We Are Approaching The Start Of Trade Season

I hope the Lakers trade Kuzma for IT.

The long promised and awaited LA Train Wreck is coming, but I don't even thing Pelinka would pull that trigger. BTW, what gives with IT? Is he just freaking out and shooting himself in the foot?! WTH, Bo?!

db

I'd like LA to trade Kuzma for someone of less value thereby crippling their chances for # 18, which is really # 11 since they won a bunch of titles in Minny.

I have no idea why IT is causing so much trouble for himself.

You mean #17 worcester. Let's not give them away!!

db

Yes #17 is what I meant.

Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
about 1 hour ago
Cavs making room for players coming back in a Kevin Love deal?




bob


.

Once again the impact of having an ultra atletic bigman that does not want to play at 5 could impact the steal of the 2017 draft.

Sooner or later the stench from all the bullshit permeates the environment.

Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 17 minutes ago
Javonte Green's partially guaranteed salary is set to become fully guaranteed at 5 p.m. ET tonight.


bob
MY NOTE: It seems to me that if Danny is going to do something he could lead into it by waiving Green and opening up a roster spot. I'm not saying he will or that I think he should, I'm saying that would be a logical first step.




.

Tom Westerholm @Tom_NBA
1 hour ago
No surprise: With the deadline passed, Javonte Green’s contract is now guaranteed. Brad Stevens yesterday: "I think he’s brought a lot to our team, and certainly not afraid to put him in in any scenario. … You feel pretty good about him playing a number of different roles."


bob


.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2020/01/boston-celtics-trades-the-assets-players-and-targets-in-play-and-why-its-tough-to-make-a-deal.html



Boston Celtics trades: The assets, players, and targets in play, and why it’s tough to make a deal



Today 4:50 PM




Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker, left, celebrates at the bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, in Boston. The Celtics won 114-93. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)



By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




The Boston Celtics are good. Everyone can agree on that. They’re second in the East. They’re one of only three NBA teams with single-digit losses. As of right now, they have the seventh-best offensive rating and second-best defensive rating in the NBA.

They’re good.

But…

The inevitable follow-up question is almost always some variation of “but how good are they really?”

The implication is that this regular season success might not translate in the playoffs. Boston’s two losses against the Philadelphia 76ers are presented as exhibit A in this case.

“They need a trade,” many people say. “They need a center!”

OK. That’s fine. Looking at Boston’s roster, the center spot is the one that is in most need of an upgrade. Behind that, some kind of help off the bench is often brought up as the next biggest need.

This isn’t a video game, though. There aren’t drills you can do or coins you can earn or whatever it is in these games nowadays that eventually allow you to increase the ability meters of certain players. There are rules involved with making trades.

There are also other teams involved. Boston can’t just “go get” Davis Bertans from Washington, for example. They not only need to match salaries, they need to match salaries with players and assets that Washington actually wants.

So let’s go through it all. Let’s lay all of Boston’s cards on the table and see exactly who and what they have that could possibly get traded. We can look at who is known to be available, some wildcards that fit into the price range, and then see what, if anything, is realistic.


THE ASSETS

Draft picks: Boston owns all of their own draft picks except their upcoming second round pick in the 2020 draft. That is owed to Charlotte, and is protected for selections 31-53. If it falls in that range, Boston keeps it and owes Charlotte nothing.

So Boston can trade away its own first rounders and offer pick-swaps.

Boston also owns:

2020 first round pick from Memphis (protected 1-6 in 2020 and unprotected in 2021)

2020 first round pick from Milwaukee (protected 1-7 in 2020 and unprotected in 2021)

Boston could also get a second round pick from Atlanta and New York or Brooklyn. It’s too complicated and it’s not a big deal.

Here’s what you need to know in a nutshell: Boston can trade its own firsts, and they have Memphis and Milwaukee firsts to play with as well. They might have a couple of extra second round picks as well.


