Holy Offseason I Can’t Believe it’s July FA/Trade/Waiver Thread

[fallguy]

This reminds me of the Celtics offseasons from 1994-2006 when they were consistently in the lottery. Just saying…

I’m not against taking flyers on guys but for a lot of people it seems like Brad is going to get praised for anything he does with no criticism at all. On paper this team might have the worst situation at both the 4 and 5. I hope to god there is another move or two coming.

The way to think about things (says me) is to consider now to end-summer 2026 as a single development and transaction window. Next year is irrelevant from a wins and losses perspective. All that matters is we hit training camp in 2026 with a roster that's ready to go deep in the playoffs.

Which is to say the moves you want will take place over the next 14 months.

[Patsfan1081]

Here I was thinking Bronny James was the worst player in the NBA until I realized Josh Minott existed.

I love these free agent sightings. They saved two players from appearing on milk cartons. Have you seen this person?

These signings put the under in underwhelming..

Only if you expected fireworks from a team that started in the second apron.

I doubt many expected fireworks. At the very least though you’d expect if both Al and Porzingis were out the door Brad could replace them with league average talent. Plenty of time left to make moves though.

[Patsfan1081]

This reminds me of the Celtics offseasons from 1994-2006 when they were consistently in the lottery. Just saying…

I’m not against taking flyers on guys but for a lot of people it seems like Brad is going to get praised for anything he does with no criticism at all. On paper this team might have the worst situation at both the 4 and 5. I hope to god there is another move or two coming.

The way to think about things (says me) is to consider now to end-summer 2026 as a single development and transaction window. Next year is irrelevant from a wins and losses perspective. All that matters is we hit training camp in 2026 with a roster that's ready to go deep in the playoffs.

Which is to say the moves you want will take place over the next 14 months.

I agree with this train of thought, I just wish they had used a higher pick on a big in previous drafts or at least trade for one with a higher upside.

[165bows]

Just wait until they dump more talent for savings lol

[Higgs Boston]

After the minott signing isn't the team in the 2nd apron? then why they are signing minott instead of dump some players first?

[165bows]

After the minott signing isn't the team in the 2nd apron? then why they are signing minott instead of dump some players first?

Because they know they are trading more expensive guys.

[fallguy]

After the minott signing isn't the team in the 2nd apron? then why they are signing minott instead of dump some players first?

Nobody has signed anything. Nothing gets done until July 6. They can order the transactions however they like. And delay finalizing certain deals for days on end.

[redslastlaugh]

If we want to sell off talent for future assets to retool for the next chapter
that's fine... that was the original Paul, KG, Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets trade in 2013

but... in this situation, we're not getting any assets back because we are distressed sellers
so it's just kind of a bummer, garage sale type deal

Just wait until they dump more talent for savings lol

[keevsnick1]

The two possible remaining destinations for a Simons trade seem to be the Bucks and Pistons.

Pistons have lost TGJ, Dennis Schroeder and probably Beasley with the gambling scandal. They could use a three point bomber and have plenty of room for financial maneuvering. Stewart+Fontechio gets it done, then spin off Fontecchio. Simons-->Stewart saves 12 million.

Bucks have nothing at guard. They are now well below the tax so if Boston just wants to save 5 million they could swap Simons for Kuzma. Doesn't really help the lack of a big problem tho.

[keevsnick1]

After the minott signing isn't the team in the 2nd apron? then why they are signing minott instead of dump some players first?

Nobody has signed anything. Nothing gets done until July 6. They can order the transactions however they like. And delay finalizing certain deals for days on end.

Also, being over the and apron is more of an end of season thing. What matters is where you are on the last day of the regular season. At least in terms of tax and draft pick penalties.

[chakdaddy]

Sugar Minott

Turns out reggae singer Sugar MInott actually is his uncle!

[redslastlaugh]

Simons for Kuzma doesn't really help much because Simons is an expiring and Kuzma is $20 next year
It could help if the trade is expanded for Hauser/Niang + Simons for Kuzma + Micic

if you would even want to do that? I guess, if you're getting MIL 2031 FRP back unprotected, I guess you think about it.

Or if Charlotte will take Kuzma + 2nds for Collin Sexton?

The two possible remaining destinations for a Simons trade seem to be the Bucks and Pistons.

Pistons have lost TGJ, Dennis Schroeder and probably Beasley with the gambling scandal. They could use a three point bomber and have plenty of room for financial maneuvering. Stewart+Fontechio gets it done, then spin off Fontecchio. Simons-->Stewart saves 12 million.

Bucks have nothing at guard. They are now well below the tax so if Boston just wants to save 5 million they could swap Simons for Kuzma. Doesn't really help the lack of a big problem tho.

[Ben-N1ce]

If you exclude losing Tatum to Achilles probably Al Kornet Jrue and KP it's been a solid offseason.

