Center options for the off-season.

to rehash some previous conversations, most of us feel that either upgrading or supplementing the center position is the top off-season need. I'll list some of our options here along with my take of what it would cost to get each. I am not adding my opinion of each player only what I think it will cost.

Pipe in with players I might have missed or with others thoughts on cost/ etc.

Draft first:

K. Anthony-Towns- top 2 pick and almost impossible to get.

J. Okafor- top 2-3 pick, again little chance to get him.

W. Cauley- Stein- pick 5-8 range. Would require multiple first round picks (2-3) and/or players to move up.

M. Tuner- 8-12 range. #16 & 28 picks along with a future first could get us there.

F. Kaminsky- 10-16 range, could be there with the #16 pick alone.

R. Upshaw- 20-40 pick (big range I know). Celtics could have two shots at him at #28 and 33.

M. Jaiteh- 30-40 pick. Celtics could snag him at 33.

D. Johnson- 30-40. same as above.


UFA:
D. Jordan (LAC)- max deal needed.

M. Gasol (Mem)- Max deal needed.

T. Chandler (Dal)- $10-12 M first year.

Robin Lopez (Port)- $10-12M first year.

O. Asik (NO)- $8-12M

Jason Smith (NY)- $5-7M

K. Perkins (Clev)- $5-7M

K. Koufos (Mem)- $5-7M

C. Aldrich (NY)- $3-4M

A. Ajinca (NO)- $3-4M


RFA: (teams can match)

E. Kanter (Okl)- $8-12M per year

B. Biyombo (Char)- $5-7M

H. Sims (Phil)- $2-4M

P. Antic (Atl)- $3-5M

K. O'Quinn (Orl)- $2-4M

A. Baynes (SA)- $3-5M


Players' with options or team options:

Brook Lopez (Bkn)- $16M player option means he takes it.

A. Jefferson (Char)- $13M player option, he may opt out for a longer term deal at his age. new deal will be in the $14-16M range.

J. Hill (LAL)- $9M TEAM option. I say they let him be a UFA. new deal in the $7-9M range.

R. Hibbert (Ind)- Pacer may WANT him to opt out, but he has $15M reasons not too.

T. Mozgov (Clev)- team option at under $5M.

M. Speights (GS)- Team option under $4M.




Possible trade options:

D. Cousins (Sac)- under contract for a couple more years under $15M/ year. Will cost a ton to get from the Kings. Probably cost us three first rounder's , Smart and Zeller minimum.

G. Dieng (Minn)- Probably not available unless they pick Towns or Okafor in the draft. If so would cost a couple first rounders and a young player.

N. Pekovic (Minn)- same as above, on he is under contract at $12M per year already. would cost less because of it, with his long injury history.

Brook Lopez (Bkn)- when he opts in the Nets might look to trade him (like this year). would cost a couple first rounders IMO.

R. Hibbert (Ind)- once he opts in, Bird will try desperately to move him. I think he'd take a first to get rid of him now.

T. Splitter (SA)- Talk of Aldridge joining Duncan next year, would require moving Splitter. not a huge deal ( $6-7M range). may only take a first rounder to get him.



that's my list of centers right now.

some players like L. Aldridge, K. Love I have as a PF not a center and so I don't have them listed here. feel free to add them if you like and what you think it will cost to get them.

Thanks for the rundown, kdp.  It's about time we heard something from you.  LOL.  Seriously, thanks for being one of what I think of as the "new breed" of poster on the board.

Sam

well, I do tend to drone on...and on, I guess.

but I like to see things in one place, makes it easier for me anyway.

I'll add Power forwards to the thread now as well:

Draft:

K. Porzingis- should be picked in the 5-8 range.

T. Lyles- 10-14 range. might be there at #16, if he falls slightly.

B. Portis- 12-16. Close to our pick at 16.

K. Looney- 12-18. Same as Portis.

M. Harrell- 15-24. Might fall between our two picks.

C. Wood- 16-24. Same as Harrell.

J. Martin, C. McCullough, J. Mickey & C. Alexander- all in the 24-35 range. A couple of these guys should be there at #28 or #33.