THE PLAYERS

We’ll go through the whole list and their salaries

Kemba Walker, $32,742,000

Gordon Hayward, $32,700,690

Marcus Smart, $12,553,571

Jayson Tatum, $7,830,000

Jaylen Brown, $6,534,829

Daniel Theis, $5,000,000

Enes Kanter, $4,767,000

Romeo Langford, $3,458,400

Vincent Poirier, $2,505,793

Grant Williams, $2,379,840

Robert Williams, $1,937,520

Semi Ojeleye, $1,618,520

Brad Wanamaker, $1,445,697

Carsen Edwards, $1,228,026

Javonte Green, $898,310

We can agree that Kemba Walker is not getting traded, right? Right. Jaylen Brown also can’t be traded because of his extension. Basically, the extension triggers a rule where his a team trading for him uses his average salary, including the extension, for matching purposes while Boston only gets to use this year’s salary. It’s complicated. He’s out of this discussion.

Can we also agree that Jayson Tatum is not getting traded? He was dangled for a chance at Anthony Davis last year, and Danny Ainge didn’t go through with it because Davis’ camp said he’d leave.

Is Giannis available for a trade? No? Then forget it.

I can hear some of you say Karl Anthony Towns, but he’s not going to be available yet. He’s in the first year of a five-year extension. He’s not going anywhere. So we can pretty comfortably say since there’s no superstar available, there’s no chance Tatum goes anywhere.

So that’s Walker, Brown, and Tatum as untouchables. For the record, Smart and Hayward are also about as untouchable as it gets for Danny Ainge as well, but let’s just pretend he’s open to something to help the team. Is there a deal that can be found that would change Ainge’s mind?

From here, there are two trade paths: The big deal, and the little deal.

I’m setting the incoming salary line between these at $16.6 million. It’s a little arbitrary, but the reasoning is that $16.6 million is what the combined salaries of Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, and Romeo Langford can bring in.

My thinking is teams aren’t going to do anything more than a 3-for-1 deal. Obviously there are a lot possible trade structures out there, but we need to draw a line somewhere and since we’re talking about bringing in one player, this is where I’m drawing it. Those three are the next-biggest deals after Jaylen Brown that can combine to match salary without giving up Marcus Smart or Gordon Hayward. It includes at least one promising young player, and it can be sweetened with draft picks. It’s not great, but it’s what the Celtics have.

So that’s the line. Any player you’re thinking of that makes more than $16.6 million probably requires trading away Marcus Smart or Gordon Hayward. Any player that makes less might be able to get done with some combination of other players and picks. At that point it’s really just a matter of who or what teams want and Ainge would be willing to let go.

OK! We’ve got our picks. We know who’s untouchable. We know the basic necessities for some of the trades that might be out there.

LET’S GO SHOPPING! We’ll start with guys rumored to be on the market

Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons: $27,093,019

I want no part of this trade, but let’s explore it anyway.

Boston CANNOT just trade Hayward for Drummond because Detroit is hard-capped for this season. Boston is also hard-capped AND they have all 15 roster spots filled so now Detroit would need to send a second salary and Boston would have to send a second player back.

It can work by sending Vincent Poirier and taking back Thon Maker.

Would Detroit do this? Hard to say. They might if they could get a commitment from Hayward. I don’t know that Hayward would commit there long-term, though.

Would Boston do this? Almost no chance. Hayward is more valuable to Boston than Drummond is. Drummond is big, he rebounds, he can run pick-and-roll. He pushes Theis to the bench and can boost the second unit. Maybe Brad Stevens can figure out how to use Thon Maker, but is that really enough to make this palatable?

The whole point of getting a big is to feel good about facing Joel Embiid, and Embiid destroys Drummond. By trading for him, Boston would essentially be committing to signing Drummond to an extension, and they’re not going to pay him big money. They’d also be losing an essential playmaker in Hayward, meaning they’d be relying very heavily on Brad Wanamaker come playoff time. He’s solid, but I’d rather have Hayward.

Verdict: HARD PASS


Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers: $28,942,830

The biggest issue with Love is that he’s under contract for three more years after this one. Boston probably doesn’t want that kind of burden, at least not for a player as limited as he is defensively.

Cleveland would want young talent back. Is Langford enough to entice them? Grant Williams?

Hayward would have to be involved in this because it’s too difficult to use Smart and young player salaries to match. Boston could send Hayward & Langford to make the salaries work, but even that seems like too high a haul for the disgruntled Love.

Would Cleveland do this? Maybe, if they valued Langford. Boston could toss a couple of second-rounders their way. A player with some promise and a couple of picks for Love at this point seems like a best-case scenario for Cleveland.

