Celtics Related Trade Rumors

The NBA draft is June 22nd.  In the coming weeks we're going to see more and more rumors about trades as teams move players for picks and vice versa.  It will get even worse after the draft because then GMs, including the amateur ones we have here, will see who has who and it just won't be draft forecasts.

This thread is for Celtics only.  I will create another thread for every other team, so we don't just end up with a big jumble.  People who only care about what's happening with this team can come here.  People who follow the league or who see movement around the league as opportunities for Brad and want to discuss those can go to that thread and suggest what they think should be the next steps for Brad vis-a-vis those rumors.

Actual trades will get their own thread.


Here's a couple floating around now:


Rumor #1
Utah gets Payton Pritchard and Danilo Gallinari
Boston gets Kelly Olynyk

That sound you hear is Cowens' head exploding.  Kelly averaged 28.6mpg last year and shot 39.4% from 3.  He played, and started, in 68 games for Tom Hardy's Jazz.  He's 32 years old (where did the time go?!)



Rumor #2
Portland gets Jaylen Brown
Boston gets Damian Lillard and a pick.  Not sure which.

I love Dame, who doesn't, but he's almost 33 years old, only played in 58 games last year.  He averaged 32ppg last season, but I am petrified this could be another Kemba Walker scenario.  Dame's making $45M next year and has exercised his $48.7M Player option for the 2024-2025 year (how do you do that a year in advance?).  That's almost $94M of contracts for a small guard heading into the danger years.  Hmmm.  No thanks.  Too much risk for a team that doesn't need to take that risk.


Rumor #3
Portland gets Jaylen Brown
Boston gets Anfernee Simons and the #3 pick in this draft.

This one is intriguing.  We may have to trade Brogdon or White (or Smart?  Yikes!) to make room for him, because I don't see Simons as a straight up replacement for the bigger Brown, but Simons is a player.  I dunno, trading a 26 year old 6'7" All-NBA and 2X All-Star for a 24 year old 6'3" guard who has never been an All-Star doesn't sound good to me.  Plus the #3 pick?  Well, the only way we get Wembanyama is if we pry him out of Pop's cold dead hands, so who would be @ #3, and do we really want to integrate a rookie at this time?  The upside would be his rookie contract, 5 years long at a very reasonable price.  Who knows, 5 years down the road, where we'll be?  With another #3 pick we'd be well-positioned for that future at least.


These are the latest ones that have been proposed by, whom I consider to be, reasonable people (i.e. not Steven A(sshole) Smith or Skip Clueless, nor clickbait websites).  

There have been trade rumors that there were "multiple teams" inquiring about Grant at the trade deadline.  The Pacers are rumored to be lusting for a PF with the departure of Domantas Sabonis to Sacto.  They might be one of those teams.  The problem is that we need to beef up, literally and figuratively, our front court so I don't see them giving us a legit big in trade for Grant except for Theis.  Theis is 31 years old.  He's under contract for next year and has a club option for 2024-2025.  So that will meet what is no doubt a Brad Stevens requirement that any incoming player must be signed for multiple years.  At 31, vs 24 for Grant.  A sign-and-trade with Indy for Theis plus another player/TPE/picks to make it work is feasible.   I don't know how much Theis has left but Brad loves him, Tatum and the rest of this team loves him.  I love him, but is he really what we need in a big?  I'm becoming very concerned about our front court, especially if workhorse Grant Williams leaves.


Bob


.

Bob, You are the bearer of possible bad news. These ae all horrible trades. I hope none of them happen.

Danny can have Payton, i am tired of his whiny act. Did not mind signing a 4 year contract when he got out of school. I would like one shot with Gallinari on the floor for us If it does not work out, then ok, trade him. I am not surprised at this rumor Danny drafted Payton, and he has always liked Gallinari. Again, he may have to go because they cannot afford to keep him and there is no way Pritchard will get the time he THINKS he deserves here unless Brogden goes, which I hope does not happen As far as that Jaylen trade goes, I have made my opinion known that I do not want that kid traded, period

worcester wrote:Bob, You are the bearer of possible bad news. These ae all horrible trades. I hope none of them happen.

worcester,

Please don't shoot the messenger, he shoots back.

