If Avery Bradley Leaves in Free Agency, Which Draft Pick Could Replace Him?

http://www.celticsblog.com/2014/5/8/5695312/if-avery-bradley-leaves-in-free-agency-which-draft-pick-could-replace-boston-celtics-danny-ainge-nba



If Avery Bradley leaves in free agency, which draft pick could replace him?
By Kevin O'Connor  @KevinOConnorNBA on May 8 2014, 2:28p 34



Andrew Wiggins and Marcus Smart battle. - Jamie Squire


No doubt, Avery Bradley has evolved dramatically as a basketball player. He was once a young kid who could barely dribble the ball past half court, but he has now matured and is thriving as one of the most exciting two-way guards in the NBA.

But Bradley is entering restricted free agency for the first time this summer and there is no guarantee that the Boston Celtics resign him. It's also unlikely that we'll see the Celtics return to their extension offered before the season, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.


Avery Bradley’s future with Celtics up in air | Boston Herald
Consider that Avery Bradley - one of the C's brightest hopes in the last four seasons - could easily join the departed.

Bradley's ongoing brittleness considered, the C's are unlikely to return to the four-year, $24 million extension that was previously offered. The injury issue may also limit what he finds on the market this summer.
If another organization jumps in and offers Bradley something outrageous, it's possible that we'll see the Celtics lose him to free agency and get nothing in return. If that happens, they'll have to turn their attention free agency or the draft to find a potential replacement at the two-guard position.


Fortunately, the 2014 NBA Draft will provide them with loads of options. Let's take a look at ten players the Celtics could select as a replacement for Avery Bradley:

Top 8

If the Celtics keep their own first round pick (guaranteed top eight), they'll have a number of high-end choices, including Kansas' Andrew Wiggins, Australia's Dante Exum, and Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart.

Andrew Wiggins, Kansas

Arguably the top prize in this year's draft is Andrew Wiggins, a 6-foot-8 wing out of Kansas. While raw as a scorer, Wiggins is explosive and will be able to get to the rim at will if he tightens up his dribbling. Even if that doesn't happen, the 19-year-old will be a knockdown shooter from mid and long range, thanks to his seemingly effortless form.


Wiggins' greatest value may come on the defensive end, where he uses his excellent agility and his long 84-inch wingspan to bother opponents, get in passing lanes, and block shots. Wiggins' combination of size and speed would also allow the Celtics to switch on nearly every pick-and-roll, which is something they preferred to do last season.

The greatest hurdle for Andrew Wiggins is undoubtedly his attitude. Despite possessing outstanding athleticism, he currently lacks the mentality to utilize it to his full potential, often avoiding contact, or lacking the will to be "the man." Perhaps, Wiggins is just an ordinary player in an extraordinary body, or maybe it will take the proper coaching to awaken the beast inside.

Dante Exum, Australia

If there's one player teams will regret passing on, it's Australia's Dante Exum. Not much is known of Exum, but with impressive performances at the Nike Hoop Summit and FIBA Championships, enough has been seen to virtually guarantee the 18-year-old guard as a top five pick.


At 6-foot-6, Exum could easily slide in for Bradley at the two-guard. Exum is a fantastic ball-handler and possesses an elite first step, which he has clearly adapted from players like Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose (who happen to be his two idols). However, Exum must improve as a shooter, though he has fantastic mechanics to build on. With a determined attitude, there is a good chance that Exum will achieve any goals he sets for himself.

Drafting Dante Exum would not only give the Celtics a replacement for Bradley; it would also provide them with an heir apparent for Rajon Rondo in the event that he leaves the team via trade or free agency. Skills-wise, Exum is the prototypical modern combo-guard, but his height and length will allow him to play either position at a high level.

Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State

At 6-foot-4, Marcus Smart is undersized to play shooting guard, but so is Avery Bradley, at only 6-foot-2. But, like Bradley, Smart is a ferocious defender, with outstanding lateral quickness and a "you shall not pass" mentality. In that sense, Smart is a rim protector, since ball handlers seldom get to the paint. Smart averaged 2.9 steals per game in his collegiate career, and will likely carry that success over to the NBA.