[hugepatsfan]

Right now they're $331,539 above the 2nd apron and $20,260,539 above the tax. That's with 15 players signed. They only need 14.

They might not duck the tax this year but they should give themselves options to. Therefore, I expect Hauser to be moved next. It's just too risky to keep him on a 4 year deal. I hate to speak of bad things, but imagine a world where he pops his knee in November. That becomes an albatross 4 year term to move at the deadline if he's hurt like that. Too, too risky.

If they dump Hauser they're back down to the required 14 players and $10,215,896 above the luxury tax. At that point, if they do want to duck the tax midyear, it's as "simple" as dumping Niang and 2 minimum/rookie contract players and then replacing those 3 guys with pro rated minimum salaries for whoever the 2-way guys are (presumably the 2 rookies and Peterson). I hesitate to call dumping 3 players "simple" but Niang on an $8.2M deal is usually fine to move at the deadline and then the rookie/minimum deals are usually easy enough too.

I think it's important to give themselves an avenue to duck the tax without NEEDING to touch the Simons deal. That's a big number to move in this league where everyone ends up hard capped at some threshold. Hauser would have to go if they keep Simons and duck the tax, and on a 4 year deal too much risk to carry into the year.

[chrisab123]

If we want to sell off talent for future assets to retool for the next chapter
that's fine... that was the original Paul, KG, Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets trade in 2013

but... in this situation, we're not getting any assets back because we are distressed sellers
so it's just kind of a bummer, garage sale type deal

Just wait until they dump more talent for savings lol

The only problem is that the KG core was in their late 30s or approaching that. This core is still in their prime. So messing with that is the issue. I think everyone could wrap their heads around the KG core ending sometime especially with how they (ironically) also got bounced by the Knicks. This is just ridiculous because KP is in his prime, Tatum is in his, Brown and White are too. So you’re either wasting their primes collectively or blowing it all up and starting from scratch and blowing up your culture you fixed once Kyrie left.

[chrisab123]

The two possible remaining destinations for a Simons trade seem to be the Bucks and Pistons.

Pistons have lost TGJ, Dennis Schroeder and probably Beasley with the gambling scandal. They could use a three point bomber and have plenty of room for financial maneuvering. Stewart+Fontechio gets it done, then spin off Fontecchio. Simons-->Stewart saves 12 million.

Bucks have nothing at guard. They are now well below the tax so if Boston just wants to save 5 million they could swap Simons for Kuzma. Doesn't really help the lack of a big problem tho.

Kuzma is a terrible basketball player. Taking him on is not worth ducking the 2nd apron, I’m sorry it’s just not. That dude **** sucks.

[Larry_Russell]

Who tf is rico?

Really? You post a lot on this forum, and yet you don't know who Rico is? FYI, Rico is Baylor Scheierman's nick name due to his resemblance to Uncle Rico (a character in the movie Napoleon Dynamite).

There's a lot about the Celtics he doesn't know, talent for one.

Ooohhh.
Burn

Sorry, simons isnt talented

[hugepatsfan]

Simons for Kuzma doesn't really help much because Simons is an expiring and Kuzma is $20 next year
It could help if the trade is expanded for Hauser/Niang + Simons for Kuzma + Micic

if you would even want to do that? I guess, if you're getting MIL 2031 FRP back unprotected, I guess you think about it.

Or if Charlotte will take Kuzma + 2nds for Collin Sexton?

The two possible remaining destinations for a Simons trade seem to be the Bucks and Pistons.

Pistons have lost TGJ, Dennis Schroeder and probably Beasley with the gambling scandal. They could use a three point bomber and have plenty of room for financial maneuvering. Stewart+Fontechio gets it done, then spin off Fontecchio. Simons-->Stewart saves 12 million.

Bucks have nothing at guard. They are now well below the tax so if Boston just wants to save 5 million they could swap Simons for Kuzma. Doesn't really help the lack of a big problem tho.

I think Hauser into some teams MLE or TPE is likely very easily doable even outside of this construct. So even if it's needed to really help salary, it doesn't need to be pulled into this deal.

$5M might not sound like much, but it's actually huge. They can duck the tax with Simons on the team, but it's tight. Like literally pinching pennies. They can duck the tax by dumping Hauser/Niang/Tillman but there's a catch... dumping those guys now and signing vet mins or even rookie mins would put them back over the tax line. They have to wait to do it until mid year that way they can backfill with pro rated vet min deals instead of full season amounts. The calc is that tight for them. Shaving $5M off Simons seems small, but it makes a huge difference for where they're at if they do want to duck the tax.

[themoneyteam2]

Thanks CJ for negotiating this **** CBA! All because he was in his feelings for being slutted out by Golden state his whole career

[cloverleaf]

If you exclude losing Tatum to Achilles probably Al Kornet Jrue and KP it's been a solid offseason.

Wyc told us long before Tatum went down that they were gonna hack the payroll this summer.