UFA:

L. Aldridge (Port)- Max deal.

P. Milsap (Atl)- $15M /year or more

J. Smith (Hou)- $6-8M

A. Bargnani (NY)- $6-8M

A. Johnson (Tor)- $8-10M

B. Bass (Bos)- $6-8M

C. Boozer (LAL)- $5-7M

A. Stoudemire (Dal)- $6-8M

L. Scola (Ind)- $5-7M

B. Wright (Phoe)- $4-6m

D. Arther (Den)- $5-7M

L. Allen (Ind)- $3-5M

J. Jerebko (Bos)- $4-6M

K. Seraphin (Wash)- $4-6M

T. Hansbrough (Tor)- $4-6M


RFA (Teams can match):

D. Green (GS)- $15M

T. Thompson (Clev)- $8-10M

M. Teletovic (Bkn)- $5-7M

Q. Acy (NY)- $3-5M


Players with options or team options:

K. Love (clev)- $16M player option. he probably opts out for a long term max deal.

D. West (ind)- $12M player option. He takes it and stays.

E. Davis (LAL)- $1M player option. He'll opt out and get in the $5-7M range.


Trades:

I haven't even thought about trades for PF's now, so your help is needed here.

kdp59 wrote:I'll add Power forwards to the thread now as well:

Draft:

K. Porzingis- should be picked in the 5-8 range.

T. Lyles- 10-14 range. might be there at #16, if he falls slightly.

B. Portis- 12-16. Close to our pick at 16.

K. Looney- 12-18. Same as Portis.

M. Harrell- 15-24. Might fall between our two picks.

C. Wood- 16-24. Same as Harrell.

J. Martin, C. McCullough, J. Mickey & C. Alexander- all in the 24-35 range. A couple of these guys should be there at #28 or #33.

UFA:

L. Aldridge (Port)- Max deal.

P. Milsap (Atl)- $15M /year or more

J. Smith (Hou)- $6-8M

A. Bargnani (NY)- $6-8M

A. Johnson (Tor)- $8-10M

B. Bass (Bos)- $6-8M

C. Boozer (LAL)- $5-7M

A. Stoudemire (Dal)- $6-8M

L. Scola (Ind)- $5-7M

B. Wright (Phoe)- $4-6m

D. Arther (Den)- $5-7M

L. Allen (Ind)- $3-5M

J. Jerebko (Bos)- $4-6M

K. Seraphin (Wash)- $4-6M

T. Hansbrough (Tor)- $4-6M


RFA (Teams can match):

D. Green (GS)- $15M

T. Thompson (Clev)- $8-10M

M. Teletovic (Bkn)- $5-7M

Q. Acy (NY)- $3-5M


Players with options or team options:

K. Love (clev)- $16M player option. he probably opts out for a long term max deal.

D. West (ind)- $12M player option. He takes it and stays.

E. Davis (LAL)- $1M player option. He'll opt out and get in the $5-7M range.


Trades:

I haven't even thought about trades for PF's now, so your help is needed here.

kdp,


After all that talk about Upshaw he just fell off the table?



bob


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Upshaw still looks to be right about where he was. While there was some excitement that he measured tall at the combine (who knew he was a seven footer, or who didn't I should say). his limited play in school and the fact two school wanted him GONE, despite his talent level, still is the overriding factor.


I think some team will take a flyer on him late in the first or eary second, but I doubt he'll be much help as a rookie for whoever drafts him (but what player selected there is much help?).

If Ainge keeps his picks, I could see him taking him at 28 or 33 (especially at 33), as a low risk pick.

IF upshaw has beaten his demons (whatever they are) or can beat them, he might develop into a  solid NBA center.

kdp59 wrote:Upshaw still looks to be right about where he was. While there was some excitement that he measured tall at the combine (who knew he was a seven footer, or who didn't I should say). his limited play in school and the fact two school wanted him GONE, despite his talent level, still is the overriding factor.


