Who Would You Like To See As Our Back Up Floor General?

Just a quick question.

Here are veteran guards that are available.  Which one would you like to see Brad go after, if any?  

I'm providing their ages for reference but I would think that all of them would be on short-term one-or-two year contracts.  None of them, in my opinion, play like they're old.

1.  Goran Dragic (35 years old, 6'3")
2.  George Hill (35 years old, 6'4") - coming off of thumb surgery
3.  Isaiah Thomas (32 1/2 years old, hobbit)

You can change your vote, but you can only vote for one.  Please explain which one and why, or why not.


Bob


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My vote for IT is a little against what I was thinking we needed. But he would be the cheapest of the three, and brings that ever elusive instant offense off the bench. Yeah he's a liability on defense but he was when he was in the running for MVP. IF PP continues to play the point well and Yam can be brought on as a Rondo in the making (based on his reviews?) then IT might be a good balance. Hill would be a safe bet but not as cheap as IT and not the buckets. He might be another Jeff Teague. It doesn't sound like Dragic will be available unless Toronto waives him. And he would probably be out of our price range for a BU. Also I can see Langford as a potential at the BU PG, especially if you need to shut down an opposing PG who has size. I wonder what IT would need in salary. He's probably worth more than the vet min but then he's not getting any offers so he may be in a vet min mode for at least the first year.

Only 3 choices? There are like 32 FA PG's out there.

Anyways I would sign Dragic to a one year deal using the smaller MLE and keep Madar stashed in the desert for another year. He is coming off of a $19.4 million contract.

How about Reggie Jackson?

Reggie should get a big salary after his regular season and playoff performances. The man can play!

dboss wrote:Only 3 choices?  There are like 32 FA PG's out there.

Anyways I would sign Dragic to a one year deal using the smaller MLE and keep Madar stashed in the desert for another year.  He is coming off of a $19.4 million contract.

How about Reggie Jackson?

Think Dragic and Jackson would both cost more than we might be willing to pay for a back up PG.

I voted IT.

The upcoming season looks like one where the Celtics will bide their time while looking at how to build a roster around Tatum. Keeping the arena full and viewers tuned in to broadcasts will be a more important factor than usual for what has always been a dedicated fan base. IT would provide the interest to keep fans attention.

It may not be about the best point guard to back up Smart for this season, but more about the most entertaining. IT could fill the bill on a relatively short and inexpensive deal.

George Hill headed back to the Bucks.

NYCelt wrote:I voted IT.

The upcoming season looks like one where the Celtics will bide their time while looking at how to build a roster around Tatum. Keeping the arena full and viewers tuned in to broadcasts will be a more important factor than usual for what has always been a dedicated fan base. IT would provide the interest to keep fans attention.

It may not be about the best point guard to back up Smart for this season, but more about the most entertaining. IT could fill the bill on a relatively short and inexpensive deal.

I agree but I would prefer that Smart play the 2, not the 1.

Hill is headed to the Bucks and Dragic was traded to the Raptors and is looking to be moved to Dallas.

Only the Celtics have opted for the cement boots.

Ish Smith only got $4.5 million, how come we did not jump all over that one? Value as you can see is quite relative.

I called this one...https://nesn.com/2021/08/nba-free-agency-rumors-celtics-interested-in-guard-reggie-jackson/

Reggie Jackson could be a game changer for the Celtics. Could we sign him to a contract that pays little in 2021-22 but a lot more next year?

worcester wrote:Reggie Jackson could be a game changer for the Celtics. Could we sign him to a contract that pays little in 2021-22 but a lot more next year?

Sure, but Reggie usually plays his best in October.

What? Oh, sorry... wrong one.

I think Reggie would represent a different direction than we're expecting for this season. He seems to be more than a place-holder to me. I think you're right that some cap-friendly structure would be needed for his contract. Things are bound to get pricey over the next season or two if they build around Tatum and possibly Brown.

From reports, whoever signs with Boston this summer has to sign for only one guaranteed year. There can be a 2nd or 3rd year, but those have to be team option.

That is going to limit the field.