And I agree, I don't like any of these trades either.  Everybody (read "every talking head" or rival GM hoping to derail our train) is trying to break up the Js just as they're entering their primes.  Jimmy Butler's almost 33.  He won't be powering Miami for too much longer.  Harden's almost 34.  Whether he resigns with Philly or moves on they're not going to replace him easily.  Milwaukee has Giannis, for sure, but Jrue Holiday's 34th birthday is this Monday.  Brook Lopez played the most minutes on the Bucks (surprise!) and he's 35 (Holiday played the 2nd most minutes).  Middleton will be 32 before the start of next season and is having problems staying on the court, he only played 33 games last season for a total of only 801 minutes.  My point is that we have a pair that aren't even fully in their prime yet and the teams they will be competing with to get to the Championship round are old and firmly on their back 9, or have key players who are leaving.

Patience, grasshoppers, patience.


Bob


.

Bob, I would never assume that someone with your B Ball IQ would advocate such trades. I do hear you correctly saying this:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=time+is+on+my+side+rolling+stones&atb=v314-1&t=chromentp&ia=web

Actually, last year Kelly had a decent year: SUMMARY
2022-23

G
68

RB
6.2

AST
3.7

FG%
49.9

FG3%
39.4

FT%
85.3

eFG%
58.3

PER
14.4

WS
4.3

Correct me if im wrong. Ive never heard Payton whine about anything.
He expressed a desire to play, after all thats what he is here to do. But he’s not. Too many ahead of him.
His expressing a desire to play is not a complaint but more so a ….desire to play whether it’s here, Utah or any other stop.
Can’t fault him for that.

I have zero complaints about either PP.

Damian Lillard says he’d ‘obviously’ choose the Heat over the Celtics


KHARI THOMPSON
June 7 at 5:36 PM CT



Damian Lillard is still under contract with the Trail Blazers, so Portland  likely would have to agree to a trade for him to land with a new team.
During a recent interview on Showtime’s “The Last Stand” with Brian Custer, Lillard said he wouldn’t pick Boston if it were up to him.
Custer asked Lillard about several rumored trade destinations, including Boston, New York, and Brooklyn.
“If one of those trades went through, out of those teams, which one would you be like, ‘Eh, that’s not too bad?” Custer asked.
Lillard laughed as he responded.
“Miami, obviously,” Lillard said. “[Heat center] Bam [Adebayo] is my dog for real but Miami, obviously. Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too.”
Several analysts, including ESPN’s Stephen A Smith, have mentioned Lillard as a trade target for the Celtics. Smith said earlier this week  he doesn’t think Jaylen Brown is worth a supermax contract and that Lillard could be a replacement.
“Either you get an abundance of players, which I don’t think is necessary,” Smith said. “Or, you get a superstar-caliber sniper like Damian Lillard to come to Boston in return for [Brown’s] services. If I’m the Boston Celtics, I’m looking at something along those lines rather than giving [Brown] $59 million, which is more than Damian Lillard is making at this moment in time.”
Lillard, who turns 33 next month, signed a two-year extension with Portland that could take his annual salary as high as $63 million in his final season in 2027.
But, for the next two seasons, Lillard’s salary will be less than  $50 million.



Where did Lilliard say he’d choose the Heat over the Celtics?

He said “Miami obviously’. I don't see anywhere here where he says anything specifically about Boston.

Since he didn’t mention here any teams but Miami and Brooklyn
“Miami  obviously” obviously means that he’d take Miami over everyone.

Quit trying to start something that ain't really there-yet.

Damian Lillard says he’d ‘obviously’ choose the Heat over the Celtics


KHARI THOMPSON
June 7 at 5:36 PM CT



Damian Lillard is still under contract with the Trail Blazers, so Portland  likely would have to agree to a trade for him to land with a new team.
During a recent interview on Showtime’s “The Last Stand” with Brian Custer, Lillard said he wouldn’t pick Boston if it were up to him.
Custer asked Lillard about several rumored trade destinations, including Boston, New York, and Brooklyn.
“If one of those trades went through, out of those teams, which one would you be like, ‘Eh, that’s not too bad?” Custer asked.
Lillard laughed as he responded.
“Miami, obviously,” Lillard said. “[Heat center] Bam [Adebayo] is my dog for real but Miami, obviously. Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too.”
Several analysts, including ESPN’s Stephen A Smith, have mentioned Lillard as a trade target for the Celtics. Smith said earlier this week  he doesn’t think Jaylen Brown is worth a supermax contract and that Lillard could be a replacement.
“Either you get an abundance of players, which I don’t think is necessary,” Smith said. “Or, you get a superstar-caliber sniper like Damian Lillard to come to Boston in return for [Brown’s] services. If I’m the Boston Celtics, I’m looking at something along those lines rather than giving [Brown] $59 million, which is more than Damian Lillard is making at this moment in time.”
Lillard, who turns 33 next month, signed a two-year extension with Portland that could take his annual salary as high as $63 million in his final season in 2027.
But, for the next two seasons, Lillard’s salary will be less than  $50 million.



