How Jordan Crawford Trade Impacts Boston Celtics Rebuilding Blueprint

BLEACHER REPORT

BY ADAM FROMAL (NATIONAL NBA FEATURED COLUMNIST) ON JANUARY 15, 2014

The Boston Celtics continue to stockpile assets.

By acquiring Joel Anthony more draft picks from the Miami Heat, Boston is leaving absolutely no doubt that it's thinking about the future and making some serious strides in the rebuilding process, even if it means losing in 2013-14.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the C's officially parted ways with MarShon Brooks and Jordan Crawford in a three-team deal that goes as follows:

Golden State Warriors get MarShon Brooks and Jordan Crawford

Miami Heat get Toney Douglas

Boston Celtics gets Joel Anthony, conditional first-round pick (from Philadelphia 76ers via Miami) and 2016 second-round pick (from Miami)

Wojnarowski explains that "Miami will send a first-round pick it owns from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Celtics, but that pick becomes two second-round picks should the Sixers miss the playoffs in 2013-14 and 2014-15."

Regardless of when the pick is conveyed, it's still yet another asset in Boston's collection of them.

Crawford had experienced quite the resurgence during the 2013-14 season, as Brad Stevens placed a heavy emphasis on letting him function as more of a playmaker than a scorer.

In early December, the combo guard told MassLive.com's Jay King about his relationship with his head coach: "I think he’s just given me more of a chance, and I appreciate him for that. I just want to repay him by just playing hard, doing what I can for the team.”

Well, Crawford did a lot.

He was averaging 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game and shooting 41.4 percent from the field. After flaming out with both the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards, he was actually a positive contributor, and that allowed the C's to turn him into an asset.

As CBS Sports' Zach Harper wrote:

With Rajon Rondo coming back this week, the Celtics were looking to move Crawford to clear space and playing time for their leader. The Celtics don't save any money in the deal and are right up against the luxury tax line. But they do receive future first round picks to help their reloading effort.

As for Brooks, he clearly didn't have much of a future with the team. Spending some time in the D-League, the Providence product played only 73 minutes in Beantown before he was dealt to the Golden State Warriors, with whom he'll get another fresh start.

But for Boston, what was given up doesn't really matter. It's all about what's still in place and what was gained for the future.

First of all, let's go over the draft picks.


That's...a lot of picks.

Even if the Sixers fail to make the playoffs either of the next two seasons, which means Boston would get an extra second-rounder rather than a coveted first-round selection, Boston is still brimming over with draft picks.

By adding even more, Boston is ensuring its ability to package them, either in an attempt to move up in the selection process or to deal them for a star. It's essentially the same situation the Phoenix Suns are in, and Ryan McDonough's quote in an interview with NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper might as well apply to the C's:

I think one of the things that’s important for people to realize is that we may not draft four players even if we have four picks. Our preference would probably be to maybe package a few of them. We’re obviously all looking for stars and we feel like we can put together a package as good, if not better, than any other team in the league if and when a star becomes available. That’s kind of generally what we’ve wanted to do, not only with our draft-pick situation but also with the cap space that we’ve acquired.

Boston is in the same boat.

In all likelihood, general manager Danny Ainge will be working with two first-round picks in 2014, three in 2015 (Philadelphia should make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference next season) and two more in 2016.


The picks are more spread out than they are in the desert, but the Celtics still have more than they can use, as they aren't going to be interested in adding so many young players over such a short stretch.

So, what about the current roster? Who are the keepers?

Rajon Rondo is the only true star going forward, and that's assuming he returns to full strength after the ACL tear that has prevented him from suiting up thus far in the 2013-14 campaign. Jeff Green isn't quite a star, but he's still a quality player who works well as a secondary or tertiary offensive option.

Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger may be around for the long haul, but neither of them deserves to be in the "star" category.

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Not only is Rondo the lone star, but Boston doesn't have much cap space to use when potential standouts hit the open market. Assuming the Celtics don't pick up the non-guaranteed salaries of Keith Bogans and Phil Pressey, ShamSports.com shows that Boston will have $57.5 million committed for 2014-15 once Anthony inevitably picks up his player option.

