2017 NBA Draft: Are the Celtics and Suns Talking Trade?

The Suns' young nucleus gives them roster and draft flexibility
to move around, similar to that of the Celtics.

Speculation in some places of the internet and sports coverage/reporting world have Danny Ainge passing on a younger player in favor of one with more experience.  Of trying to compete now, instead of investing in a franchise built off three top 3 picks (Brown last year, this year's and next year's presumably).  

While I'm not entirely sure this makes sense, Danny and I have certainly disagreed in the past (see the Perkins/Robinson for Krstic/Green trade of New England infamy), so I wanted to take a look over the next few days at some of the best veteran trade scenarios Danny could and should explore if the veteran route is the way he wants to go.  His first call should probably go to Phoenix.

If you want a roster stocked with talented youth who have some experience playing in the NBA, look no farther than Phoenix.  Really, they're a little bit like Celtics-West, just without the flash in the pan superstar of IT (although Celtics got him from them, so it's their own fault they weren't able to capitalize on his talents like Boston has been under head coach Brad Stevens).

Journeyman sharpshooter Jared Dudley could
make an interesting addition to Boston's roster.

However, if you don't look at their records and just compared them piece by piece:

• good future picks (Boston has better, but Phoenix has a couple nice ones).  
• Best player is their middle of his prime PG on both teams (Bledsoe/IT).  Boston's is slightly better/
• Both teams feature aging and overpaid centers (Tyson Chandler/Al Horford). Boston's again is slightly better.
• Several other young talented pieces (Booker, Chriss, Warren, Len/Brown, Smart, Rozier, Young, Mickey) Here, the Suns win out again., primarily due to Booker.

They're a bit similar.  It kind of makes you wonder just how far Boston would have made it in the Western Conference this year, but I digress.

While it makes for an interesting comparison between teams, it doesn't necessarily make for the best trade partners.  Trade partners are usually better made between teams moving in opposite directions, trying to turn the other's mistakes into their own successes.  With the Celtics and Suns being on roughly the same timeline and path in terms of roster building, like I said they just might not make the best pairing.  But there are a few pieces I could see the Celtics wanting to target in at least a pick swap, if not an all out trade.

In his prime, Chandler was a key contributor to
a championship team in Dallas, and could bring
that experience and leadership to the Celtics.

Tyson Chandler
Despite definitely being on the downside of his career (he'll be turning 35 at the start of the season this year) Chandler is a guy who could potentially help the Celtics out immediately off the bench, giving them a defensive presence on the interior, and a rebounder (he averaged 11.5 last season).  He could even potentially start, allowing Horford to slide down to his more natural position of the 4.  I'm not sure that's a lineup the Celtics want out there a lot (the league is moving towards smaller, faster lineups, not bigger, older, slower lineups) but he helps solve a lot of their current issues.  His contract ( 12.4 million) might make it difficult, but Amir Johnson is almost certainly leaving, and that frees up the cap room he used, which is roughly the same.  While Chandler wouldn't be involved in a straight up player for pick trade, he could definitely be part of a pick swap perhaps?

Jared Dudley

Dudley is another target for a potential pick swap.  At 6-7, the forward has reliable range and can help spread the floor.  While the Celtics attempted the third most threes in the league last season, they only ranked 14th in 3 point percentage, and could use an upgrade on outside shooters if they plan to continue jacking them up.  Dudley also has a big contract at about ten million, but the Celtics could move Zeller (about 8 million) and offset most of it.

Devin Booker
Now here's the real prize on the Suns' roster.  Can the Celtics pry him away?  It might be worth trying.  The Celtics not only have this year's number one, they have the Nets' pick next year which will likely be pretty good, and they have several picks in 2019 (LAC, MEM, their own at least right now) as well as a guy like Crowder, or Bradley who they could potentially throw in.  

Booker is widely considered one of the league's top prospects
under 25.  He had a career night against Boston last year, could
he line up FOR them sometime down the road?

Booker had the best night of his life against the Celtics this past season, dropping 70 points on them, catching the attention of everyone in the league, not just the front office in Boston.  At 6-6, and a guy that can hit an outside shoot, or get to the basket and create on his own, he's exactly what Boston (heck, what every roster in the league) needs.  Lining him up between IT and Brown next year would be a very good 1-2-3 to build around.  Add Horford in the front court, and you've just got to find yourself someone to clean the glass.