Where did Lilliard say he’d choose the Heat over the Celtics?

He said “Miami obviously’. I don't see anywhere here where he says anything specifically about Boston.

Since he didn’t mention here any teams but Miami and Brooklyn
“Miami  obviously” obviously means that he’d take Miami over everyone.

Quit trying to start something that ain't really there-yet.

Bleacher Report is suggesting Celtics trade for New York Knick Jericho Sims.

24 years old.  6'9" - 6'10", 245# - 250#, 7'3" wingspan.

44.5" vertical recorded at NBA Combine. Has taken exactly 1 3pt fga in his 2 years.

Struggling to get minutes from Thibs. This worries me. If there is one thing that will get you benched by Thibs it's poor defense. Does Sims not rotate well?

Do any of our  NY Metro board members have anything to say about him?  Cow?  Steve?


Bob


.

bobheckler wrote:Bleacher Report is suggesting Celtics trade for New York Knick Jericho Sims.

24 years old.  6'9" - 6'10", 245# - 250#, 7'3" wingspan.

44.5" vertical recorded at NBA Combine.  Has taken exactly 1 3pt fga in his 2 years.

Struggling to get minutes from Thibs.  This worries me.  If there is one thing that will get you benched by Thibs it's poor defense.   Does Sims not rotate well?

Do any of our  NY Metro board members have anything to say about him?  Cow?  Steve?


Bob


.

He is a freak athlete, looks closer to 6’11” to me. Not much of a jump shot, very similar game to Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson. I would gladly take him over Kornet, has to work and develop, has alot of upside IMHO.

cowens/oldschool wrote:

bobheckler wrote:Bleacher Report is suggesting Celtics trade for New York Knick Jericho Sims.

24 years old.  6'9" - 6'10", 245# - 250#, 7'3" wingspan.

44.5" vertical recorded at NBA Combine.  Has taken exactly 1 3pt fga in his 2 years.

Struggling to get minutes from Thibs.  This worries me.  If there is one thing that will get you benched by Thibs it's poor defense.   Does Sims not rotate well?

Do any of our  NY Metro board members have anything to say about him?  Cow?  Steve?


Bob


.

He is a freak athlete, looks closer to 6’11” to me. Not much of a jump shot, very similar game to Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson. I would gladly take him over Kornet, has to work and develop, has alot of upside IMHO.

Cow,

You said the same thing about Moses Brown. He played a grand total of 294 minutes last year for 2 teams. You like jumping jacks.


Bob


.

bobheckler wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:

bobheckler wrote:Bleacher Report is suggesting Celtics trade for New York Knick Jericho Sims.

24 years old.  6'9" - 6'10", 245# - 250#, 7'3" wingspan.

44.5" vertical recorded at NBA Combine.  Has taken exactly 1 3pt fga in his 2 years.

Struggling to get minutes from Thibs.  This worries me.  If there is one thing that will get you benched by Thibs it's poor defense.   Does Sims not rotate well?

Do any of our  NY Metro board members have anything to say about him?  Cow?  Steve?


Bob


.

He is a freak athlete, looks closer to 6’11” to me. Not much of a jump shot, very similar game to Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson. I would gladly take him over Kornet, has to work and develop, has alot of upside IMHO.

Cow,

You said the same thing about Moses Brown.  He played a grand total of 294 minutes last year for 2 teams.  You like jumping jacks.


Bob


.

I was basing that off of a 25 rebound game he had against us. So you asked me, you never know, this guy could be a poor mans version of Nic Claxton or RWill. Moses Brown is more lumbering and never developed his shooting enough. I said this kid Sims has to work on his shot, but he can be active and he is fast.