That doesn't exactly leave them space to rebuild via free agency. And with Rajon Rondo's contract up for extension going into 2015-16 and Gerald Wallace still on the books, it won't be easy to add another star until 2016.

It's still important for Boston to figure out how it's going to acquire that complementary piece for Rondo before he hits the market, and this deal makes it abundantly clear. In fact, B/R's Zach Buckley even recommends that the C's shop Rondo too, completely restarting the rebuild and maximizing the value of their own draft picks.

Whether or not Rondo is a central figure in the rebuilding vision, the plan is the same. By swinging deals that involve two players who could bring back a relatively sizable return and receiving only draft picks (Joel Anthony might as well not count), Boston is clearly counting on building through the draft.

Regardless of whether Ainge chooses to make all of his selections or packages them for better picks and players, it's all about the early-summer selection process in Beantown.

112288

Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, and Kris Humphries are now the most likely candidates for future moves.

After the Courtney Lee trade, I sensed the floodgates opening.


KJ

KJ,

YOU JUST BEAT ME TO IT!  I THINK GREEN AND I BELIEVE IT WILL BE A NICE YOUNG TALENT AND ANOTHER DRAFT CHOICE.

112288

As Danny the Weaver's wheel turns.

Here's where we are at roughly 51 weeks after the first bomb went off.

Outbound

Doc Rivers, Pierce, KG, JET, Barbosa (who was done that year with an ACL), Jason Collins


Inbound

Brad Stevens, Joel Anthony ($3.8M contract, 1 more year. So he becomes an "expiring contract asset" next year), Hump (valuable both as a player and as an expiring contract), Wallace (declining value as a player, millstone of a contract), Bogans (no value as a player but an expiring contract), 4 (possibly 5) first round picks and 1 (possibly 3) 2nd round picks (if Philly is in the lottery next year then that 5th first rounder becomes two 2nd rounders. Regardless, we get a 2nd from Miami too).


bob


.

I assume that, when the author talks about the Celtics growing through the draft, he's including the possibility of including draft picks as trade bait. Because I continue to feel that their most feasible way to rebuild will involve a heavy infusion from trades. Having a lot of picks is great, but it doesn't really mean a lot if they're mostly marginal ones.

And, yes, I wouldn't be shocked if they traded Jeff Green for Omer Asik because I see no stud center becoming available to them in the draft or through free agency in the foreseeable future, and Green could be a great two-position fit for Houston.

A straight-up Green-Asik swap works financially and saves the Celtics about $300,000 in salary.

Heck, Wallace is pissed because he's not playing more, so why not give him his wish since he's almost certain to be here for a while and can contribute to a defensive mentality? They'd still need another "3," who could conceivably come from the DL.

Sam

I do not see The Rockets making a trade for Jeff Green. They do not need a SF becasue they have Parsons and he is pretty damn good for a 2nd rounder and can be resigned for short money. What they need is another F/C. So unless a third team is involved that needs a SF I just do not see this happening.

I really do not want to watch Wallace suck the energy out of this team when things are not going well.

I might add that we have all been waiting to see how the Celtics play with their top guys Rondo, Green, Bradley and Sully. Let's not cannibalize the children.

dboss

Hi,
On funny side. last night Mike&Tommy showed fictional 2014 Draft order: 1. Boston Celtics; 2. Boston Celtics; 3. Boston Celtics; 4. Bo.....

AK

Sam,

Financially it works. But as DBoss stated, they have Chandler Parsons on the cheap. What would they need with Green's contract when Parsons is actually playing better ball than Jeff is right now?

I could see them trading Hump for Asik + cash.


KJ

KJ,

As I stated on the "Poll" Thread, I don't have a strong feeling, but my gut suggests the Rockets would be most titillated by Green because of his versatility:

• Versatility in his ability to play two positions

• Versatility in providing athleticism as a PF that would complement Howard's bulk

• Versatility in offering slashing/long ball/transition abilities

Bass or Humphries would offer mid-range shooting and pretty good defense against bigs.