Seems like we've forgotten the BACKUP part. Jackson would be an expensive solution and I doubt he would take a one year deal. And I don't know if he would be a good fit as the starting PG anyway. I think for a backup this year it will need to be an older player or reclamation project if you want low price and one year. But with Stoudamire on staff maybe he can provide the experienced PG perspective for PP (or YM or RL or whoever) and we won't need a BU floor general. Anxious to see how those three potential PGs perform in summer league. If Edwards would turn his game around, or IT actually was reasonably healthy, that kind of instant offense might be all we really need. But I don't bet on those things happening. Any other low dollar instant offense backup PGs out there?

Dennis Schroder could be a good option.
Guy Boston Sports
@GuyBostonSports
·
1h
The Celtics have had conversations with free agent Dennis Schroder, per
@JakeLFischer

international wrote:Dennis Schroder could be a good option.
Guy Boston Sports
@GuyBostonSports
·
1h
The Celtics have had conversations with free agent Dennis Schroder, per
@JakeLFischer

Schroder seems to have a very inflated sense of his worth. I also have some concerns about his attitude in the locker room. He can score but he's being passed around like a hot potato. Even if he comes back to Earth in his salary demands, he's still going to demand 10M+ and more than a one year contract. Too expensive for a backup and I don't like him as the starting PG.

international wrote:Dennis Schroder could be a good option.
Guy Boston Sports
@GuyBostonSports
·
1h
The Celtics have had conversations with free agent Dennis Schroder, per
@JakeLFischer

international,

"Conversations"?  Yes, but I don't see how they can sign Schroder for anything near what he'd want.  Would he take a one-year contract for the MLE?  I doubt it.  I'd be very happy with him here, he's an asshole but he's an asshole like the way Marcus Smart is an asshole.  They're assholes when you play against them, but love them when they play for you.  I think this would be Brad Stevens pulling a rabbit out of his hat, a real coup, if he could bring Schroder in on a deal that didn't destroy our cap flexibility.


Bob


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Bob, Schroder's market is drying up.

international wrote:Bob, Schroder's market is drying up.

international,

True, but this would be a BIG comedown for him. He was offered 4 years, $84M by LAL and he turned that down. Would someone else offer him that? I say 'no', but how about half? That's still more than we can offer.


Bob


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Do we want a dummy on this team?

He rejected how much!

Dennis Schroder has a huge ego, has said he is a starter, and would probably want way too much money. He became a discontent on the Lakers, as he has been on any team he has been on. He would be a big no for me

This list is limited, I thought someone here wrote that the Celtics had already said no to IT, Hill is gone, Dragic would want $$$, as would Jackson.

I say Cousy

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Dennis Schroder has a huge ego,  has said he is a starter, and would probably want way too much money.   He became a discontent on the Lakers, as he has been on any team he has been on. He would be a big no for me

This list is limited, I thought someone here wrote that the Celtics had already said no to IT, Hill is gone, Dragic would want $$$, as would Jackson.  

I say Cousy

Schroder seems like a jerk. You don't want a PG that the other players don't like. Dragic was traded to Toronto and is supposed to be hoping they will move him to Dallas. Even if he weren't, he'd be too expensive. Jackson will be too expensive as well.

The comment on the Cs saying no to Thomas was on another post. I found one opinion piece by Mannix saying that Thomas was not the player he was and the Cs shouldn't say yes. So maybe he's not an instant offense solution. But I don't think Mannix claimed that anyone in the organization had said as much. He may be right that Thomas is no longer a big scorer, but the question is can they do better with a vet min, one year offer elsewhere? If Edwards could start to play up to expectations, it wouldn't be an issue.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/08/how-celtics-could-acquire-dennis-schroder-via-trade-or-free-agency-after-showing-interest-in-lakers-guard.html



How Celtics could acquire Dennis Schroder via trade or free agency after showing interest in Lakers guard


Updated 2:40 PM; Today 2:40 PM


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



The Celtics offseason has been fairly quiet so far with Enes Kanter being the team’s only free agent deal to date. However, after the team traded away Kemba Walker back in June, there is still a need for more depth in Boston’s backcourt if they plan on competing in the postseason against an improved Eastern Conference.

One name that could help on that front is free agent point guard Dennis Schroder. The former Lakers starting point guard is looking for a new home after the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook last month. According to a report from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Celtics are engaged in talks with the 27-year-old guard.


