2025 Offseason Trade and Free Agency Thread (Wow this is fun!)

[cl2117]

Brown to Pelicans

Kelly Olynyk, Jrue Holiday, #28 to Toronto

RJ Barrett, Trey Murphy 3, Hawkins, (Salary filler from Toronto ~ 7 mill) and #7 to Boston (sheds about 21 million)

Ship off Hauser with the #7 to move up, or just stay and draft a PF to fill in for Tatum for the year.

White/Pritchard
RJ/Scheierman
Murphy3/Hawkins
?????/Horford
KP/Kornet

I'm not a huge RJ fan. Don't think NOP makes sense for JB. But maybe Harper does?

BOS in: 7, 14, Trey Murphy III, NOP 2029 1st, Olynyk
BOS out: Brown

SAS in: Brown, 28
SAS out: #2, #14, Vassel and Keldon

NOP in: #2, Vassell, Keldon
NOP out: Trey, #7, 2029 1st, KO

This feels reasonable on all sides. I could honestly ask for more to trade JB, but trying to keep it somewhat palatable on the other sides.

SAS gets JB, and their costs are over with now. Average to Meh to bad salary and their 2 super valuable picks. But, nothing future. And we even give #28 back so they at least have a pick this year to enable trading future picks if they do other deals pre-draft.

NOP gets to upgrade from #7 to #2 for Trey, taking on some playable wings salary, and a future pick. I chose 2029 since we don't have one. If I ask for more from anyone, it's NOP adding another pick.

BOS gets a really good, young, JB replacement, two lotto picks in a good draft, and a future pick.

BOS doesn't actually save much money. You still do Jrue, KP and possibly Hauser deals to duck the tax. Without those 3, you have $30M below the tax for money you get back for them and Kornet. But only 2 roster spots left (since you added 4 players here). So, more work to do but plenty of maneuverability to do it.

I just saw you posted this on the trade board and knew immediately where that NOP package was heading.

As far as JB trades go this is pretty damn good. Murphy isn't Brown but he costs less than 50% of what Jaylen does over the next 4 years and gives you at least 75% of the production plus he only turned 25 yesterday so there is still room to grow.

I think the real linchpin that determines how this trade would ultimately work out comes down to who you get at #7 and #14. Feels like the consensus top 5 on most boards is Flagg, Harper, Ace, VJ, Tre Johnson. Flagg is a tier of his own but I think that next 4 is also separated from the rest. I would really want to be able to get my hands on one of those guys because the next tier feels really flat to me. I'd try and trade up to #4 or #5 if possible even if that meant relinquishing #14.

Leaving who you get to the side, it'd be great if they can pull extra value like that '29 NOP first and/or anything else from SAS. We'd be putting the kind of asset chest together where you could feasible stack a whole bunch together to go get a healthy Tatum another surperstar when they inevitably end up on the block. Two lotto picks from '25, our own probably high pick in '26, I think we can add up to 3 more picks and then if you're putting that together with the likes of Murphy or White or some of the fodder you get back in KP/Jrue trades and you've got something sizeable enough that it could land a big name.

[Curmudgeon]

This is not a draft in which picks #2-25 are worth alot. After Flagg, who knows? So I'd be more interested in future unprotected firsts than in late lottery picks this year.

[Larry_Russell]

This is not a draft in which picks #2-25 are worth alot. After Flagg, who knows? So I'd be more interested in future unprotected firsts than in late lottery picks this year.

thats an incredibly hot take.

[GoCeltics123]

Gonna post this again: Devin Vassell is very overrated on here and most Spurs fans don't like him that much

[GoCeltics123]

Brown to Pelicans

Kelly Olynyk, Jrue Holiday, #28 to Toronto

RJ Barrett, Trey Murphy 3, Hawkins, (Salary filler from Toronto ~ 7 mill) and #7 to Boston (sheds about 21 million)

Ship off Hauser with the #7 to move up, or just stay and draft a PF to fill in for Tatum for the year.

White/Pritchard
RJ/Scheierman
Murphy3/Hawkins
?????/Horford
KP/Kornet

I'm not a huge RJ fan. Don't think NOP makes sense for JB. But maybe Harper does?

BOS in: 7, 14, Trey Murphy III, NOP 2029 1st, Olynyk
BOS out: Brown

SAS in: Brown, 28
SAS out: #2, #14, Vassel and Keldon

NOP in: #2, Vassell, Keldon
NOP out: Trey, #7, 2029 1st, KO

This feels reasonable on all sides. I could honestly ask for more to trade JB, but trying to keep it somewhat palatable on the other sides.
Love it but Spurs probably don't give up both picks here
SAS gets JB, and their costs are over with now. Average to Meh to bad salary and their 2 super valuable picks. But, nothing future. And we even give #28 back so they at least have a pick this year to enable trading future picks if they do other deals pre-draft.