I think some team will take a flyer on him late in the first or eary second, but I doubt he'll be much help as a rookie for whoever drafts him (but what player selected there is much help?).

If Ainge keeps his picks, I could see him taking him at 28 or 33 (especially at 33), as a low risk pick.

IF upshaw has beaten his demons (whatever they are) or can beat them, he might develop into a  solid NBA center.

This mock draft has us taking Bobby Portis at 16, Memphis taking Upshaw at 25 and us taking Jarrell Martin at 28.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/2015-nba-mock-draft--post-lottery-edition-172411927.html

If Ainge ends up with Portis and Martin he should be fired.....

Portis can score alittle and can't rebound or defend, we already have too many players like that.

cowens/oldschool wrote:If Ainge ends up with Portis and Martin he should be fired.....

Portis can score alittle and can't rebound or defend, we already have too many players like that.

cow - If you didn't like that one, here's a mock draft (SI's) you'll like even less. It has us taking 6-9 Sam Dekker at 16 and 6-9 Aleksandar Vezenkov at 28, still leaving us with absolutely no rim protection:

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/05/20/nba-mock-draft-karl-anthony-towns-jahlil-okafor-timberwolves-lakers-knicks

This one's better: Trey Lyles at 16 and Robert Upshaw at 28:

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/20/pbts-nba-mock-draft-1-0-things-get-interesting-starting-with-new-york-at-four/

steve

I would be thrilled with Kaminsky and Upshaw, then we could get rid of Zeller and KO, however if you took Kaminsky first at 16 theres no guarentee Upshaw will still be there later. We absolutely need a rim protecting intimidator, so just grab Upshaw first at 16, then the best player available at 28.

cow

Cowens,

why do you think Upshaw is worth the #16 pick?

if you really want to upgrade our rim protecting (and I agree it should be priority one), then drafting someone at 16 or below most likely won't be much help next year.

better to look at free agents or possible trades to get that guy, IMO.

Cowens,

The whole thing is in your hands.  All you have to do between now and draft night is get your butt over to the Knicks' office.  Take Steve with you; he's a promoter.

Seek out Phil Jackson, and threaten him with some of your martial arts.  A gun would also work.  Tell him he survives only if he trades his #4 pick (aka Cauley-Stein) to the Celtics for the Celts' second round pick this season and the wave of the future, James Young.  And stay there with Phil until he completes the trade.

It could take a while.  Take food.

Then the Celtics draft Cauley-Stein, Kaminsky, and Upshaw and beat all the other teams into submission next season.

It's all up to you and Steve, Cow.

Sam

sam wrote:Cowens,

The whole thing is in your hands.  All you have to do between now and draft night is get your butt over to the Knicks' office.  Take Steve with you; he's a promoter.

Seek out Phil Jackson, and threaten him with some of your martial arts.  A gun would also work.  Tell him he survives only if he trades his #4 pick (aka Cauley-Stein) to the Celtics for the Celts' second round pick this season and the wave of the future, James Young.  And stay there with Phil until he completes the trade.

It could take a while.  Take food.

Then the Celtics draft Cauley-Stein, Kaminsky, and Upshaw and beat all the other teams into submission next season.

It's all up to you and Steve, Cow.

Sam

LOL only if you buy me coffee Sam

kdp59 wrote:Cowens,

why do you think Upshaw is worth the #16 pick?

if you really want to upgrade  our rim protecting (and I agree it should be priority one), then drafting someone at 16 or below most likely won't be much help next year.

better to look at free agents or possible trades to get that guy, IMO.

I think other teams see the upside can be worth the risk and he won't last until 28, hes a real center, built to battle the behemoths in the paint, hes the leading shot blocker in college and has very long arms and is a legit 7 footer. Who else is out there at 16 that could potentially effect/change the defense like this kid? at worst he could be Perk like.