The Celtics could either offer the first straight up for Booker, or throw in additional picks later that weren't the 2018 Nets' pick.  They could also potentially offer BOTH Nets' picks, plus Bradley and Crowder in what would amount to a pick swap this year, plus Booker, as they get both the third overall and the young shooting guard back.

I think that scenario works for both teams, giving Boston both a young roster and one that can compete now, while giving Phoenix not only the best player in this year's draft, but likely a top 3 pick in next year's draft as well, which they could potentially turn into a Luka Doncic, replacing Booker on their roster a year later.  Bradley and Crowder would give them a starter for this year at the 2 (Bradley), and one of the most team friendly contracts attached to a hard working defensive minded forward that can hit the three in Crowder.

I think the end proposal for Booker would look something like:
Boston gives them:
Nets' 2017 (1st overall) and 2018 first round picks
2019 LA Clippers first round pick

Avery Bradley
Jae Crowder

Phoenix sends back:
Devin Booker
2017 First round pick (3rd overall)

This could work out for both teams, what do you think?

Could the Celtics and Kings Be Close to a Blockbuster Trade?

The Topic

Is Fultz the motivation behind what could be a blockbuster
draft day trade involving the first overall pick and one of
the league's most storied franchises?

There's been a great deal of chatter over the past few days, generated by an alleged scheduled workout for consensus #1 NBA draft prospect Markelle Fultz with the Sacramento Kings, who currently not only don't have the top pick, but don't have a top three pick (and thus don't have a chance of drafting Fultz without trading up).  If the workout WAS scheduled, and does happen, that's an important thing.  Because there's no reason for Fultz to schedule a workout unless even he thinks it's a real scenario, and I'm sure his agent would be tapped into things at least a bit.  And for the Celtics, there would be no reason to showcase him ahead of playing him if they intended to draft him and hold onto him definitely.  So I wanted to go over what it might take to make this trade happen.

Why would the Kings do it?              

Crowder seems dissatisfied with Boston at times, and with his
team friendly contract (about $7 mil/yr for next 3 yrs) could
be a good veteran for Sacramento to target in this trade.

The Kings got fleeced this past winter in the Cousins trade, and this off-season just might be Vlade Divac's only chance to make up for that.  To do so, he likely feels a great deal of pressure to land a superstar player the team can build around.  Currently, the team has only Langston Galloway at the point guard position locked in for next season, and with just 50 games started over four years of playing on some of the worst teams this league has to offer, it's safe to say Galloway just isn't a starter in this league.  Enter Fultz, who would give them a point guard who some think could be a Russell Westbrook type in terms of being a triple double threat and scoring machine at the next level.

Why would the Celtics say yes?
For the Celtics part, Ainge couldn't be in a more opposite position than Divac, feeling almost no pressure at all.  With his team just having played in the Eastern Conference Finals despite sporting only one all star on the roster and no MVP candidates, and sitting on the number one pick in the draft with a good deal of other future assets many consider and project to be valuable, he's in the perfect position to wheel and deal.  For Divac, it's like going shopping when you're hungry.  For Ainge, it's like going with your fitness instructor.

Boston could use an interior defensive presence
like Cauley-Stein would bring.  With him and
the two picks they get from Sacramento, they
could completely rebuild their front court
behind starter Al Horford.

Ainge doesn't have to look far from the Celtics' front office to see a draft strategy that works and produces superstars, in Foxboro, about 30 minutes from where Ainge punches the clock, sits another New England GM who has written the book on smart drafting, and that involves trading back, and taking multiple bites at the proverbial apple.  What better way to do it not only with two top ten picks, but in what many consider to be the deepest draft in at least a decade?  Ainge could greatly benefit from a trade scenario with the Kings.  Beyond that, it takes the pressure off of him to draft a point guard and further clog up an already crowded back court, full of players Ainge and the rest of the front office really like, and have heavily invested in.

What would they trade?
I think that the Celtics walk in with an absolute bottom line of the Kings' 5th and 10th overall picks in this year's draft, and a player throw in-with their eyes on Willie Cauley-Stein, who would solve a lot of size and interior defensive issues for them.  The 5th and 10th picks would allow them to target players that fill other needs as well, such as perhaps Malik Monk, or Justin Jackson as defensive minded wing players with range to eventually replace Bradley and/or Crowder, or bigger forwards like Jonathan Isaac, Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanen, or even their original top target Josh Jackson, depending on how the top 4 shakes out after the trade at the top.

