, a lot of rebuilding teams would happily accept another mid-first round pick.



bob
MY NOTE:  In my opinion this is one of the most half-assed articles I've read in a while.  "Here is how likely each player or pick will be on the roster next season."?  Umm, there are 14 players on the team.  Just because a player, say Sully, is a restricted free agent doesn't mean he won't be re-signed.  Amir and Jonas are on two one-year contracts with the 2nd year being a team option.  That means that if the team wants them back, they are back.  That's true of every player.  If Danny decides he doesn't want Jae Crowder, for whatever reason, he will move him just as he moved Rondo for what was perceived to be under market value (after seeing the team swoon a bit when Crowder was out I'm not so sure it was for under value, but at the time the deal went through people thought it was).  How about an opinion about whether Jonas is a keeper for $5M?  Maybe someone makes Danny an offer and insists Jonas be included in the deal?  Why can't Danny pick up the 2nd year of Jonas' contract, it's the team's option, and then ship him out just like he could ship out James Young?

The author of this piece is a co-editor at Hardwood Houdini.  I saw he is also a journalism student at the University of Iowa.

Fail.  The first rule of writing an opinion piece is making sure you understand what you are writing an opinion about.  Fail.

Having said that, I generally agree with the opinions he did express, he just wasn't thorough enough to put together a complete thesis.  Bradley probably isn't going anywhere, unless he is the key piece in a major deal that needs a major player included.  RJ probably isn't going anywhere, unless it's back to hometown Atlanta, because he hasn't made enough of a splash to generate much interest.  Rozier is going nowhere.  Mickey is going nowhere. As far as James Young is concerned I sure hope he's right.


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wideclyde wrote:Although I have thoroughly enjoyed this team for the last three years(and, especially this season) as it rebuilds, my opinion is that Thomas is the only truly untouchable player on the roster.  If you are looking for an all star type player in a trade it makes little sense to trade away the one all star player that you do have.

Yes, I may have been the first board member (even before Sam) to post of Crowder's possible contributions and Crowder does not deserve to be traded because he brings so much to the team and for pretty small money as well, but if a true "star" player comes back he has to be available.  With that said, I am not sure that there is such a star out there who would be available that Crowder should be traded for.

All of the other guys may be trade material depending upon what guys are out there.

Clyde,

I am in general agreement with you. If I could I would refine it a bit further by saying that, if you only have one all-star player, then that player is untouchable unless it is for another all-star playing a position where all-stars are more uncommon. In today's NBA, that would be an all-star center. There are more all-star, or almost all-star back court and wing players than centers. So trading or signing as a free agent another all-star guard would be easier than getting that center.

GSW traded Monta Ellis, a high quality offensive player in his earlier years, #1 pick center Kwame Brown and 6'10" #6 pick Udoh to the Bucks for Bogut and Stephen Jackson. Bogut was the #1 pick in the draft but did not turn out to be a transcendental player (neither, certainly, was Kwame Brown). Nevertheless, a high quality center, all-star or not, is harder to acquire than all-star guards, as the GSW drafted back court duo known as The Splash Brothers (Curry and Thompson) have shown.

If I had to give up IT for a high quality center, I would. It might take that, but I would. Until we're there, we're not there.


bob


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