Bute is he better than Luke?

We need an upgrade way better than Luke.

gyso wrote:KTron,

I believe it was more about him wanting to play with certain players, not so much a specific team.

Perhaps he meant to say it more like this:

I wanna play with Bam (he's my dog for real), so obviously Miami.
I wanna play with Mikal Bridges (he's my dog too), so obviously Brooklyn too.

That's what it sounds like to me.  He wants to play with his friends.

Gyso, You’re prolly right. Im just curious as to how many friends he’s claiming.
He recently said Tatum was “his boy” too.

AND ANOTHER ONE..SORT OF…..

*CP38…



GARY WASHBURN
 June 9 at 11:59 AM CT
 MIAMI —

The Celtics face some difficult decisions this summer if they truly want to remain in championship contention. Obviously what they’re doing is good enough to reach the semifinals, which would be admirable if this were college.
Reaching the Final Four is a notable accomplishment in college basketball. But the Celtics have reached five NBA Final Fours in the past seven years  and have come away with no championships, and that’s not progress.
In fact, the Celtics took a step back this year. They had championship aspirations — again — and lost in seven games to the eighth seed, including Game 7 at home by 19 points. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens accurately said the issue was offense.
There was a high level of confusion with the Celtics’ philosophy this season.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized 3-point shooting, which worked effectively most of the time but not in key playoff games. The Celtics shot 30.3 percent from the 3-point line in the Miami series, including a ghastly 18 for 90 from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
With the Celtics’ inability to score from mid-range or at the rim and their continued issues overall with fourth-quarter offense, a considerable adjustment is needed.


This week, the Phoenix Suns began discussions with 38-year-old point guard Chris Paul about trading him, waiving him, or buying him out.  Paul’s contract for 2023-24 is for $30.8 million, with $15.8 million guaranteed, meaning the Suns could waive him and stretch the guaranteed money over five years. 
If the Suns waive Paul, he would be a free agent if his contract isn’t claimed. The Celtics should show interest in Paul if that occurs.
Paul is aging, but he’s still one of the best offensive orchestrators when healthy. It’s not that point guard is always an issue for the Celtics, but it is when they need to execute offense down the stretch. Signing Paul would be a short-term move, because when your championship window is now, you make short-term moves.
Marcus Smart is the Celtics’ current point guard, and he has improved at his distribution over the years, but he hasn’t reached that level where the Celtics consistently close out close games against quality teams. They  lost Games 1 and 2 against Miami because of porous fourth-quarter offense, and that needs an upgrade.
Paul  not only is a premium passer but is brilliant off the pick-and-roll. One thing that makes the Celtics easier to guard is the inability of their guards to hit mid-range jumpers off the pick-and-roll, meaning defenders can cheat and make matters more difficult for premium scorers  Tatum and Brown.

Paul (left) has played 18 NBA seasons and has been an All-Star 12 times.


Paul dipped on mid-range shots this season, but in 2021-22, he converted 57.4 percent of his shots from 8-16 feet and 51.9 percent  from 16-24 feet. By comparison, Smart attempted just 26 mid-range jumpers in 2022-23;  56 percent of his shots were from 3-point range. Mid-range jumpers are just not part of Smart’s game. 
As for Malcolm Brogdon, who was acquired to stabilize the offense, especially down the stretch as a point guard, he was utilized more as a bench scorer, earning him Sixth Man of the Year. Brogdon attempted 84 mid-range jumpers this season, making 41. 
In other words, Paul would bring something to the Celtics they just don’t have. And his  presence wouldn’t  mean Smart and Brogdon have to go, although it would make for a crowded backcourt.
Considering Paul’s age, any team that he plays for next year won’t run him out there for 38 minutes a night for 75 games. 


The Celtics could find roles for all three players and add to their depth, which was not as strong as they believed.
Smart has improved as a point guard and Brogdon became a reliable scorer before his playoff injury, but the offense needs a new wrinkle, and the Celtics have to consider making short-term moves. 
They need someone who can tell Tatum and Brown where to be. They need someone who can burn defenses with mid-range jumpers. They need a commander on offense, and Stevens can’t be concerned with egos  when titles are at stake.
The Celtics can’t just run it back and hope for different results. Teams with championship aspirations  load their rosters with talent and understand that everybody isn’t going to be happy. If they have a chance to acquire a Hall of Fame-bound point guard with a skill set they don’t possess, they should pursue it. 
Paul has his adversaries around the league — he has annoyed teammates  with his intensity — but there is not a smarter and savvier player, and it’s time for the Celtics (and Stevens more specifically) to escape their comfort zone and make considerable change.