The Kings should ask for the first overall pick of course, but I think they should also try to score some role players, from an organization with many.  I think Crowder is a player that could be picked up.  Perhaps even by throwing in their 2018 first round pick (conditionally I'd assume).  If they could somehow go after one of the Celtics' many guards as well, that'd be a huge score, maybe by making that draft pick unconditional?  After all, it's not like Fultz-Crowder-Zeller or whatever is getting out of the West anytime soon anyway.  Gay will be gone next season most likely, and they'll need someone to start at the 3.  He's got a great contract, and landing him would be considered a score that might help save Divac's job if he's on the hot seat at all, which some would assume he is.

Additionally, I think Sacramento should ask for Tyler Zeller in return.  He'd give them a serviceable big in place of Cauley-Stein at a reasonable contract rate of $8 million next season.
While the Kings like youngster Skal Labissierre, and also have veteran Kosta Koufos on the roster, Zeller would give them an additional rotational big man, and an extra insurance policy in the front court should anything go wrong.  The Celtics should be okay with losing him, and might even want to, in order to spend the money bringing back Kelly Olynyk or even on other players elsewhere.  $8 million is a solid chunk of money to take off your books,  Especially when it's spent on a player who has played 10 mpg the last two seasons and missed over 40 games in that same span.

This could be anything from a smokescreen rumor, to a simple pick swap, to a huge, impactful trade for both teams.  These are the important pieces however.  Who would you like to see be involved in this trade, and who do you think would win these scenarios above?

NBA: 5 Trade Targets for the Boston Celtics Not Named Jimmy or Paul...

Can Celtics GM Danny Ainge convert his ability to stockpile

assets into a true superstar that will push the Celtics to the next

level?  Nobody knows what his plans are, but he's promised big

changes to the roster for the opening of next season.

I've been hearing trade rumors swirling around the Boston Celtics for what seems like years, and 99% of them seem to center around the same two names; Paul George and Jimmy Butler.  This past weekend, I started seeing posts circulate asking Celtics fans about targeting Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans as a trade target, which was recently a suggestion of A. Sherrod Blakely, of CSNNE,  now the proud owner of not only what is certainly the douchiest name in Boston sports coverage, but now perhaps also the most ridiculous trade suggestion in recent local sports memory.  Given this desperate attempt at generating views for himself out of Blakely, I figured I'd give Celtics fans 5 more realistic potential trade targets for the C's this summer NOT named Paul George or Jimmy Butler.  Here you go:

1) Klay Thompson G/F, Golden State Warriors
If the Warriors win a second ring this June, there are some who think Klay might want to be the star of his own team, instead of the fourth option in Golden State again, and why not?  Instead of moving up in the pecking order, with the acquisition of Kevin Durant he's actually moved down, and despite the success on the court it's got to be frustrating.  Most professional athletes feel they're just as good as anybody else, and it's got to bother Klay that he's not the first or second option, and some nights not even the third.
In Boston, he'd be the first option.  He'd put up 25 points per night, he'd lead a big city team deep into the playoffs every year, he'd have epic battles against one of the best players ever in the conference finals every year and eventually he'd likely be the one to knock Lebron off the top of the mountain, or he'd at least have a great chance to be.  He'd be complimented by great young talent around him, and a solid organization that knows how to build a team, how to treat their players, and how to find championship success.
If I were Danny Ainge, he would be my first target.  I'd give up as much as Crowder, Bradley, and next year's Nets pick if I could get him for that.  It would make sense for Golden State also, as they're going to need to start saving some money fast on payroll if they don't want to start setting records there-and what owner does?  Crowder has one of the most team friendly contracts in the league, and Bradley is under contract at a reasonable rate for one more year, which would get them through to potentially drafting Luka Doncic in next year's top three.  It'd be an offer worth consideration at very least for both sides.