Is a deal with Schroder realistic for Boston? Let’s look closer at what the team can offer the point guard and which routes Brad Stevens could pursue to land a veteran upgrade.


What can the Celtics offer Schroder in free agency?

If Boston wants to sign him outright, they can only offer him the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($9.5 million) which is likely far below the expected market for Schroder this offseason. However, that’s probably a competitive offer in the marketplace at this point. Most teams with significant cap room have used up the majority of their room already on other players, leaving Schroder lacking many offers at this point for anything above mid-level money in all likelihood. If Boston goes this route, they will need to dump some extra money off their roster (about $5-6 million) in order to create enough space to sign Schroder and still stay under the hard cap apron (about $142 million) which is triggered when a team uses the full mid-level exception.

Boston also has the ability to offer Schroder a starting spot on a playoff team, something that isn’t available much around the league right now with most other playoff contenders set at the position. If Schroder wants to play meaningful basketball, the Celtics could be a draw.


What about a potential sign-and-trade scenario for Schroder?

The Celtics do have another way of acquiring Schroder if he isn’t willing to settle for just the mid-level exception. The Lakers still have Bird Rights on him so they could sign-and-trade him to Boston. For that move to be legal, the contract would need to be three years (first year guaranteed) and Boston would need to stay under the hard cap of $142 million once the deal is completed. The Celtics would have to make a bunch of other moves to make this workable under their current cap sheet ($136 million committed) but it is a feasible scenario. A straight up salary for salary sign-and-trade could also work from a trade matching standpoint (i.e. Smart for Schroder). A more likely scenario if this is the path between the two sides upon agreeing on a deal is Schroder gets worked into the Tristan Thompson trade as the returning salary for hte power forward with Kris Dunn and/or Bruno Fernando going elsewhere.


Are there any drawbacks of pursuing Schroder at a bargain price?

The Celtics have signaled so far with their moves that they want to maintain flexibility for the 2022 offseason. A one-year deal with Schroder would be a no-brainer but giving him anything beyond that could eat into the team’s cap options. That would be a potential concern over the long-term. However, if the Celtics think they are getting him at a great value (mid-level money), giving him more years at that price shouldn’t come back to bite since that will be a movable contract in all likelihood a year from now (if needed).

Bottom line? The Celtics’ patience here may land them a strong point guard replacement for Kemba Walker at a lower price than anticipated if the two sides agree on a deal.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Any talk about a Smart-for-Schroder trade is a complete non-starter for me.  N. O.  Period-squared.  As far as offering him a 3-year deal that would go against the whole "we want cap flexibility" mantra we've been hearing but, on the other hand, Dennis Schroder on a cheap 3-year contract has trade value.  Would he go for it?  As has been pointed out by board members like Prakash well before Brian Robb wrote this piece he's running out of options.  The Lakers have moved on, he can't go back to them and "changed my mind, I'll take your 4-year $84M offer", it's not available anymore because of the Westbrook trade.  As Rosalie has pointed out, correctly, his ego is a bit of a concern.  On the bright side, I doubt Pritchard is ready to be an NBA starting point guard next year, Yam Madar isn't (even if he makes the team this year) and Smart can come off the bench as he has done in the past.  He wants to be a starter?  That's important to him?  Well, this is one of the relatively few rosters where he has an obvious edge of the rest of the depth chart, at least for this year (Schroder's opportunity is the bright side, not that Pritchard and Madar won't be ready).  I'm not advocating for him, I'm just saying we need a veteran floor general and if it's not Schroder then we have to get one from somewhere and all the usual suspects have already been snapped up.  If Schroder's options are limited so too are ours.


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Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 12 minutes ago
From this AM: The Tristan Thompson trade is still being finalized, as the Celtics could work out a short-term deal to sign-and-trade for Dennis Schröder per @Jake Fischer & @Michael Scotto. Some salary maneuvering required for an S&T or to give him MLE.

I am ready to shoot myself. I cannot stand that guy. I do not think I have ever disliked a Celtic player, but this would be a first for me...this makes me lose faith in "the process" we are supposedly going thru. This is awful news to me. I just read that they are negotiating with him, UGH UGH UGH