Cow,

Coffee, hell.  I'll buy you 20 pounds of your favorite Chinese duck dish.

Sam

I will agree with the thoughts that Upshaw, even though he is a gamble, will not last until the 28th pick.

He supposedly wowed everyone during his physical skills testing day at the combine and there will likely be a team in the mid teens who would gamble on taking him just because he is a legit center rather than take a guy like maybe Portis who may or may not help a team's rotation this next year.

The Celtics do not currently need any more power forwards who are likely to play very few minutes in 2015-16. Such a guy would have been OK this past season, but with the idea of moving up in the standings with 50 wins next year they cannot wait around for their first round pick to be a guy coming off the bench as player #10-12.

No one knows if Upshaw will beat his demons, but he is a better gamble than a guy who is going to play a position where the team already has two young vets. If the Celtics need a third power forward (to replace Bass) for the season, there are always guys looking for jobs as the 12th player on a roster later in the summer. Of course, trading either Sullenger or Olynyk this summer changes the power forward situation for 2015-16 to the point of even bringing Bass back for another two years or using the 16th pick for a power forward.

Agreed the guy can get to 270 in a heartbeat, he can jump, once he learns the physical style of play and builds up to it further, he can be a beast way stronger than Noah and much more agile than Perk. If Danny focks this up again I'm gonna put a dead duck in his bed.....please don't tell me you have confidence in him. I could have built up this team better than him and with the 11 version of Perk staying put, we would have beat Miami and had 2 rings, possibly 3 in 12.

cowens/oldschool wrote:

kdp59 wrote:Cowens,

why do you think Upshaw is worth the #16 pick?

if you really want to upgrade  our rim protecting (and I agree it should be priority one), then drafting someone at 16 or below most likely won't be much help next year.

better to look at free agents or possible trades to get that guy, IMO.

I think other teams see the upside can be worth the risk and he won't last until 28, hes a real center, built to battle the behemoths in the paint, hes the leading shot blocker in college and has very long arms and is a legit 7 footer. Who else is out there at 16 that could potentially  effect/change the defense like this kid? at worst he could be Perk like.

well at WORST his demons could keep him from ever playing a game in the NBA, that's the difference I see from what you see I guess.

I couldn't take that chance at 16 myself, at 28 or 33 its does get easier though.

So, Cow, how do you really feel about Danny?

Sam

cowens/oldschool wrote:Agreed the guy can get to 270 in a heartbeat, he can jump, once he learns the physical style of play and builds up to it further, he can be a beast way stronger than Noah and much more agile than Perk. If Danny focks this up again I'm gonna put a dead duck in his bed.....please don't tell me you have confidence in him. I could have built up this team better than him and with the 11 version of Perk staying put, we would have beat Miami and had 2 rings, possibly 3 in 12.

cow,

How do you know Upshaw isn't a total head case?  It's not like there's no reason to wonder/worry about that, he's been kicked out of not one but two schools. His problems seem to be the 4" muscle between his ears and that's the muscle that needs the biggest jump up between college and pros.

I saw an interview with Upshaw where he said that he began his pre-NBA Combine 1 month before the Combine and spent the first 2-3 weeks of that month "getting his head right".  A month to prepare and a minimum of 1/2 of it was getting his head right?

At about the 1:10 mark or so he mentions how he has been building up his legs because he "couldn't put pressure on his joints a lot at Washington".  Couldn't put a lot of pressure on his joints?  That doesn't send up a red flag to you?





I like Upshaw as a low risk end-of-1st round, early 2nd rounder, which is about where he might be taken.  If that's where he goes, there's a reason for it and that means that just about every GM who had a shot at him passed on him at least once, not just Danny.


bob



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well bob maybe he can acquire Mr Intimidator by a trade or FA signing.