If the Rockets didn't bite before on Bass or Humphries, maybe they'll now feel pressured to accept one or the other; but I'm not at all sure about that. I think Green has more game-changing potential than either Brandon or Kris, and that's an area in which the Rockets could use help.

We'll see.

Sam

Sam,

Chances are they could be enticed into trading for Green. But I think Ainge would be wise to line up a suitable replacement at the SF spot first.

My enthusiasm for Wallace has waned as the season has gone on. He still makes hustle plays but he's no scorer and lacks the potential for an explosion of offense, that and he's on the wrong side of 30.



KJ

112288, When you say Brooks had no future with the team, not sure I agree. I think Brooks has potential, and when we look back on this trade some time from now, we'll miss him more than Crawford. He was sent to the D League and tore it up. Not saying I wouldn't have made the trade, because you have to give something to get something - and who knows what comes next. But on the surface, it would appear the pick better pan out or Anthony finds considerable upside, or this one is not a slam dunk IMO. Hawk

hawksnestbeach wrote:112288, When you say Brooks had no future with the team, not sure I agree. I think Brooks has potential, and when we look back on this trade  some time from now, we'll miss him more than Crawford. He was sent to the D League and tore it up. Not saying I wouldn't have made the trade, because you have to give something to get something - and who knows what comes next. But on the surface, it would appear the pick better pan out or Anthony finds considerable upside, or this one is not a slam dunk IMO. Hawk

Brooks *could have* had a future, but that wasn't in the cards. He was destined to be a traded asset.

And I agree, the trade doesn't appear to be a slam dunk. But there is more yet to come.


KJ

dboss wrote:I do not see The Rockets making a trade for Jeff Green.  They do not need a SF becasue they have Parsons and he is pretty damn good for a 2nd rounder and can be resigned for short money.  What they need is another F/C.  So unless a third team is involved that needs a SF I just do not see this happening.  

I really do not want to watch Wallace suck the energy out of this team when things are not going well.

I might add that we have all been waiting to see how the Celtics play with their top guys Rondo, Green, Bradley and Sully.  Let's not cannibalize the children.

dboss

I just saw the Rockets get their head handed to them, Harden and Parsons were ice cold in the 2nd half, they could use Green as a legit back up to both positions, he would add depth to their wing positions....I think they need it. Was great to see Perk nullify Howard within the team defensive scheme. Rockets 7-36 from field in 2nd half, they need more perimeter wing help.

Between Howard, Jones and Casspi, the core of the Rockets' two power positions, are averaging 37 points and 24 rebounds among them. I'd have to agree that their need is more at the SF position as a complement (if not a backup) to Parsons and someone who is able to slide over to PF when needed—especially against other athletic power forwards.

Sam

Right Sam and its proven that Howards offense cannot be relied on to carry a team and Jones is just a rookie, they need more depth at wing or Harden and Parsons could get worn out and Green can even slide over to the 4 to further spread floor and help their running game. We've seen enough of Green that we know hes not the all star building block piece we envisioned, theres alot of other wings out there to acquire or roll the dice on in the draft, but he could help Rockets with his consistent 12-13 points per game.

hawksnestbeach wrote:112288, When you say Brooks had no future with the team, not sure I agree. I think Brooks has potential, and when we look back on this trade  some time from now, we'll miss him more than Crawford. He was sent to the D League and tore it up. Not saying I wouldn't have made the trade, because you have to give something to get something - and who knows what comes next. But on the surface, it would appear the pick better pan out or Anthony finds considerable upside, or this one is not a slam dunk IMO. Hawk

Where did I say that, unless I was using it from the eyes of Stevens, Danny and management. I thought the kid deserved a shot at meaningful minutes but was never given a shot by Stevens from the get go.  It may have been orders from Danny that only play the personnel who we feel we want to keep.  There was no monetary need to trade Brooks but they did.