The problem with Smart is finding his position on offense. He hasn't developed the passing skills to be a true point guard, yet he still lacks the consistent shooting mechanics of a prototypical two-guard. With a subpar 29.9 three-point percentage and some horrific mechanics, Smart has a long way to go as a perimeter scorer. However, he arguably has the best dribble out of any player in this draft, as he gets to the rim at ease, where he draws fouls and finishes at a high rate.

Despite the concerns about finding Smart a position, we've seen other 6-foot-4 combo-guards make a Hall of Fame career with below average perimeter shooting, elite ball-handling skills, fierce defense, and a killer mentality -- you know, like Dwyane Wade. Maybe Marcus Smart has "it", even if "it" doesn't include three-point shooting.

Trade Down or Trade Up

If the Celtics trade down with their top first rounder, or up with their first from Brooklyn, there are two options for them at the back-end of the lottery. Those players are Michigan State's Gary Harris and Michigan's Nik Stauskas.

Gary Harris, Michigan State


Michigan State's Gary Harris might actually be a clone of Avery Bradley. Like AB, he's a terrific defender, a knockdown spot-up shooter, an improving pick-and-roll playmaker, a threat in transition, a bit undersized (6-foot-4), and a gritty leader. I'd argue that Harris has one of the highest floors of any player in this draft, as I see little chance that he completely busts.

The Bradley to Harris transition would be seamless, since both have similar skillsets, but that's exactly why there could be better options. Both of them still need to improve their above-the-break three-point shooting, which is important for a two-guard in Brad Stevens' motion offense. But Harris' abilities as a complimentary scorer and a top-notch defender would ease the potential loss of Bradley.

Nik Stauskas, Michigan

If you like players with pretty jump shots, you'll love Nik Stauskas, one of the finest three-point shooters in this year's draft. With a picture-perfect shooting form, the 6-foot-6 guard shot 44.2 percent from three and 82.4 percent from the line this season. But Stauskas isn't just a spot-up shooter, since he scores equally well off the dribble, which will make him a serious threat on the NBA's open floor.

Stauskas' defense leaves a lot to be desired, since even average college players burned him, but he brings a high work ethic that will certainly help him at the next level. Nik Stauskas might be the perfect shooting guard in the draft for Brad Stevens, since he brings both deep shooting range and playmaking abilities in the pick-and-roll.

Moving Jeff Green to SG

Boston could also replace Avery Bradley by finding a starting small forward like Croatia's Dario Saric and Creighton's Doug McDermott, and then shifting Jeff Green to the two-guard position. Part of Green's value is his versatility, since he can essentially play three positions: shooting guard, small forward, and power forward.

Dario Saric, Croatia


One of the fast risers on my big board is Croatia's Dario Saric. After winning the Adriatic League title, Saric proved that he could become a great NBA player. With rare versatility on offense, Saric could fill up the box score with points, rebounds, assists, and blocks.

Pinning Dario Saric's draft positioning is difficult, since he could easily go top six, or drop to the back of the lottery. Regardless, the Celtics have spent extensive time scouting him because of the glut of skills he will bring to the NBA.

Doug McDermott, Creighton


In extraordinary fashion, Doug McDermott amassed 3,150 points over his four-year career at Creighton. McDermott was one of the best college players of all-time due to his incredible work ethic, which allowed him to constantly build on his game on his way to becoming a complete scorer.

That's exactly what Doug McDermott will bring to the NBA: versatile scoring. McDermott can drain shots at an elite rate from deep, but he also has a unique mid-range game, and the ability to score at the rim. If Boston selected McDermott, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see him make an impact during his rookie year.

Picks #17 through #30

If the Celtics keep their pick at number 17, P.J Hairston, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Jordan Adams, could be an option for them. But it wouldn't be surprising if one of them slipped to the back of the first round, where the Celtics could trade for an additional pick to snatch them.