NOP gets to upgrade from #7 to #2 for Trey, taking on some playable wings salary, and a future pick. I chose 2029 since we don't have one. If I ask for more from anyone, it's NOP adding another pick.

BOS gets a really good, young, JB replacement, two lotto picks in a good draft, and a future pick.

BOS doesn't actually save much money. You still do Jrue, KP and possibly Hauser deals to duck the tax. Without those 3, you have $30M below the tax for money you get back for them and Kornet. But only 2 roster spots left (since you added 4 players here). So, more work to do but plenty of maneuverability to do it.

[Hal14]

Can we stop saying trading for a talented Rookie "isn't a Sure thing".. Of course it isn't. It would be a gamble. But some gambles are worth the risk. Some are not. That is where GM's have to make the Difficult decision. That's what can separate good-bad-great ones.

If this was a Brown for Cooper Flag proposal, would anyone say no? ( well I guess there is always someone) But point is, is it a sure thing Cooper (who I love) is a sure thing to end up better than Harper?

And this is more than just trading Brown the player. It is also trading Brown and his contract. THAT is totally being forgotten for some reason. Trading Brown gets Boston quite a few other players besides a talented rookie.

Can't prove it, but I would bet Stevens trades Brown if the possibility for #2 + plus players actually became possible. The ball is in SAS court.

It’s not just the gamble, it’s about the market for a finals MVP and multiple time all star.

Just look at the haul Memphis got for Desmond Bane.

Trading away Jaylen with the main piece being pick 2 in a draft with no sure thing is crazy work.

At minimum the core of Brown and Tatum in a weak East has you in the top 3-4. This has been proven virtually every season of their career.

To break it up on a gamble like that is crazy in my eyes and I believe strongly that Brad would agree.

You make it seem like we'd be trading JB for the 27th pick in the draft.

Massive difference between that and the 2nd pick.

Harper is a Cade/Paolo level prospect..both of them were the 1st pick.

Also, Bane is 36th, JB is 30th on the trade value rankings so not a big difference there:
https://nbarankings.theringer.com/trade-value

While that was a good haul Memphis got for Bane, Harper has a higher odds of becoming a star than any of those assets Memphis got..they got KCP (washed), Cole Anthony (decent guard off the bench) and picks which will likely be outside of the lottery since they're orlando's picks and Orlando will likely be near the top of the eastern conference standings for the foreseeable future with Paolo/Franz/Bane/Suggs. So those picks won't be that good..

[brackdan70]

This is not a draft in which picks #2-25 are worth alot. After Flagg, who knows? So I'd be more interested in future unprotected firsts than in late lottery picks this year.

This is a pretty strong draft with solid depth imo.
Yeah there is a clear number one, but lots of NBA players in the draft. More than normal.

[klemen44]

Just looked players contracts, JB&White have 4 years remaining, JT 5years and Prichard 3 years.

Boston is goid enough to win it all, just need to fix the C position longterm, because Porzingis is never healthy.

Bench can be fixed with veterans if young players will not show enough. Usually teams do not go more than 8-9 deepin playoffs.

There is really no need for dome crazy trades, because top 4 us goid enough to win it.

[Celts17Pride]

Just looked players contracts, JB&White have 4 years remaining, JT 5years and Prichard 3 years.

Boston is goid enough to win it all, just need to fix the C position longterm, because Porzingis is never healthy.

Bench can be fixed with veterans if young players will not show enough. Usually teams do not go more than 8-9 deepin playoffs.

There is really no need for dome crazy trades, because top 4 us goid enough to win it.

People are dying for the Celtics to be mediocre again, that's the only time they are truly happy.

[cloverleaf]

The draft is a really long time away when you lose in the 2nd round.

Let alone FA.

[rywith22]

Why does everyone want to trade JB? The only guy I'd even think twice about trading him away for is Giannis. Makes no sense to break up this nucleus, they've done nothing but win since they've been together.,

[Larry_Russell]

Gonna post this again: Devin Vassell is very overrated on here and most Spurs fans don't like him that much

Vassell is what he is and would attract suitors from struggling teams. He is an asset.

[Larry_Russell]

Just looked players contracts, JB&White have 4 years remaining, JT 5years and Prichard 3 years.

Boston is goid enough to win it all, just need to fix the C position longterm, because Porzingis is never healthy.

Bench can be fixed with veterans if young players will not show enough. Usually teams do not go more than 8-9 deepin playoffs.

There is really no need for dome crazy trades, because top 4 us goid enough to win it.

People are dying for the Celtics to be mediocre again, that's the only time they are truly happy.

1: We HAVE to get down below tax, we can either ship awayt every role player, or one of Jrue, KP or Brown - we have discussed this a million times

2. If team trades brown, that does not make them mediocre, as the team will still be brilliant with Tatum, White, Jrue, KP and assets returned from Brown. Not sure how many times this needs said to you.