112288

112288 wrote:

hawksnestbeach wrote:112288, When you say Brooks had no future with the team, not sure I agree. I think Brooks has potential, and when we look back on this trade  some time from now, we'll miss him more than Crawford. He was sent to the D League and tore it up. Not saying I wouldn't have made the trade, because you have to give something to get something - and who knows what comes next. But on the surface, it would appear the pick better pan out or Anthony finds considerable upside, or this one is not a slam dunk IMO. Hawk

Where did I say that, unless I was using it from the eyes of Stevens, Danny and management. I thought the kid deserved a shot at meaningful minutes but was never given a shot by Stevens from the get go.  It may have been orders from Danny that only play the personnel who we feel we want to keep.  There was no monetary need to trade Brooks but they did.

112288

They showcased Lee and Crawford for trades. Brooks to a much smaller extent (D League and garbage minutes) but he was still moved. Bogans is not seeing any play time but they haven't moved him yet (because it's practically impossible). They would love to trade Wallace right now but his hefty contract is too much for other teams to swallow since everyone's racing to get under the cap (minus Brooklyn).

But anyway, the best way to trade assets is to show what they can do.



KJ

This is an excerpt from another blog.  I think it shows the Lee-Bayless and Crawford deal in an interesting light.



Boston, meanwhile, continues a reload, and is proving very good at the sneaky good pickups of potentially valuable assets. With Rondo about to return from injury, Crawford's value was as high as it was getting, so the deal comes at a very deliberate time. Anthony will be a dead weight on the salary cap next season, but he will still cost $1.65 million less than Courtney Lee, now in Memphis, was destined to only a fortnight ago. Boston traded a 2016 second-round pick to move Lee's $5.45 million salary in 2014-15 and $5.675 million salary in 2015-16, then received a first-round pick and a second-round pick for replacing him with only $3.8 million total. The Celtics effectively earned two second-round picks and saved $7 million in salary for only the loss of one decent backup guard whose value was about to be seriously mitigated. That's a good fortnight.

A worrying part of the trade, however, is how little significance MarShon Brooks now seems to carry.

A onetime exciting scoring prospect, Brooks has now been a trade throw-in twice in only six months, and has barely taken the court since his productive, if freelancing rookie campaign. Given the opportunity on that very poor Nets team to essentially do as he wished, Brooks scored well, using his combination of athleticism, occasional range, good body control on the way to the basket, floaters, hesitations and craft. However, given the demands of more regimented, disciplined play ever since, Brooks has failed. Brooks can score, but only looks to. He forces shots, only occasionally plugs in defensively and is not a playmaker. He is also just not as good of a jump shooter as he thinks he is. Brooks is in danger of falling out of the league just two short years removed from being a 12.6 points-per-game scoring rookie.

Then again, this was mostly also once true of Jordan Crawford, and Jordan Crawford seemed to get the message enough to stick around. The player traded just last year for an out-for-the-season Leandro Barbosa and a hasn't-been-good-in-nine-years Jason Collins has now effectively yielded three second-round picks, so much was he able to redeem his play and his value. Brooks may not rebuild his value this much, especially as he has not as much talent. He nevertheless has enough talent to earn a chance at redemption.

Where, however, will Brooks get this opportunity in Golden State? There are scant few minutes behind the Iguodala/Thompson/Barnes wing trio anyway, and what few spot ones there are, Bazemore cleans up. 2013 first-rounder Nemanja Nedovic, a player comparable enough to Brooks to make him obsolete, could not get any minutes, so how will Brooks? Crawford only got his chance at redemption because the situation on a rebuilding Celtics team permitted it. Golden State's situation does not.

Three-team trades rarely see three winners. This one may have. But once again, MarShon Brooks may have lost.



bob
MY NOTE:  Another good part of this trade, which this article reminded me of, is that I no longer have to remember to capitalize the "S" in MarShon.


.

Maybe he is brought back next year after his contract expires in the summer?

112288

I'm not sure either team would be too happy with a Green/Asik swap. Give Green another half season, with Rondo playing, we may get to build up his value enough to anchor a trade for a real star in the summer. His current play has been hurt by his shoulder injury which leads me to believe that his value now is less than what it could be. Finishing the season strong and having two years of control could make Green a far more interesting acquisition in the summer.