2) Andre Drummond C, Detroit Pistons
Until I started really thinking about the possibility of getting Thompson, Drummond was my preferred target for the C's.  He solves all of their immediate problems: lack of rebounding, lack of interior presence, and desire for youth that you know can succeed in the NBA.  He can.  He might not be a great free throw shooter, but he would average almost 20 boards a game in Boston, and at 6-11, 260 is 40 pounds heavier than any big man the Celtics currently have on the roster, giving them a bigger body at the rim to stop the charging freight train that is Lebron James during those late playoff battles in the years to come between the two franchises.
I've heard Drummond and SVG are on the outs, and SVG has had issues in the past, connecting to young big men.  I think he could be had, and since it's not often that 23 year old big men who you KNOW can be great in the NBA are on the market for lower than what their market value should be, you pull that trigger if you can.  I think Detroit would have to throw in the #12 overall pick this year, but then I think you start with offering the 2018 Nets pick along with maybe a 2019 pick (I'm thinking Clippers') and maybe toss in a player for right now like Zeller.  Then use that 12th pick to go grab a stretch four in the draft, there are a few decent ones that should be on the board like Lauri Markkanen, Ivan Rabb, or one of the Collins big men.  In this scenario you either keep this year's Brooklyn pick or next, so either way Boston is stocked with young talent.  OR they keep the ammunition to pursue another trade.  You'll notice that they could conceivably trade for both Klay AND Drummond if the offers I outlined here worked out, with a Nets pick going to both teams, and players going to Golden State for Klay.  Imagine a Boston starting lineup next season of IT-Klay-Brown-Horford-Drummond with Smart, maybe Green, maybe Amir if you can bring him back cheap, and a few other guys coming off the bench.  I think Celtic fans could get excited about it.

3) DeAndre Jordan C, Los Angeles Lakers
Jordan is another guy who like Drummond, solves all the Celtics' current basketball problems.  I'm not even sure you'd have to include a Nets' pick with the offer, maybe you could get by with the Celtics' pick next season, one or both of the Memphis and LA Clippers' 2019 picks, and say Zeller for him at this point?  Maybe the Clippers throw in some more of their own and get a Nets pick back?  They need to blow things up over there, they just need someone to give them a reason to.  Getting that Fultz pick would be HUGE in that it would allow them to let CP3 walk, they'd trade away DJ, and have more than enough cap space to resign Blake and bring in a few other pieces around him and Fultz to stay contending.
From the Celtics' side, it makes sense if you can get Jordan on the relative cheap.  I really don't want to see a Nets pick go for Jordan.  The difference between he and Drummond being about 5 years age difference, you just have more potential life in Drummond's career.  Plus the Pistons have the 12th overall to throw in, the Clippers don't have any valuable trade assets really.  It's actually almost kind of sad looking for something they could throw into the deal.  For that reason, I don't think this one happens, but I think Jordan is a guy you at least call about, maybe a third team can help make things work?

4) DeMar DeRozan SG, Toronto Raptors
I know DeRozan has said he loves Toronto, wants to stay there, takes pride in what they've built, etc.  I just wonder if that all changes if Lowry leaves and he starts looking around and feeling very lonely?  On foreign soil, surrounded by foreign players, with his backcourt partner of the past 5 seasons gone and the team potentially moving in the wrong direction, does he start seeing greener pastures elsewhere really fast?  Even before returning to Toronto?  The Celtics could dangle that 2018 Nets' pick for DeRozan and feel relatively good about what they'd get back.  A top tier two guard at the beginning of his prime, with room for growth who wants to win.  He's got the size (6-7, 221), and the skills to lead a team deep into the playoffs, and could be a great scorer alongside IT in the backcourt in Boston.  I'm not sure this could happen, but it's an interesting thought, and would depend heavily on what happens with Kyle Lowry.

5) LaMarcus Aldridge PF, San Antonio Spurs
It's become something of the worst kept secret in the league that the Spurs would love to be rid of their biggest mistake in recent memory.  Since signing with San Antonio, Aldridge's career has languished.  He's been a poor fit overall, with his ppg dipping below 20 for the first time since 2010, and his rebounds per game falling below double digits when he'd posted numbers of 11.1 and 10.2 in his final two years with the Trailblazers.
Part of the poor fit is Kawhi Leonard's unexpected explosive development as a superstar, forcing the Spurs to center the offense more around him and his developing game-which fits better into where the league is going than a faceup 4 like Aldridge does-and move away from an offensive gameplan centered around Aldridge.  Aldridge would fit well alongside Horford, giving the Celtics two players who can score, see the floor well, and are a threat with the ball in their hands.  And his cost would have to be relatively cheap, the Spurs would likely love to dump him off to anyone that would take him at whatever they could get back at this point, and it would really open them up for their rumored pursuit of Chris Paul this summer, who most would assume would love to go ring chase under Pop's system.