Would Boston do this? Probably not. Again, is this going to fix the Embiid issue? Love can provide some scoring, but he’d also be taking shots away from Walker, Tatum, and Brown without adding the playmaking and defensive versatility of Hayward.

Verdict: HARD PASS (though maybe not quite as hard as Drummond)


Davis Bertans, Washington Wizards: $7,000,000

Ahhhh now we’ve got someone that’s within range. And what would it take to get a 27-year-old, 6’10” guy who is shooting 43.4 percent from 3?

A lot.

There’s a good chance Washington will want a first round pick for him, and with a lot of interest in his services, there’s a chance they could get it. They’d probably want a decent young player in return as well. One of Daniel Theis or Enes Kanter would probably have to be included for salary-matching purposes, and then maybe Grant Williams or Romeo Langford for the young player Washington would want. Washington would certainly ask for the Memphis pick, which Boston shouldn’t give. Boston would probably rather give up the Milwaukee pick or their own.

Would Washington do this? I think only if (a) they were definitely not re-signing Bertans, and (b) if it was the Memphis pick. They can probably get similar offers with better picks than Boston’s or MIlwaukee’s for Bertains.

Would Boston do this? Eh… probably not. They’d LOVE to have Bertans as an option off the bench, but is he really worth a pick and, say, Grant Williams?

Remember, Bertans, for all his offensive ability, is a slight man. He’s only 225 pounds, which isn’t much for a 6’10” guy. Who does he guard?

If all it took was a pick and some salary filler, then yes, Boston might do it. If they could send Poirier and Ojeleye plus a first rounder, then that’s a no-brainer. It works financially, and it would certainly help Boston’s bench. Plugging Bertans into Ojeleye’s minutes would be a huge boost to the bench offense.

But is that enough for Washington? I don’t think so. Not with the season he’s having. There might be a bit of a bidding war.

Verdict: DEPENDS! This might be a case of Boston not having the exact right pieces Washington wants.


ONE NAME TO CONSIDER

The Sacramento Kings are potential sellers. I’d be asking what it would take to get Nemanja Bjelica ($6,825,000). He’s 6’10” and has shot better than 40 percent from 3 over the last three seasons. Would Sacramento take Milwaukee’s first round pick along with Ojeleye and Poirier? How much more would Boston be willing to offer if it’s not enough?

Different names will come up over the course of the next month. When they do, remember the basic formula laid out here. Anything less than about $16.6 million might be able to get done without Smart and Hayward, but you have to be sure the other team would do that deal. As of right now, I don’t think those deals exist.

If you are targeting a big-contract guy, are you sure Boston would be willing to let Smart or Hayward go in that deal? Are you sure the other team wants Hayward or Smart, or are they looking for young players and picks?

If you use those guidelines, you’ll see that a lot of the chatter out there makes little sense for Boston, and most players the Celtics would want are difficult to get. Aside from perhaps a small deal to maybe boost the bench, the Celtics might just be who they are.


bob
MY NOTE:  First of all he said that Tatum is off-limits because Danny wouldn't trade him for Davis, but then pointed out it was because Davis didn't want to resign.  What if there's a star who would, or is already under contract for more years?  He says KAT wouldn't be, but for Tatum Minny might speed up the process.  What about for Simmons?  There are issues in Philly.  Even if Simmons doesn't come to Boston the movement of players in trades fills some holes but often open other ones.  Maybe the Simmons trade between Philly and Team X creates redundancy in a position and that gets another player moved in a different trade.  I'm not saying Danny would trade Tatum or that he should, I'm critiquing the author's assumptions and logic.

He mentioned Sacramento and Bjelica, but the player that might become available is Harry Giles.  He's only playing 10.6 mpg this year, after playing 14 mpg in his rookie year.  He's playing fewer minutes than Dedmon, and Dedmon wants out. Is Sacramento halfway giving up on him?  It makes no sense to give him fewer minutes than Dedmon and then expect him to significantly increase his minutes if/when Dedmon leaves, does it?  If that's how they felt they could give him half, or all, of Dedmon's minutes now and just superglue Dedmon's butt to the bench for being a whiner or do a Bogans on him.


.

