Green, Smart, & Sullinger for Adams, Perkins, Lamb

[Laimbeer]

Celtics get true center and a needed young two. OKC gets a replacement for Durant who will be a versatile reserve long term, and a top flight point prospect.

[HornetJail]

Depends on how much OKC likes Smart, and whether they actually see one of Ibaka or Sullinger playing center.

They'd need to find a taker for Jackson too.

[MoneyTalks41890]

I think Smart can be very good, but I also think he could not be so good. And OKC has RJ already filling the combo guard role. And this creates a gaping hole at C. A position we might have just figured out. In sum, Adams is going no where.

[sonictecture]

Celtics get true center and a needed young two. OKC gets a replacement for Durant who will be a versatile reserve long term, and a top flight point prospect.

I like your strategy for trade scenarios. The principal is typically a player that fans haven't thought about trading are becoming attached to, but you add enough temptation for them to at least think about it.

In this case, Boston fans have great hope for Marcus Smart. They love his toughness and defense and believe he will figure out the rest. He's the beginning of the new core. Boston fans realize what Green is at this point. He'll have his moments he'll be a good teammate, but he is not a core piece and is making more money than his production merits. There was once a large contingent of Boston fans who believed Sullinger was a future core piece to a championship team, but I think all but the Sully diehards have come to realize that he is not.

The whole idea that Boston gets a "true" center in this trade, when OKC has been looking for a "true" center for forever is the weakness of the scenario. Marcus Smart not filling a need for OKC is a further weakness.

[HornetJail]

Perk, Lamb, 1st for Sullinger, Green has merits though.

[jowglenn]

Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is an original trade. I have never in my wildest dreams seen one like this. Kudos for that, this is real outside of the box thinking, and it is bracing, fresh, invigorating. Bends the rules of space and time. Cool.

Let's

break

it

down



Celtics say no. They are giving up 3 genuine players and getting back 1. Sorry, Jeremy Lamb. Smart, Sullinger, & Green is too much of a price to give up for Steven Adams, and they shouldn't do it. Sure, I'd rather have Adams than Sullinger any day of the week, but Smart is no cheap piece, he is a legit guy. Green is someone that the Celtics can get a nice bit of value for at the deadline from a contender who needs him.

Boston simply shouldn't give up this much value for essentially one player; Smart is a high-end prospect who is hopefully your long-term Rondo replacement. I'm not sure I would trade Smart for Adams straight up, much less include Sullinger & Green. You can get something for Jeff Green elsewhere and keep Sullinger to boot.

Oddly enough;

OKC... In a complete vacuum, the value is great! But... dear god, the fit! What is their big man rotation? Ibaka and Sullinger starting? Really, Smart.... he's great value, he's a fantastic player, and he absolutely is good return for Adams...... but for the Thunder, he is massively redundant. He's a complete rookie who plays at your position of greatest quantity. Who's he getting minutes over, Russell Westbrook or Reggie Jackson? You're basically just giving up on Adams whole potential, as well as Perkins' stalwart veteranisity for a few month Durant replacement & a guy who just won't fit next to Westbrook and will always be under-utilized.


Fact is, a lineup that replaces Adams AND Perkins with Jared Sullinger is going to get completely destroyed in the paint. Is Collison their 3rd big man and McGary their 4th? Are we essentially playing Ibaka at center full time? Who is this Sullinger/Ibaka/Collison/McGary big man rotation going to contain? Griffin & Jordan? HAVE FUN. Gasol & Randolph? SEE YA. Davis & Asik? GOOD NIGHT. Duncan and Splitter? YIKES. Dirk & Chandler? Aldridge & Lopez? Dwight and anyone?

You can't just gut the big man rotation and be getting back a point guard as the key piece. This would doom the Thunder's entire hopes. I mean, is the long-term goal here to start Westbrook/Smart/Durant/Ibaka/Sullinger? Because that's not going to work.


Simpler idea:

Perkins & Lamb

for

Green & Joel Anthony (or Faverani?)


Why for Boston: Get Jeremy Lamb for the next couple years to develop instead of winning extra games with Green. This is essentially part of the final Boston demolition - get rid of Rondo, Green, Bass, whatever. Boston has a billion picks and some good young guys, so stick with them and get what you can for your vets now. Lamb is cheap labor for the next couple years at least. Green & Anthony will be gone either way.

Why for OKC: Lamb is not a real solution, and Perkins is clearly going to be relegated to backup behind Adams. Green is a quality player who's been there before and can fill in for Durant during his absence and be a key guy off the bench when he returns. Joel Anthony isn't really that much worse than Perkins, given that either guy will only play 15 minutes per night. Ibaka will take some backup center minutes as Green & Durant play together at 3 & 4, but that's fine, it's only 15 minutes per game.


That's something that could work.

[jowglenn]

Perk, Lamb, 1st for Sullinger, Green has merits though.

That could also be a possibility, but I don't know if they can get Sullinger AND Green for Lamb and a late late 1st. Sullinger is worth more than Lamb & the 28th pick alone, in my opinion.

[bondom34]

Yeah, the Perk/Lamb for Green/Anthony or the Perk/Lamb/pick for Green/Sully I'd do. Moneytalks explained the issue w/ the OP.

[jayjaysee]

Terrible trade partners really.

Boston has a ton of low-ceiling assets.. Sorry.. But they have current rookie deals and future picks.. More than any team could need.. Future picks make sense to keep acquiring in trades to trade for a star possibly... But no need to swap Sully/Smart for lesser youth pieces considering they are probably the two best assets the Celtics have atm.