P.J. Hairston, D-League

After being exiled from North Carolina, P.J. Hairston had a successful stint in the NBA D-League, averaging 21.8 points per game. Hairston is a below-the-rim player, but he is excellent in the half court because of his outstanding skills as a spot-up, off-screen, and off-the-dribble shooter.

The problem with Hairston is that he doesn't bring much else besides scoring. He doesn't rebound or pass very well, though his defense is better than advertised. P.J. Hairston also might have some attitude concerns, since he already has had problems with the law, but positive player interviews could change the league-wide perception of him and raise his draft stock.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia


At 6-foot-6 with a huge 83-inch wingspan, Bogdan Bogdanovic brings great size alongside his ideal skills at the shooting guard position. The 21-year-old from Serbia has a fantastic three-point stroke, though he must improve off the dribble to complete his game.

In addition, Bogdanovic brings point guard skills to the table, since he is a solid ball handler and a skilled passer. Bogdanovic might not be the flashiest pick in this draft but the Celtics could use him like a poor man's Manu Ginobili as a pick-and-roll playmaker.

Jordan Adams, UCLA

UCLA's Jordan Adams is a do-it-all shooting guard that could end up being the steal of the first round. Adams is only 19-years-old but already has a high IQ, magnificent instincts, and natural scoring touch from anywhere on the court. He's the model of efficiency, performing at a high level as a cutter, slasher, spot-up shooter, and as a pick-and-roll ball handler.

Jordan Adams might lack the high-end athleticism many other players have, but it's obvious that he just knows how to play the game and will continue to improve. It wouldn't be surprising if Adams elevates his stock to borderline lottery status by the time group workouts are completed, which is right where the Celtics could be picking.




bob
MY NOTE:  This is the first time I've heard someone suggest that Jeff Green be permanently moved to SG.  I've seen him play defense at 3, maybe even 4 positions, for a while but permanently?  This is also the first time I've seen someone suggest that Wiggins should be an NBA 2.  An uber-athletic 6'8" SG who can shoot like crazy and plays mad defense?  Wow.  Rondo, Wiggins, Green, Hump/Sully/KO and a center to-be-named later?  That's getting really close, really close.

Doing a sign-and-trade with Bradley (he's a restricted free agent, so we can match and keep control of the situation) for a rim protector, like Asik?  I'd do that.  I love Bradley.  I love his pitbull defense, I love the way he has elevated his offense and I absolutely adore his pure, concentrated ganas but we need a rim protector like mammals need air.  If we trade Bradley for Asik and then draft Wiggins, Exum or Smart we've taken a big step forward.





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bob,

Good analysis, but I don't think Houston would have much interest in Bradley since they have Harden at SG. Avery is quite a good NBA player and with improvement, could be a very good NBA player, but he really is not a PG and that's the biggest weakness that Houston has.
Houston will be looking to upgrade the PG position this summer.

I'd have to agree with TJ that Bradley to Houston isn't the most feasible scenario.

I'd prefer the Celtics do what they can to keep him. A two-way player like Bradley is the kind of guy every team needs. He may not be a superstar, but a team doesn't need superstars at every starting position.



KJ

tjmakz wrote:bob,

Good analysis, but I don't think Houston would have much interest in Bradley since they have Harden at SG. Avery is quite a good NBA player and with improvement, could be a very good NBA player, but he really is not a PG and that's the biggest weakness that Houston has.
Houston will be looking to upgrade the PG position this summer.

TJ,

Yeah, Houston might not be interested in Bradley, except maybe to play defense for Harden (Cut! Defense needed. Send in the stunt double). It could be 3 team deal though. I used Asik more as a stalking horse than trying to suggest a specific trade. The idea was Bradley plus whomever/whatever for a center or an offensive assassin, which we also need.



bob


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Bob, the notion of moving Green to SG caught my attention too. IF he could function permanently in the role, his height would make it easier for him to avoid being caught in traps in his forays to the hoop. He's not at all bad in shooting from the perimeter with a hand in his face—sometimes even falling away in the process (amazing!). With an added height advantage, the three-ball might be even easier for Jeff. On defense, he has some pretty good instincts in tracking down opponents in transition and stuffing them. I believe the combination of a height advantage and his natural athleticism would make him a more complete halfcourt defender at SG. However, he wouldn't ever begin to duplicate Avery's ability to hound opponents. Who can? Not even Avery can now hound opponents as consistently as Avery was able to do a couple of years ago.