There are a great many options for the Celtics this upcoming summer, and the roster WILL look VERY different on opening day next season if they're successful in this off-season.  I'm not going to beg for your "clicks" and views by making ridiculous suggestions like the Celtics could end up with Anthony Davis next season, but I will bring you realistic, logical potential trade targets that the team should at least think about, and that fans might want to marinate on, just in case any of these scenarios come to fruition, and we see any of the above players in green next year.

Stay tuned as I'll be posting my NBA Mock Draft in the next few days!

Could the Lakers Pass on Lonzo Ball?

With the Ball family circus haven taken center stage when it comes to NBA draft talk over the past few months, everyone seems resigned to the idea that Lonzo Ball will in fact be a Laker next year, because Lavar says he will.  Well, simply put; I’m not so sure.  I’ve put together a list of 5 scenarios under which Lonzo Ball does not become a Laker this summer (or perhaps ever) regardless of his father’s wishes.  Here they are:

                                                                                    1)      Boston doesn’t draft Fultz
     

      The most likely scenario under which LA doesn’t draft Lonzo Ball in my opinion, is that the Celtics don’t draft Fultz.  Boston doesn’t need a point guard, what they do need is a versatile forward/wing player who can defend, has range, and can contribute elsewhere such as rebounding, etc.  Josh Jackson would give them all of that.  This writer for one, doesn’t see Fultz as any kind of lock as the number one pick.  I think Jackson makes A LOT more sense for them.  This creates scenario one in which Ball falls past the Lakers: because they draft Fultz, who many see as a young Westbrook type player.

      2)      The Lakers trade their pick for an established player
      Los Angeles has never been a team that really believed in building through the draft.  Magic being the one exception, they’ve typically traded for established players, sometimes trading those very picks away in the process.  This summer, many believe Paul George of the Pacers, and Jimmy Butler of the Bulls to be on the trade market, and it may just be too much for new President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pilenka to resist, they just might have to pull the trigger on one of those trades.  That would eliminate them from the Lonzo Ball sweepstakes, as they’d no longer have a lottery pick.

      3)      The Lakers like Fox better
Most consider Ball and Fultz to be the top two picks in the draft, and the best two players, but I’m not sure I’d call it a consensus.  It’s a well known fact that De’Aaron Fox outplayed Lonzo Ball in the NCAA tournament this past March, and is considered a better defender than Ball overall.  The Lakers may just decide to go with the better defensive, proven clutch performer in Fox over Ball, who some view to have collapsed a bit when the pressure was on in March.  So option three, the Lakers pick someone who isn’t Ball OR Fultz.

      4)      The Lakers draft a forward
The Lakers are another team like Boston, that despite the desire to mock a point guard to them, and despite the obvious talent at the position in this particular draft class, they kind of don’t need a point guard.  Let’s not forget, they spent the second overall pick on DeAngelo Russell two years ago.  Back then, everyone thought they needed a big man and would take Okafor, they threw us all for a loop and took Russell.  This time, maybe they do the opposite, and surprise us all by taking a forward to play alongside Julius Randle in the front court, a scorer like Jayson Tatum, or even Josh Jackson, who I mentioned earlier as a versatile wing with range and good defense.

      5)      The Lakers trade back for depth
Finally, the least likely option I see for a scenario under which Lonzo Ball does not become a Laker: they trade back in the draft for depth.  Again, I don’t see this as a likely option.  However, a team that lost as many games as the Lakers do, and is losing their first round pick to Philly next year, could always use two top ten draft picks in a deep draft couldn’t they?  Many might consider that the smart move in fact.  The Kings have the 5^th and 10^th picks, and perhaps they could be persuaded to deal for the 2^nd overall pick.  I think their owner could be one who buys into the Ball family circus hook, line, and sinker, he just strikes me as the type.  And Magic and Vlade obviously have some history/know each other.  I’m sure they could work together.  In such a scenario, the Lakers could then pick up two lottery picks in what many consider to be the best draft in years.  That’d be a pretty good way to start off the Magic Johnson era.  And almost everyone knows when it comes to drafting, taking multiple bites at the apple is the tried and true method.  Not usually taking the first overall pick.  Basketball can be different, but in a draft class like this…the depth is pretty tempting.