Boston, Denver interested in Davis Bertans

In addition to the Sixers, Hawks and Lakers, the Celtics and Nuggets have emerged as suitors for Bertans’ services, NBC Sports Washington has learned. Bertans, 27, has enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 15.4 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 43.4 percent from three on 8.6 attempts per game. 1 day ago – via Chase Hughes @ NBC Sports
Top Rumors, Trade, Davis Bertans, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards
---------------------------------------------
I think Bertans would be a really nice addition coming off the bench. Could be a difference maker pouring in points and breaking defense backs. Which is also why I think it's unlikely he lands in Boston. Washington knows his value and the price might be too high for us. If a first rounder like the Milwaukee pick, Ojeleye and a couple of others from among Langford, G Williams, Wanamaker and maybe Theis (if R Williams was healthy), sure. Automatic; nothing to think about. But Washington is going to want too much more.

I'm betting no deal this trade season.

I don't want Bertans myself.......one trick pony if you ask me and the cost is too high for a one year rental.

can't play defense and not much of a rebounder.

for $7M one year rental...NO THANKS.

we have 4 guys now who can score 20 pts a night, right?

why in the world would we need another scorer?

as for Center help....can anyone tell me when in the past Brad Stevens has had an elite big man?

truth is he never has, its not part of his game plan. That works well with Ainge, since he's not great at drafting big men either,

I think Stevens is just fine with Kanter and Theis at the five now (as long as they stay healthy).

the four position is maybe more of a problem for us, but frankly there is no fix this year for that. Brown plays bigger on defense and I notice him guarding PF's more and more as the season progresses.

this is the team we have and I really don't expect anything but a MINOR move. I am fine with the team we have, lets see how far they go.

https://nesn.com/2020/01/nba-writer-predicts-celtics-to-make-roster-move-at-this-players-expense/



NBA Writer Predicts Celtics To Make Roster Move At This Player’s Expense


by Marcus Kwesi O'Mard

on Tue, Jan 7, 2020 at 3:06PM



Vincent Poirier might leave the Boston Celtics without making his mark.

The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn predicted last week the Celtics will sign a center in order to bolster their chances of succeeding in the NBA playoffs. However, they’ll need to open a roster space in order to add a free-agent big man, and Washburn believes they’ll part ways with the 26-year-old rookie center.

“The Celtics will get a big man in the buyout market,” Washburn wrote in his “Sunday Basketball Notes” column. “Boston will seek another center to help for the playoff run and will get one at the expense of Vincent Poirier. Poirier hasn’t worked out as expected and the Celtics will seek to use his roster spot on a rim protector.”

Poirier has played in just nine games, and he’s averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 4.9 minutes per contest.

He has been out of action for the last three weeks due to a broken finger and is expected to return at the end of the month. Although the injury birthed a scandalous new nickname for Poirier, it cost him the chance to capitalize on Robert Williams’ hip injury, play significant minutes and perhaps earn a bigger role in Boston’s rotation going forward.

The Celtics have been linked with a potential trade for a center all season, with names like Oklahoma City Thunder big man Steven Adams and Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond among names bandied about. Other centers with NBA experience likely will emerge on Boston’s and the rumor mill’s respective radar as the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline and the April 17 playoff-roster-freeze dates approach.


bob
MY NOTE:  The broken finger was, indeed, terrible timing for Poirier.  RWill's hip issue was his window to play and earn minutes.  I don't know why Brad doesn't have confidence in him.  I watch him closely every time he is on the court and I don't see anything wrong.  This is why I am on a beach and Brad is working my dream job as an NBA head coach.

.

I have to laugh at some of the sports "writing" that passes now.

while the article likely has merit and I for one would be fine with the frenchman leaving......on one hand the piece says a "buy out big man", which could be likely.

then on the next talks about Drummond and Adams..who are $20M PLUS players and will NOT be bought out.

talk about setting a reader up for disappointment!!!


so instead of Adams or Drummond we end up with Tyson Chandler or Nene....LOL.

I get the repetitive Big Man theme.

The NBA has become so wing oriented, that a team with a couple of better wings and anything from a decent to dominant big would have a major edge in strategy and matchups. Forget the jokes about how young Stevens looks; right now if you could combine a solid, in the paint big with a couple of consistent wings, you could get a 7-year old from the local CYO league to coach. Between losing teeth and learning X-Box they could make those 4 and 5 out shoot from beyond the arc performers suffer.