This is one potential move, instead of dumping on Jeff for what he isn't, a more positive effort might be made to capitalize better on what he is.

That name Exum keeps coming up in discussions of both the PG and SG position. That unlocks something in my undersized brain that keeps shouting, "Sixth Man." I find myself wondering what a four man rotation of Rondo, Green, Exum and Bayless would be like. Maybe with Green and Exum also rotating at SF with a moderate-cost free agent acquisition.

A core of Asik (or Gortat if you must), Sully, Humph, Anthony, Faverani, Mr. Free Agent SF, Green, Exum, Rondo, Bayless, Pressey. I certainly don't hate it in the second year of rebuilding.

Bass, Kelly and picks used in trade for Asik. Yup, I included Kelly because you have to give value to get value. And please don't bother to bring up monetary issues (including what Asik will want next season). My only concern is what will make the Celtics a better team—especially on defense. If Asik were to jump ship after next season, presumably they'd have achieved a much better defensive mind set in 2014-15; and they'd have Asik's (and Humph's, if he signs a one-year deal) deductions from the cap to work with in free agency and an improved roster to use as trade bait.

Sam

Sam,

Funny that you brought up Kelly. I was just saying to dboss last week that I believe Kelly is a future trade asset. He has potential to become Sixth Man of the Year someday and could be an enticing piece to another team. I think Danny is waiting to "sell high." If Kelly's growth this year is any indication of that as a possibility, I'd say things are progressing right on schedule.



KJ

sam wrote:Bob, the notion of moving Green to SG caught my attention too.  IF he could function permanently in the role, his height would make it easier for him to avoid being caught in traps in his forays to the hoop.  He's not at all bad in shooting from the perimeter with a hand in his face—sometimes even falling away in the process (amazing!).  With an added height advantage, the three-ball might be even easier for Jeff.  On defense, he has some pretty good instincts in tracking down opponents in transition and stuffing them.  I believe the combination of a height advantage and his natural athleticism would make him a more complete halfcourt defender at SG.  However, he wouldn't ever begin to duplicate Avery's ability to hound opponents.  Who can?  Not even Avery can now hound opponents as consistently as Avery was able to do a couple of years ago.

This is one potential move, instead of dumping on Jeff for what he isn't, a more positive effort might be made to capitalize better on what he is.

That name Exum keeps coming up in discussions of both the PG and SG position.    That unlocks something in my undersized brain that keeps shouting, "Sixth Man."  I find myself wondering what a four man rotation of Rondo, Green, Exum and Bayless would be like.  Maybe with Green and Exum also rotating at SF with a moderate-cost free agent acquisition.

A core of Asik (or Gortat if you must), Sully, Humph, Anthony, Faverani, Mr. Free Agent SF, Green, Exum, Rondo, Bayless, Pressey.  I certainly don't hate it in the second year of rebuilding.

Bass, Kelly and picks used in trade for Asik.  Yup, I included Kelly because you have to give value to get value.  And please don't bother to bring up monetary issues (including what Asik will want next season).  My only concern is what will make the Celtics a better team—especially on defense.  If Asik were to jump ship after next season, presumably they'd have achieved a much better defensive mind set in 2014-15; and they'd have Asik's (and Humph's, if he signs a one-year deal) deductions from the cap to work with in free agency and an improved roster to use as trade bait.

Sam

sam and KJ,

You'd rather keep Sully than KO?

