Is Danny Done Dealing?

Maybe not...


http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2018/02/bulpett_greg_monroe_just_beginning_as_danny_ainge_looks_to_add_some_bench



Bulpett: Greg Monroe just beginning as Danny Ainge looks to add some bench scoring




Steve Bulpett Saturday, February 03, 2018





Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe fouls Boston Celtics center Al Horford during the first half of the NBA game at the TD Garden on Wednesday, October 18, 2017. Staff Photo by Matt Stone




If you see Danny Ainge walking around town in one of those popular “NOT DONE” shirts, it may have more meaning than just the Patriots’ postseason slogan.

Even with the planned signing of Greg Monroe today, the Celtics are still in business until next Thursday’s NBA trade deadline and beyond.

According to two Western Conference sources, the Celts are still in pursuit of Lou Williams and Tyreke Evans. They have had discussions regarding others, but those two appear to be the main targets as the C’s look to add scoring off the bench.

The key in each of these cases is how much will be required to make a deal. The Celts are said to be willing to part with assets, but Ainge seems to be again holding the line on what he believes is proper value. The strategy has frustrated other clubs and a percentage of the fan base, but it doesn’t appear to be changing.

Memphis has been asking for a first-round pick for Evans, but the Celts haven’t yet been willing to go there. Denver has reportedly offered Emmanuel Mudiay and a second-round pick, and while the C’s could propose something similar, the second -round pick (or picks) they could send would not be very high.

Also, sources say the Celts are being careful with their pursuit of wings. As much as they might be able to gain some level of help at the position, they have told people they do not want to do something that would too greatly impede the progress of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who, they believe, will be even better by the postseason because of the minutes they have been getting all year.

But the Celts are still said to be very active in talks. There is a reason behind the fact the Celts will be giving Monroe $5 million instead of the full $8.4 million disabled player exception.

They cannot use the remaining money to sign another player, but by keeping Monroe at $5 million, the C’s have maintained a measure of flexibility as they look at trades in the next five days. As it stands, with tax and cap considerations taken into account, they will be able to take back some $4 million more than they send out in a move.

From the time the Celtics got the DPE approved for the loss of Gordon Hayward, it was thought it would be best used on a bought-out player rather than one who was still on the free agent market early in the season. That proved to be the case with Monroe, but it’s important to note that this signing does not take the Celts out of the buyout game.

They could still sign such a player to a veteran minimum contract, and though they may have lost the more-money-to-offer edge, most players who sign after reaching a deal to leave their team do wind up getting the minimum. That was the case when Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut joined the Cavaliers last season. And if you want to go back a few years, that’s how the Celts solidified their 2008 title run by adding P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell.

The important factor then, as was the case with Monroe, is that the C’s were a team in contention. That group obviously had better title hopes than this one, but the path to the 2018 Finals from the Eastern Conference has to look good to potential signees.

It’s also important to add, as we did at the time the Celtics were granted the DPE, that there will be no penalty or other ramification for the club if Hayward is able to come back and play this season, other than the fact it would have to clear a roster spot.

It remains to be seen how Brad Stevens will fit Monroe into the Celtics rotation, but, even though he will be looking to test the unrestricted free agent market this summer after he turns 28 in June, he is not necessarily a short-timer here.

The Celts could offer him some $6 million without making a corollary move, and that would seem low for his worth. But it will be interesting to see how the market for big men is this year.

Then again, it’s also possible that one of the reasons the 6-foot-11 Monroe is choosing the C’s is because Stevens always seems to raise the value of the players he coaches.

But even if Monroe winds up staying, the Celtics will still have a number of important decisions to make in the offseason, just as they will this week.



bob



.

There you go.  We have a center and now they may go after a scorer for the bench.

The Celtics have 5 days to make a trade.  The recent emergence of Terry Rozier may give them pause to trade assets.  In January he shot 32% from behind the arc.  He however averaged almost 5 rebounds and 3 assists while maintaining a good assist/turnover ratio.  So the unknown is about his ability to score on a consistent basis.  With only 2 games remaining before the February 8th trading deadline, the play of Rozier against Portland and Toronto may help them decide to pull the trigger or stand pat.

If Boston does make a trade, I prefer the Tyreke Evans option over Lou Williams because Tyreke can do more things than Williams can do and at 6' 6"  Evans is more valuable.  The reluctance of Danny to make another move is related to the value of parting with a first round pick in what could turn into a 4 month rental.  However, if he sees a ring this year then it does make sense to use one of the less valuable 1st rounder to get banner #18.   He is not pushing all of his chips to the middle of the table and shouting out "I call"  

dboss

Hi,
My understanding is that we can't re-sign Evans this summer because there's not enough cap space and he doesn't have Bird rights. Correct? Not?
In either case I'd part with Celtics' pick (#28 as of right now) to get Evans.
I'm not sure about trading TRos. He showed that he can rise to the occasion last year in the playoffs, he confirmed it now (the last 2 games). That's a very important quality.

AK

sinus007 wrote:Hi,
My understanding is that we can't re-sign Evans this summer because there's not enough cap space and he doesn't have Bird rights. Correct? Not?
In either case I'd part with Celtics' pick (#28 as of right now) to get Evans.
I'm not sure about trading TRos. He showed that he can rise to the occasion last year in the playoffs, he confirmed it now (the last 2 games). That's a very important quality.

AK

Sinus

Boston could use the MLE to resign Evans for $8.8 million. He is making $3.2 million this year, He is an UFA so it would be up to him to decide. The Celtics would have to part with Marcus Smart if they resigned Evans.

The MLE can be used to sign a player for up to 3 years

Evans for Smart anyone?

we'd be trading away the restricted rights to Smart for Evans, who would be unrestricted is older and has some injury issues in the past.

not sure I would like the deal, with the other rumor about the Celtics being willing to move Smart...it would be a deal that would work.

kdp59 wrote:Evans for Smart anyone?

we'd be trading away the restricted rights to Smart for Evans, who would be unrestricted is older and has some injury issues in the past.

not sure I would like the deal, with the other rumor about the Celtics being willing to move Smart...it would be a deal that would work.

I would say no unless we were the ones getting a pick.

dboss