That's why the mantra is "Big." Don't mind repeating it often myself. A better quality big with Tatum and Brown? Get your Betsy Ross stand-in to start stitching number 18 and maybe more. The trick remains how to land one.

Any college or Euro bigs on the draft horizon in the 7-10 slots where Memphis may end up?

worcester wrote:Any college or Euro bigs on the draft horizon in the 7-10 slots where Memphis may end up?

Worcester,

1. Memphis is now tied with Portland for 13th/14th. That's where we'd be picking, not 7-10. In fact, Memphis is just 1/2 game behind the Spurs for the 8th playoff spot in the WC. If we beat the Spurs tonight they'll be tied.

2. Do we really want another young'un? We will have Williams and Tacko (next year). Theis will have a non-guaranteed $5M next year. Are we going to cut Theis loose for an unproven rookie when he's only making $5M? Kanter will have a player option $5M. I could see him opting out for more money and that might create a spot, but then we have a still very young Robert Williams, a raw rookie in Tacko, another rookie with the Memphis pick and Theis. That's way too young.


bob


.

I want to keep Theis and Tacko and R will and Kanter. I was just wondering what's on the draft horizon. Shocked that Memphis is doing so well.

Somehow this got missed. GSW traded Willie Cauley-Stein to Dallas for a 2nd rounder. That IS a steal and a half. I'm amazed Danny missed the boat on this one.



Mavs' Mark Cuban says Willie Cauley-Stein trade a 'steal-and-a-half'



Drew Shiller
NBC Sports BayArea
January 29, 2020, 4:11 PM PST



Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell tore his right Achilles tendon Jan. 21.

Three days later, the Mavs acquired Willie Cauley-Stein from the Warriors in exchange for a 2020 second-round draft pick.

That selection is expected to land in the mid 50s because it's the Utah Jazz's pick, and they currently boast the fifth-best record in the NBA.

According to Mavs owner Mark Cuban, it was a great deal for his franchise.


Brad Townsend

@townbrad
. @mcuban calls Cauley-Stein acquisition “a steal-and-a-half. We got really lucky. And Dwight comes back, we’ll be even better at that position.”

420
3:11 PM - Jan 28, 2020 · Dallas, TX


From the Warriors' perspective -- they didn't possess a 2020 second-round pick (coincidentally enough, the Mavs have it from the Andrew Bogut trade in July 2016) but now do.

They also were able to create a guaranteed open roster spot for next season because Cauley-Stein has a 2020-21 player option that he could have exercised.

In addition:


Bobby Marks

@BobbyMarks42
Golden State will now drop $2.57M below the hard cap. The trade will also save the Warriors $5.66M toward the luxury tax. The team now has a $9.3M tax bill and $3.7M above the threshold. The Warriors also have 2 open roster spots.


3:17 PM - Jan 24, 2020



Cauley-Stein made his Mavs debut Tuesday night -- recording four points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist in a little over 12 minutes off the bench.

In the end, the trade just might work out very well for both sides.


bob



.

Why did Danny not do this??????

I saw that trade last week and was going to comment on it but forgot.

On the surface yes it looks like a deal that Danny could have made but remember we have 15 guys under contract and we are over the CAP.

Even if they cut VP we would still be over the CAP

Dallas used part of their $11+m trade exception that they had since last year to acquire Cauley-Stein.
Golden State did not want any players back or take on additional salary.
They did receive a 2nd round pick and will save millions in luxury tax savings.
A good trade for both teams.
Boston does not have any trade exceptions, so they would have had to send back a player to GS, which is not what GS wanted.

Danny apparently knows his business much better than I do.

4 hours ago – via Ric Bucher @ Bleacher Report
If the current trade buzz is accurate, the general market for young frontcourt players is robust, with league executives saying both the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner and the Atlanta Hawks’ John Collins, big men with the ability to switch between power forward and center, are on the trading block.


Kevin Love staying put?

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly aren’t going to trade Kevin Love prior to Thursday’s deadline. “Cleveland is resigned right now that there is no trade for them between now and Thursday. Unless something comes out of nowhere, essentially, they will be looking in the offseason,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on The Woj Pod. – via Scott Polacek @ Bleacher Report



----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been talking about M. turner a while now. he has an $18M salary this year and three more years at $18M each after this one. Hard for us to match salary's on the 24 year old big man though. Many feel with Sabonis' breakout year (and new deal) that both he and Turner are not a good match playing together, thus a possible trade.