I don't know why everyone gives Danny a pass, he's made as many boneheaded decisions as Joe Dumars, but he still has a job, Dumars got fired.

bobheckler wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:Agreed the guy can get to 270 in a heartbeat, he can jump, once he learns the physical style of play and builds up to it further, he can be a beast way stronger than Noah and much more agile than Perk. If Danny focks this up again I'm gonna put a dead duck in his bed.....please don't tell me you have confidence in him. I could have built up this team better than him and with the 11 version of Perk staying put, we would have beat Miami and had 2 rings, possibly 3 in 12.

cow,

How do you know Upshaw isn't a total head case?  It's not like there's no reason to wonder/worry about that, he's been kicked out of not one but two schools.  His problems seem to be the 4" muscle between his ears and that's the muscle that needs the biggest jump up between college and pros.

I saw an interview with Upshaw where he said that he began his pre-NBA Combine 1 month before the Combine and spent the first 2-3 weeks of that month "getting his head right".  A month to prepare and a minimum of 1/2 of it was getting his head right?

At about the 1:10 mark or so he mentions how he has been building up his legs because he "couldn't put pressure on his joints a lot at Washington".  Couldn't put a lot of pressure on his joints?  That doesn't send up a red flag to you?





I like Upshaw as a low risk end-of-1st round, early 2nd rounder, which is about where he might be taken.  If that's where he goes, there's a reason for it and that means that just about every GM who had a shot at him passed on him at least once, not just Danny.


bob



.

if you can find a potential rim protector/load that is a legit 5 at 16 please let me know bob? were lucky hes such a head case that other teams will pass on him. Dez Bryant the Cowboys WR was/is also a headcase, Cowboys had a team official stay with him 24/7 to make mundane things easier on him and keep him out of trouble. I would talk to his agent and tell him there will be something in place to make sure his demons are held in check, were not gonna deal with a Royce White situation, we want him to grow up and do well for his family and the franchise.

sam wrote:So, Cow, how do you really feel about Danny?

Sam

that exactly one of the reasons I said the board is soft, as too many posters here were praising Danny, and for what? this years roster was a disgrace, we've had no center for 2 years now since KG left. That Perk trade for Green a player with no heart, that even Barkley and Shaq were calling him out, that he had to do something for his team this playoff run....well he did NOTHING!!! and he has talent around him and he still did NOTHING!! you trade for that wus in 11 and weaken our strength, our interior defense, players started challenging KG once Perk left, before that NEVER. Perk goes on in 11 and provides enough inside combat/protection that his team went to Finals. Having to watch this teams interior weakness for 2 years and seeing Bass and Sully play the 5 for stretches because we have NOBODY else to do it is a disgrace.

cowens/oldschool wrote:well bob maybe he can acquire Mr Intimidator by a trade or FA signing.

I don't know why everyone gives Danny a pass, he's made as many boneheaded decisions as Joe Dumars, but he still has a job, Dumars got fired.

cowens,

Maybe it has something to do with the championship Danny brought to Boston?

And don't give me the "Thank Kevin McHale for that" stuff.  Read the thread about KG called " KG, the Oral History, Part 2: Glory in Boston, Quirky Traits and Returning Home" and you'll see it wasn't McHale nudging KG out the door, it was the owner Glen Taylor and even then he wasn't able to move that needle until after Danny got Ray.  The article quotes people and isn't just suppositions or conspiracies.  People make a big deal about the KG trade, as they should, but the acquisition of Ray Allen was huge too.  Ray Allen, for all the harsh thoughts some Celtic fans harbor towards him now, is going into the HOF and still had lots of game when he came here.  Would we have needed another top player if KG hadn't come here?  Probably, but that would have been a lot easier thanks to Danny getting Ray. It's always easier to get the 3rd all-star than the 2nd.

Perk was an "intangibles" type of player, but he wasn't a great defender before KG came and he wasn't a great defender after he went to OKC.  In fact, despite arguably having as good or better a roster in OKC than he had here (a younger one too, so more bites at the apple), they still didn't win a championship there.


bob


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