I guess I'm just concerned that the Celtics could go many years without getting that young stud intimidator in the middle. Forget the upcoming draft, even if they were to trade for the #1 pick. Forget free agency because, despite upcoming contract terminations on some of the older Celtics players, the total savings will not be immense and there will be many other teams (some in more appealing locations) who will always be able to outspend the Celtics; and upcoming young Celtics will also want their paydays. That leaves trades as the best bet, yet few fans are willing to part with the team's best trade bait as I guess they'd prefer to wait for another very elusive opportunity to luck into some kind of bargain in trading for Mr. Right.

For a real intimidator to become available—especially a relatively young one who could be a real building block for the future—some unusual circumstance usually has to occur. Maybe a star player's about to become a free agent and his team is desperate to trade him rather to lose him for nothing. Maybe there's a sign-and-trade opportunity. But, folks, that commodity is very, very, very difficult to get in a highly competitive environment where there's likely to be more money and/or better trade bait somewhere than the Celtics can offer.

The closest the Celtics have come in recent years was not Kendrick Perkins as some people would believe. It was a composite of Kendrick Perkins AND Kevin Garnett. Another unusual situation that had a relatively brief shelf life as might be anticipated when two people are combining to do one job.

It's at least very possible that most of what currently ails the Celtics defense (including the sagging adjustment that compromises the perimeter defense) is largely due to inadequate "stopping power" in the lane. The longer that situation persists, the more the team is likely to be hampered by a defensive anchor, and what's the old saying about the best offense being generated by the defense? In other words, the team that's supposed to be in developmental mode may continue to try doing so within the context of mediocrity.

It's possible that Mr. Right could be available before the trade deadline in the form of one body—Asik. He's not all that much of an offensive weapon, and he's only improving his free throw shooting by ten (10) percentage points a season. But, if Danny believes he could be that defensive/rebounding stud for the future, I'm willing to bet it will be easier to draft or go through free agency for wing firepower than to do so for Mr. Right.

Sam

No, the answer of how to get Mr. Right will be to trade for a young 1 or 2nd year stud center like Detroit who has 2  young bigs, Therefore they are stuck with you for at least 3 years and then they are restricted free agents and you get to resign them by matching any offer if they are good.


112288

112288,

In looking for a stud intimidator (which is what I feel the Celtics most need in their developmental process), my main criteria would be:

#1 Defense at the rim

#2 Not susceptible to being pushed around

#3 Rebounding

In two of the three categories, Drummond would rate well enough to gain my interest. He's a rebounding horse already, and he's a rising shot-blocking star who keeps the ball in play. He can be pushed around by someone like Howard, but I don't know how much of that is technique versus need for more strength, and there aren't that many Howards around the league.

I believe the Pistons would be more willing to part with Monroe who, in his third year, still looks slow on defense. Of course, he's mainly playing PF, and perhaps his lack of defensive agility wouldn't be as glaring against heavier centers. I just don't believe he shows nearly as much upside as an interior defender as Drummond does. What sets Drummond apart in my book are his defense and rebounding. What sets Monroe apart are his offense (particularly his passing) and rebounding (but not at the level of Drummond).

Perhaps someone who has seen more Pistons games than I have will have more to share about their relative strengths and weaknesses.

As for who would be more readily available, I believe it would be Monroe hands-down. His pairing with Drummond has been described by some as "awkward" because neither possesses much prowess offensively away from the rim. And the Pistons have to be dying to move Smith to PF because he's become a three-baller who's shooting the three at less than 30%. Moreover, I believe Monroe will be a restricted free agent this coming summer.

At this stage, with some reservations, I'd be more comfortable with Drummond's potential than Monroe's as a burgeoning franchise center. I see Drummond as a potential intimidator and game-changer more than Monroe. But I don't believe they'd have even an outside chance of getting Drummond without Rondo being involved—and maybe not even then—and not in just his second season.

If I had a choice between Asik and Drummond, it would be a tough call. I'd probably go for Drummond because I believe Asik may have reached his ceiling but Drummond's ceiling could be virtually unlimited. But Asik is more of a finished product and would probably cost the Celtics less in return. I just don't believe they have a chance in hell of wresting Drummond from the Pistons under almost any circumstances.

Sam

Agree Sam.

112288

for all his faults, not so easy to replace our beast, Perk.