Collns on the list is surprising to me, as he seems to be one of Atlanta's best young players.he's on the third year of his four year rookie deal at only about $2.6M. So a salary match would be easier for Ainge. But I wuld think Atlanta would wnat some serous return on Collins also.

https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/01/nba-boston-celtics-myles-turner-john-collins-trade-targets/



Report: Myles Turner, John Collins available - should Boston inquire?

Justin Quinn
February 1, 2020 6:44 pm

Senior Bleacher Report writer Ric Bucher reports two intriguing big men may be on the trade market ahead of the February 6 deadline that ought to at least pique the Boston Celtics’ interest.


Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner and Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins are available per Bucker’s NBA executive contacts, and both are young, versatile bigs who would fit nicely into Boston’s style of play and age curve.

The problem with trading for either is that the cost is not likely to be cheap, and with Turner, salary matching would require sending out one of the Celtics’ most valuable players, as the team has little in the way of aggregatable medium-sized salaries.

Turner is earning $18 million this season, so either forward Gordon Hayward or guard Marcus Smart would have to be traded, almost certainly making the team worse in the short term.



Chris Trenchard

@ChrisTrenchard
Our man ⁦@RicBucher⁩ has some intel on Clippers trade ambitions, Lakers


NBA Execs Dish on How Lakers, Clips, D-Rose Might Shake Up Trade Deadline
Every now and then an NBA trade comes together in a matter of hours, but generally deals happen in stages. Teams have ongoing internal talks about opposing players they'd like to get...

bleacherreport.com
1:39 PM - Feb 1, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See Chris Trenchard's other Tweets

There are solid arguments in favor of making the deal anyway from both a roster and cap management perspective longer-term, but it’s a hard sell to risk even a small chance at a title in the present.

Hayward does happen to be an Indiana native, and his new home would likely contend with him as well, so it’s about as palatable a trade in terms of optics as one could perhaps find.

But, despite the uncertain future of the swingman as a potential free agent at season’s end, a deal for the Butler product — who has strong ties to head coach Brad Stevens from his days at the helm of Hayward’s college program — seems unlikely at present.

Smart would likely be of interest to the Pacers, but for that same reason might hurt the Celtics more to lose both this season and going forward, as his low-cost contract and improved shooting make him an ideal supporting member of a potential title team.





Collins, on the other hand, seems implausible as a trade target given his age and talent. But if Bucher’s intel is accurate, the Celtics ought to offer almost any asset or young player on a rookie deal they have to try and land him.

Apart from an ill-advised consumption of a banned substance that got the third-year big man suspended for much of the first half of the 2019-20 NBA season, Collins doesn’t have much in the way of warts.

As a 22-year-old already averaging 19 points, 10.2 boards and 1.8 blocks per game while connecting from deep 33.7 % of his 3.7 attempts per contest, the Floridian big man should probably be near the top of every team’s list of trade targets.

Earning just under $2.7 million for the penultimate season of his rookie deal means salary matching would be simple — but the rest of what would be needed may not be, as Atlanta is reportedly interested in Houston Rockets big man Clint Capela, per The Athletics’ Shams Charania.

The Celtics have their own rim-running center in Robert Williams III who might appeal with enough sweeteners, though it’s hard to gauge what the Hawks are looking for, as dealing Collins makes little sense on the outside looking in.

With as many as three first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, it’s probably worth making a call even if it’s far from guaranteed Atlanta bites — never mind Timelord reaching Capela’s production levels.



It’s also possible one of Boston’s other rookies intrigues, as both forward Grant Williams and wing Romeo Langford have shown flashes of developing into quality options for a team with title aspirations.

While both Collins and Turner present plenty of reasons for the Celtics to be interested, the lack of chatter connecting their respective teams and the imperfect range of players the other team would be after suggests both are unlikely to be wearing green and white any time soon.

Still , that either might be in play at all warrants at least a phone call from Boston’s front office, and with a team president with “Trader” in his nickname, it’s very likely the Hawks and Pacers will be hearing from Danny Ainge this week — if they haven’t already.