An argument could be made that Sully will never be Kevin Love or LaMarcus Aldridge because he's 6'9" and not very athletic but Kelly could be Dirk 2.0.



bob


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Bob and KJ,

Although I said the other day that I don't like comparing players, since you brought up player comparisons, I believe Sully could become the same kind of impact player Don Nelson was. Not that they had anything like identical games. But they both have/had specialties that make/made them valuable to contending teams. Nellie's specialty (as I saw it) was the ability to rise to the occasion on offense. In Sully's relatively short career, he has already carved out (literally) a specialty in his ability to rise to the occasion in the trenches. Neither of them, however is/was a one-trick pony, as they both have/had may desirable abilities.

I like Kelly, and I especially like the way he has improved in so many ways. Especially impressive, and pretty much flying under the radar during the last part of the season, was the bump in his three-point shooting percentage. Every time I watch him, I think he's not all that much of a rebounder—until I glance at the box score and see that he has nine boards.

I'm not as concerned about Kelly's strength as some people are. I'm sure he'll improve in that area because he's too smart not to. But I'll always think of him as heavy-legged, which I believe costs him when he has to make quick starts, stops, cuts, etc. in covering agile opponents. His short arms are likely to make him more of an opportunistic rebounder than a dominating rebounder. When I think about which of these two guys could come up biggest in the clutch five years from now, I have to go with Sully.

All things being equal, I'd love to see Kelly stay and grow with the Celtics. But I've believed you have to give value to get value ever since Red Auerbach traded two future hall-of-famers for the rights to Bill Russell. And I think that Sully can be the trench warrior specialist that most championship teams need, while I'm not seeing any dominant specialty on Kelly's part. I believe Kelly's value lies more in his all-around potential to be good at a number of things but great at none.

Sorry, but I'm not buying the Dirk/Kelly comparison—even in terms of future potential. Dirk's too tough and too consistent for Kelly to get into that conversation as far as I'm concerned.

Sam

BobH, Sam,

When I mentioned Kelly, it was not necessarily in the context of wanting Sully over him. I just meant it as who I think Ainge would be more willing to part with in a trade. But even with that said, I probably would keep Sullinger over Olynyk. Sullinger is a more natural aggressor than Kelly. He fights in the post like a man living on instincts alone. Kelly is "willing" to scrap it up in the post, but that's not really his game, and I think it can somewhat be a detriment at times for him. Kelly is more finesse and can run the floor well. He knows how to pass and is a decent shooter when he isn't hesitant. I think Stevens should be utilizing Kelly to stretch spacing as opposed to Sully.

To revert to my original point, I can just see Danny dangling Olynyk in the next big trade. I'm not sure why, I just get that vibe.


KJ

One hitch in the Green-to-shooting-guard idea is that shooting guards normally need to be better ballhandlers than small forwards, and that is not one of Green's strengths.

Outside wrote:One hitch in the Green-to-shooting-guard idea is that shooting guards normally need to be better ballhandlers than small forwards, and that is not one of Green's strengths.

Very true.

But then, small forwards and shooting guards are utilized in similar ways when it comes to offense. Jeff could do it, though I'd rather have Bradley, and Bradley isn't a great ball handler, either.

Here's a prospective roster I considered:

Starting 5:

PG: Rondo
SG: Bradley
SF: Green
PF: Parker
C: Gortat

That would be a fun group to watch.



KJ

KJ,

You're right that it's not an absolute necessity for a shooting guard. Ray Allen isn't the greatest ballhandler either, and he seems to have forged a decent career anyway. While he's not exactly Ray Allen, Bradley is more of a spot up shooter than a creator. I suppose Green could do that as well.

Whether he'll be a SF or SG (or both) this coming season, it would behoove Jeff to work on his ballhandling skills. I can't think of anything more important for him to improve other than his consistency, and I'm not aware of any drills to upgrade consistency.

Sam

I wouldn't keep Humphries over KO myself.

Bass and a future first and throw in Bogans non-guaranteed deal for Asik. (Hou can add whatever they need to dump to make the salary's work).

draft Exum and TJ Warren

re-sign Bayless at about $3M for 1-2 years.