Danny Ainge kept adding to the 2007-08 roster with Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown, even though their roles would be reduced. Stevens failed Mazzulla by not adding to this roster. Blake Griffin perhaps could have  added a spark in the playoffs but didn’t play. Mike Muscala was supposed to stretch the floor as a frontcourt 3-point shooter but lasted in the rotation for about two weeks.
There will be plenty of suitors for Paul, including the Lakers and possibly the  Clippers, and  the Celtics should be one of them. They should seriously consider adding him to the roster on a one-year deal. 
It’s time for this franchise to capitalize on its championship window and upgrade aspects of the roster that falter in the playoffs, and the No. 1 priority should be to be less predictable and one-dimensional on offense.


THOUGHTS?

Gary makes loads of sense to me. If Chris Paul wants a ring, here's his best chance.

Lillard just shot down a trade to Boston, and Tatum is giving him crap for it.

That's ok, I would NOT want to give up Jaylen for him.


Bob


.

https://us.yahoo.com/sports/boston-needs-big-depth-detroit-154552841.html


Boston needs big depth, Detroit could use a vet guard; Are these East teams natural trade partners?


Justin Quinn
Fri, June 9, 2023 at 8:45 AM PDT



The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) already has teams changing their thinking about how they should manage their rosters, and the Boston Celtics are no exception. Much speculation has abounded on how the ball club could trim spending while also making some moves to better balance the team in light of what we learned about the Celtics in the 2023 postseason.

The primary candidate floated to be on the move, perhaps surprisingly at first glance given he won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award with Boston is Malcolm Brogdon. And with the team needing depth in the frontcourt, a club like the Detroit Pistons — who lack a veteran point guard to guide their younger floor generals but also have cap space to absorb salary — appear to be an ideal trade partner with a surplus of big men,

Let’s take a look at three potential targets that could save Boston money while addressing their depth that could also help jump-start the Piston’s rebuild.


James Wiseman

Something of a project in terms of where he was drafted vs. what he has been able to do on the floor, a move to Boston might be exactly what both the former No. 2 pick and the Pistons need to get better.

A great rebounder who has at least some offensive game away from the basket if not quite a reliable ability to hit a jumper, Wiseman would still be a solid depth piece with potential for more on a reasonable salary at $12.1 million for 2023-24.

Should the Celtics decide Wiseman is not part of their future, they’d be able to let him walk while cleaning up their books, but if he adds to the team’s ability to win, they’d also have his restricted free agency in hand to retain him.


Marvin Bagley

Another former No. 2 pick, Bagley will forever be in the shadow of a player drafted after him in Luka Doncic. But like Wiseman, the opportunity to play on a good ball club in a role envisioned for the player he is now might be a way to boost the fortunes of all involved in such a swap.

While not a sharpshooter by any means, Bagley’s shot diet is more diverse than Wiseman’s, and a touch more offensively oriented. The ask on Boston’s end would probably be a bit higher, particularly with the Arizona native being on a team-friendly, $12.5 million deal into the 2024-25 season.

But flashes of a more complete player are also there at times, and it would be worth a hard look if Detroit were amenable to letting go of the big man.


Isaiah Stewart

Beef Stew, in our estimation, would be the ideal target of the trio of prospective frontcourt trade options for the Celtics to pursue, with the defensive menace he brings to the floor nightly coupled with an emerging but still raw 3-point shot precisely the sort of big man the team needs.

Add in that the Washington Alum is on an absolute bargain of a rookie deal making just $5.2 million next season, and an exchange of Brogdon for Stewart could solve the bulk of Boston’s cap concerns in the short term as a result.

There is speculation among rival GMs that Stewart could be had in such a deal per HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto, but with clued-in reporters like The Athletic’s James Edwards saying they’d be “stunned” to see him moved, it’d likely take a considerable offer to pry the New Yorker free of the Pistons.


Bob


.

Enough with the vegan diet Boston. Time for some Beef Stew!