Djh7475 wrote:We would have to have a near guarantee from Hayward for me to be willing to give up what I think it would take to get Porzingis on draft night, but assuming that were the case, I would try to do a 3 teamer where Avery Bradley was sent out like:
Celtics out: Demetrius Jackson, Avery Bradley, 2017 and 2018 Nets 1st rounder
Celtics in: Kristaps Porzingis, Robert Covington, 2019 1st rounder from Philadelphia (we receive the worse of their 2 picks from them or the Kings)
Knicks out: Porzingis
Knicks in: Demetrius Jackson, 2017 and 2018 Nets 1sts
76ers out: Covington and the lesser of their 2 2019 1st rounders
76ers in: Avery Bradley
The Celtics do this because it helps them get far enough under the cap to acquire Hayward. They also pick up Covington to at least replace some of the defense we lose by giving up AB without cutting into a max cap slot. Hayward and Porzingis will obviously replace (and exceed) the offense lost by giving up AB, and we can finally address 2 of our biggest needs (a secondary playmaker and scorer, a rim protector, and sheer size and athleticism in the paint). Ainge hasn't made a big splash yet because he wants to build a legitimate contender that could sustain that status for a long time. Porzingis give us a guy that helps a ton right away (Amir attracts ZERO defensive attention) who will remain on the roster for the long term while Hayward is a perfect fit who still has 5+ of his best years ahead of him.
The 2019 pick is just another asset to add to the pile. With a roster of IT/Rozier, Hayward/Smart, Crowder/Jaylen/Covington, Horford/Olynyk/Yabuselle, and Porzingis/Zizic, we probably don't want a 2018 1st rounder. Since we are trying to preserve cap space and the 76ers are the most logical landing spot for AB, a future pick on top of Covington makes sense. I chose to put the worse of their pick or Sacramento's because I could see a situation where both teams improve a lot or are still near the bottom in a few years. This gives the Celtics some upside but doesn't make it too much to make the 76ers pass.
With our own 2019 1st, the Clippers 2019 1st, the Grizzlies 2019 1st, and the lesser of the Kings and 76ers 2019 1sts, we'd have a ton of ammunition to do in-season trades that could help push us over the top. Since guys like Rozier, Jaylen, Covington, Zizic, and Yabuselle haven't proven yet that they are locks to snag 20+ MPG for a legitimate contender, having that much ammunition at the deadline to acquire a missing piece or 2 could be the deciding factor to whether or not the Celtics could challenge the Warriors in 2018 and 2019.
The Knicks do this because they land 2 premiere draft picks in return for an unhappy Porzingis. This package would give them 2 high draft picks this year as well as 2 high draft picks next year. Giving up both Nets picks for a youngster like Porzingis rather than Jimmy or PG may be unpopular now, but Ainge's goal of building a sustainable contender along with the goal of landing Hayward in FA (which this deal would help) makes this a great fit. Porzingis fills a position of need and would be an enormous upgrade over Amir on both ends. It also allows us to possibly avoid the tax next year (relative to signing a big FA and trading for Jimmy/PG) which could be a big deal since the goal is long term sustainability. This deal allows the Knicks to build a 4 high draft pick core that won't need their post-rookie contract until Noah and Melo are gone.
The 76ers do it because AB is an incredible fit on their roster and they don't have to give up any draft picks this year or any of their most valuable assets. I know 76ers fans like Covington, but AB is such a massive offensive upgrade that I can't imagine they wouldn't love to have them. I'd imagine that most 76ers fans would be hesitant to give up the Kings pick straight up in 2019, but since the Celtics would receive the lesser of their pick or the Kings, they have a lot more control and protection over where that pick shakes out.
Sixers are out on that. Also, the Sixers are another team that should be willing to outbid the OP.