BTW, my opinion on Exum has improved since I learned that his dad played at north Carolina I think with Jordan and then played professionally in Australia for a while also.

nothing like good genes and a family history of being a pro player, for a young guy to be ready for the pro game, IMO.

kdp,

My reason for re-signing Humph and offering Kelly in a trade for Asik is not because I prefer Humph over Kelly.  It's because (1) I don't believe Bass, Bogans and a #1 will be sufficiently attractive for Houston to bite and (2) the Celtics are fortunate to have a relationship with someone (Humph) who represents a good fallback substitute for Kelly at more positions (PF and C) than Kelly does (PF only).

But, if the Celtics did succeed in swapping Bass, Bogans and a #1 for Asik as you suggested, that trade would work financially without any additional players required on either side (according to Trade Machine).

Sam

k_j_88 wrote:

Outside wrote:One hitch in the Green-to-shooting-guard idea is that shooting guards normally need to be better ballhandlers than small forwards, and that is not one of Green's strengths.

Very true.

But then, small forwards and shooting guards are utilized in similar ways when it comes to offense. Jeff could do it, though I'd rather have Bradley, and Bradley isn't a great ball handler, either.

Here's a prospective roster I considered:

Starting 5:

PG: Rondo
SG: Bradley
SF: Green
PF: Parker
C: Gortat

That would be a fun group to watch.



KJ

KJ,

At 6'8", 240# I suspect that college PF Jabari Parker might be too small to be an NBA PF. He's the same height as Bass, 10# lighter than Bass, has a shorter wingspan than Bass (6'11"-7'0" vs 7'2"). He may be more mobile and versatile than Bass, I haven't watched Parker much, but that would be the only thing that he'd have over him and that wouldn't help him much on defense and under the boards.

I've always thought and heard of Parker as being projected as a SF.


bob


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sam wrote:kdp,

My reason for re-signing Humph and offering Kelly in a trade for Asik is not because I prefer Humph over Kelly.  It's because (1) I don't believe Bass, Bogans and a #1 will be sufficiently attractive for Houston to bite and (2) the Celtics are fortunate to have a relationship with someone (Humph) who represents a good fallback substitute for Kelly at more positions (PF and C) than Kelly does (PF only).

But, if the Celtics did succeed in swapping Bass, Bogans and a #1 for Asik as you suggested, that trade would work financially without any additional players required on either side (according to Trade Machine).

Sam

sam,

I don't see Hump as being able to play center.  He was thrown into it this year, occasionally, but that's out of position for him like playing center was out of position for Sully.  Sully had the beef to get away with it while Hump weighs about the same as Kelly but is the same height as Sully.  Hump's neatest trick at center was the old "pull the chair out from under his man" trick.  That probably won't work as many times next year.

Kelly needs to hit the weight room, I think we all agree on that, but if he adds 10-15# of muscle onto his current 238# over the next year or two he will weigh 248-253#.  That's getting up into the range a center needs to weigh to compete.  I think those extra pounds could be stretched out across Kelly's 7'0" frame in such a way as to not detract from his strengths, which are his ball handling, passing and shooting.  Also, Kelly just had his first lesson that playing NBA center is a man's game, boys need not apply.  We saw him take a different, more physical approach to the game in the last month or two of the season.  If Hump put 10-15# on his 235# he'd be grossly out-of-condition.  Therefore I don't believe Hump can ever play center other than in a pinch.  Kelly could, for versatility reasons and not just because of injuries or roster holes, play 10-15 mpg at center and another 18-20 at PF and have it all work.  Kelly is not a starting NBA center, and maybe never will be, but he could be a solid rotation backup center.  KG played much the same role, albeit much better than Kelly ever will.  I don't see Hump ever being able to be a regular rotation center in the NBA.