[cloverleaf]

OMG, is Jay King finally growing up?
He was on 98.5 this morning without his backwards baseball cap on!

[celticgreenie]

Big fan of Jaylen Brown and his heroics in last year's playoffs. Not an analytics darling but a viable number 2 option on a championship team. Tatum on the other hand is an analytics darling but it is debatable if he is always a viable number 1 option on a championship team.
Seeing two young athletic teams in the finals and rumors of Jaylen Brown to Spurs make some semblance of sense. I am not big fans of Castle, Vassell, or Sochan but they would definitely inject some much needed athleticism on this team. This article matches what I have been thinking for a while:
https://www.celticsblog.com/2025/6/18/24450787/learning-from-the-nba-finals-the-boston-celtics-have-a-wing-deficiency

[Hal14]

Just looked players contracts, JB&White have 4 years remaining, JT 5years and Prichard 3 years.

Boston is goid enough to win it all, just need to fix the C position longterm, because Porzingis is never healthy.

Bench can be fixed with veterans if young players will not show enough. Usually teams do not go more than 8-9 deepin playoffs.

There is really no need for dome crazy trades, because top 4 us goid enough to win it.

Numerous reports say that KP, Jrue and Hauser are on the trade block, though and that we're looking to trim payroll..

It's just a matter of what trades Brad has up his sleeve..

Reports also say that white/JB could get moved but the price is very high for them..trade value right now for JB/white is probably higher than it will ever be at any point in the future.

[SparringPartner]

Gonna post this again: Devin Vassell is very overrated on here and most Spurs fans don't like him that much

Vassell's availability is my primary concern, along with his FTr this past year.

[flintsky21]

Just looked players contracts, JB&White have 4 years remaining, JT 5years and Prichard 3 years.

Boston is goid enough to win it all, just need to fix the C position longterm, because Porzingis is never healthy.

Bench can be fixed with veterans if young players will not show enough. Usually teams do not go more than 8-9 deepin playoffs.

There is really no need for dome crazy trades, because top 4 us goid enough to win it.

Agreed at all points.

Let's face it, we're not trading away our Finals MVP that soon. That's just not good optics for the franchise any way you slice it. Tatum's injury gives us opportunity though to part way with Jrue and KP without making it look like we're doing a disservice to both players who helped us capture banner 18. We really need a good big, because KP is too fragile and Horford is 39. That should be priority #1 in the offseason.

I read somewhere that Durant is playing better than ever, becoming the only player in NBA history to average 25 ppg, 50% FG, and 40% 3-PT in 3 consecutive seasons, and he's done that the past 3 years (would've been 5 if not for his 38% 3-pt average in 21-22), and yes, he did all that post-achilles injury. So there's hope for Tatum.

I think we can also use this gap year to assess what we got in guys like Scheierman, Walsh, or even Davison. Brown, White, PP, and whatever we can get for Jrue and KP might still be good enough to be a top-6 team in the East.

[Celticlifer]

No way we trade JB for a bunch of unknowns and someone like Vassell. Harper is 19. If he turns into Cade Cunningham, great, but Cunningham turned into Cunningham in year 4. We have the best wing duo in the NBA and it's not really close. Jure, Hauser, KP, all replaceable, JB in terms of talent, character, experience, fit = not replaceable without big downside risk.

[Hal14]

No way we trade JB for a bunch of unknowns and someone like Vassell. Harper is 19. If he turns into Cade Cunningham, great, but Cunningham turned into Cunningham in year 4.

-Cade was good before year 4..it's just that the first 3 years he had some of the worst teammates, worst spacing and worst coaching in NBA history.

-Tatum went toe to toe with Lebron in the conference finals as a rookie. Harper is as good a prospect as Tatum was

-The Thunder were the 1 seed when Chet and Jdub were in their 2nd year (1st healthy season for Chet) and they're about to win the finals with chet and jbdub in their 3rd season (2nd healthy season for Chet)

-Paolo led Orlando to the playoffs in his 2nd and 3rd season..

Again, there's more to these decisions than just basketball. Finances are playing a big part in our moves this summer. All the reports say that we're trimming payroll, trading key guys and getting under the apron. Moving JB achieves that..and we can get a lot more for JB via trade than we can get for Jrue, KP and Hauser.

Another factor is extending our window of being a good team. With Tatum/Brown, our window closes in a few yrs when they're out of their prime. Then what? Then we have nothing. No star to build around. We'd have to try and tank for a high draft pick but as we've seen in the past couple of drafts, there is no guarantee that tanking and having a bad record will get you a top 2 pick..or if you do get that top 2 pick, there's a chance it could happen in a bad draft like what happened to the wizards and hawks last year. Or you try and acquire a star via trade/free agency but that's easier said than done.

Or you get Harper now. And your window of being a good team *could* be for the next 15 years, until Harper is out of his prime.