Adams will likely be a nice and boring, double double-ish, solid defense, get in other team's head center.. for a long time.. It's why Boston would love to get him to pair with Sully/Oly probably, a solid young three big rotation...But it is also why OKC would only trade him for a better center, as that's exactly what the current team needs.. Also considering Westbrook/Jackson over Smart.. Just bad use of value..

Boston isn't getting Durant/Ibaka/Westbrook clearly, Jackson has.. They'd have interest in Adams, but they'd have to find a team with a center OKC would trade Adams for and make the three team work - somehow. And they'd have little interest in any other Thunder player. Sure they'd take Lamb/McGary/PJ etc.. But they wouldn't pay near equal value for them. Same with OKC.. Sure they'd probably give up something for all of; Rondo, Green, Olynyk, Sull, Smart, Bradley.. But they wouldn't be close to the top bidders.

Bad trade partners..

[old rem]

Depends on how much OKC likes Smart, and whether they actually see one of Ibaka or Sullinger playing center.

They'd need to find a taker for Jackson too.

Oh C'mon...OKC jumps all over this. Ibaka can play C. Sully is a good PF, Smart >> Lamb. I'd wonder why Boston bites.

[HornetJail]

Depends on how much OKC likes Smart, and whether they actually see one of Ibaka or Sullinger playing center.

They'd need to find a taker for Jackson too.

Oh C'mon...OKC jumps all over this. Ibaka can play C. Sully is a good PF, Smart >> Lamb. I'd wonder why Boston bites.

Not if you think Smart is the second coming of Rodney Stuckey. I've been reasonably impressed with Smart so far (granted preseason and summer league mean very little), but the possibility of him simply not being that good is definitely there.

[bondom34]

Depends on how much OKC likes Smart, and whether they actually see one of Ibaka or Sullinger playing center.

They'd need to find a taker for Jackson too.

Oh C'mon...OKC jumps all over this. Ibaka can play C. Sully is a good PF, Smart >> Lamb. I'd wonder why Boston bites.

Because Adams ceiling is much higher than any big they give up and Smart hasn't played a game yet. Easy no for OKC.

[Drax]

Because Adams ceiling is much higher than any big they give up and Smart hasn't played a game yet. Easy no for OKC.

Sullinger ceiling is lower than Adams? Can you please elaborate why you think so? Outside of running and blocking shots i can't think of a single thing Adams is better than Sullinger.

[BadWolf]

Defense? Pnr ?

[MoneyTalks41890]

Because Adams ceiling is much higher than any big they give up and Smart hasn't played a game yet. Easy no for OKC.

Sullinger ceiling is lower than Adams? Can you please elaborate why you think so? Outside of running and blocking shots i can't think of a single thing Adams is better than Sullinger.

Being a center.

[irie]

Depends on how much OKC likes Smart, and whether they actually see one of Ibaka or Sullinger playing center.

They'd need to find a taker for Jackson too.

Oh C'mon...OKC jumps all over this. Ibaka can play C. Sully is a good PF, Smart >> Lamb. I'd wonder why Boston bites.

Not if you think Smart is the second coming of Rodney Stuckey. I've been reasonably impressed with Smart so far (granted preseason and summer league mean very little), but the possibility of him simply not being that good is definitely there.

Sure, but even if that's his floor he's already better than Lamb.

OKC wins value wise here but I don't think they would do it. Adams is too important of a rotational player to not get a center back in return. If they were to do the trade they would add three significant bench pieces, and would probably be a better team, at least in the regular season.

Boston says no though. If Green + Smart + Sullinger only returns players that don't result in more wins now or in the future, why bother? There's nothing in this for Boston.

[Drax]

Defense? Pnr ?

Being a center.

I'll answer those two comments in one.

Sullinger played last season out of position what position do you think was that? Correct, he played as a center. Is he overmatched against the elite centers in the NBA? Hell yeah, but so is Adams. According to ESPN, who released a new metric for individual performance the Real-Plus-Minus, both are listed as centers.

I'll give you the statlines:

Sullinger - 27.6 minutes per game, -0.25 offensive rpm, 1.58 defensive rpm, 1.33 rpm
Adams - 14.8 mintues per game, -3.35 offensive rpm, -0.30 defensive rpm, -3.65 rpm

Now again, besidies the two inches and the more athletic skill-set what does Adams better?

[MoneyTalks41890]

Defense? Pnr ?

Being a center.

I'll answer those two comments in one.

Sullinger played last season out of position what position do you think was that? Correct, he played as a center. Is he overmatched against the elite centers in the NBA? Hell yeah, but so is Adams. According to ESPN, who released a new metric for individual performance the Real-Plus-Minus, both are listed as centers.

I'll give you the statlines:

Sullinger - 27.6 minutes per game, -0.25 offensive rpm, 1.58 defensive rpm, 1.33 rpm
Adams - 14.8 mintues per game, -3.35 offensive rpm, -0.30 defensive rpm, -3.65 rpm

Now again, besidies the two inches and the more athletic skill-set what does Adams better?

So you think Sullinger is a better defender than Adams at the center position?

And Adams is 3 inches taller, and they are the same weight. Adams is cut, Sully is fat.

[Drax]

So you think Sullinger is a better defender than Adams at the center position?

And Adams is 3 inches taller, and they are the same weight. Adams is cut, Sully is fat.

I think Sullinger played out of position and did a good job despite being undersized and the stats actually back up my subjective eyetest. Sullinger is not a shotblocker and never will be but that doesn't mean he can't be an good defender.

As for those fat comments, i love that he has wide hips and a fat behind. Helps his game tremendously.

[shrink]

I don't think OKC can go into the playoffs without more depth at center.