I think it is too soon to say Kelly cannot play center in the NBA.  Would he be more effective playing PF?  Perhaps, but so would Hump.  As a two-position player, though, I think Kelly has more potential than Hump.  The two positions with the longest learning/growth curves are PG and C.  In the case of centers the growth is often more physical than mental, their bodies need to grow into the position.  In his rookie year Sully was a slow, earthbound PF that was getting blocked at least once if not twice a game.  Not this year.  My jury is still way out on Kelly's final capabilities and value.

On to your point about what it will take to land Asik, you may be right from July - February, but perhaps not as right in late February - March 1st.  If there is any feeling by Daryl Morey that Asik is either still unhappy and may not re-sign with Houston or that the twin tower idea isn't working, then the price may come down.  Morey will not want to lose Asik for nothing next summer.  We want Asik (or whomever) asap so we can start building the core asap but Danny thinks in different time lines than we do.


bob


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Sam,

while I agree 100% that Asik should be one of the top three centers that Ainge tries to get this off-season.

I feel that Bass, KO and a draft pick is way over valuing him.

here is why:
1) this season proved twice that he can't play WITH Howard, so he is a high priced back up if he stays at Houston.

2)he will be on the last year of his contract and there is NO way that Houston will re-sign him for anything close to FMV after the season.

3) the $15M in cold hard cash he is taking from the owners pockets this season. Even with his cap # at $8.3...they still need to pay him the cash money....Might be hard for the owners to swallow at his level of play as a BU.

4) They already saw what their high expectations for a trade got them at mid-season...crickets chirping and first round exit in the playoffs.

the only thing pushing up Asik's trade value to me could be a bidding war with another team.

Bass who fits what Houston needs better and has 2 years left on a deal that pays less in cash than Asiks one year), a future first round pick (gives Morely means to say, "see I held out and got more") and Bogans being cut allows them to sign an additional FA at $5M for next year with no cap problems.

I think its fair deal for both teams and I don't think I have my green goggles on too tight, I mean we are giving them THREE assets for a player signed for only one year.

bobheckler wrote:
KJ,

At 6'8", 240# I suspect that college PF Jabari Parker might be too small to be an NBA PF. He's the same height as Bass, 10# lighter than Bass, has a shorter wingspan than Bass (6'11"-7'0" vs 7'2"). He may be more mobile and versatile than Bass, I haven't watched Parker much, but that would be the only thing that he'd have over him and that wouldn't help him much on defense and under the boards.

I've always thought and heard of Parker as being projected as a SF.

I only say PF because that's what he's listed as. But I do see him as a future SF. Who knows, maybe he can be a SF and PF depending on the situation?

bobheckler wrote:
I think it is too soon to say Kelly cannot play center in the NBA. Would he be more effective playing PF? Perhaps, but so would Hump. As a two-position player, though, I think Kelly has more potential than Hump. The two positions with the longest learning/growth curves are PG and C. In the case of centers the growth is often more physical than mental, their bodies need to grow into the position. In his rookie year Sully was a slow, earthbound PF that was getting blocked at least once if not twice a game. Not this year. My jury is still way out on Kelly's final capabilities and value.

Other than small stretches during games, I don't know if I like Kelly as a full time center. His advantages would be mitigated because he will always be at a disadvantage on the defensive end and he is not a rim protector.


kdp,

One reason I am a bit hesitant about a trade for Asik is that his contract would be expiring after next season. The Celtics could very well trade away good assets for a player that may not even stay.


KJ

Bob,

If one believes the column you posted about Ainge (and I happen to believe it), the move for a center will come sooner rather than later. The latter portion of next season is the farthest thing from my mind right now, and I be the same is true of Danny.

I'm not thinking of Humph as a starting center, but he did a good enough job against opposing starting centers this past season that I believe he'd be a good center backup for the Celtics (certainly better than Faverani), especially since he'd likely be spending the majority of his time against other bench centers.

It may not be too early to decide that Kelly is not equipped to play center, but I'm nearly age 77, and I don't have another six years to wait for #18. Moreover, when Danny gets a real center, there wouldn't be the need to develop Kelly at that position, even if were possible (which I seriously doubt).

Sam