Trade/Free Agency Thread 2023-24, part 12 is my favorite thread. Out of a dozen...

[Hal14]

The Blazers don't have any center on their roster outside of Ayton besides old friend Moses Brown who is on a non-guaranteed deal. Maybe if you throw them a 2nd round swap or something they'd waive Brown and take Kornet in via a minimum salary exception.

They also have Duop Reath. And they're pretty much in tank mode. So I don't think they're super worried about how many centers are on their roster. If they wanted to add another, I'm sure they could just pickup some random guy out of the G League like Wenyen Gabriel..or perhaps they could just sign Khem Birch or something.

I don't think all these random teams are gonna get involved in a trade where they add crap players to their roster, just so the celtics can go from being title favorites to having a roster that's even more stacked than it was already..

[cl2117]

My Beef Stew attempt:

Celtics in: Beef Stew, John Konchar, Derrick Rose
Celtics out: Pritchard, Kornet, Svi, Banton

C's upgrade their frontcourt depth with Stewart, who can be the ultimately successor to Horford for the team. Konchar has been described as a poor man's Derrick White, basically a guy who fills the space well between much more talented players, which is perfect for our roster (he was already rumored as a potential target of ours). Rose becomes the emergency PG depth behind Jrue/White.

Money works by taking Konchar/Rose into the Grant TPE. Keep a roster spot open for a last minute playoff push addition (possibly promote JD if you're desperate for guard depth).

Pistons in: Kornet, Banton, Celtics 2024 first unprotected and 2nds from Boston (possibly another first instead)
Pistons out: Beef Stew

Pistons cash out on Stewart and get some guys for their tank. I assume they ask for 2 firsts, but I'm not sure if any other teams would be willing to pay that price. Kick the tires on Banton.

Grizzlies in: Pritchard, Svi
Grizzlies out: Konchar, Rose

Grizz have always been a team that struggled with spacing and here they get 2 great shooters. They've got the defense that can support a guy like Pritchard with JJJ/Smart. Konchar doesn't fit with their squad and Rose is old injured, so this is a solid upgrade for them.

I think the Grizz get a good deal here so hopefully they kick in a 2nd or two to help us pay Detroit for Stewart. Could also see them swapping Laravia for Kornet for frontcourt depth (Laravia apparently was a potential cut instead of Kenneth Lofton Jr.).

The above weirdly works in the Fanspo trade machine, but when I tried it just with Detroit and without Memphis it fails. Not sure what the deal is there. Stevens or Oshea might need to go out as well, but I'd be fine with that.

[Rangeman]

I dont think Brad will trade anyone on the roster right now. He will only wait for the buyouts. This team currently constructed can win an NBA championship in June.

[Hal14]

Found this on Reddit, dated 4 months ago..

Clarification On Trading Min Contracts With The New CBA
I'm just trying to get some clarity on the trading of min contracts. Here are the rules as I understand them:

Can't aggregate multiple min players together in a trade, (doesn't apply if the amount of contracts, not necessarily salary, incoming/outgoing are the same?)

Rule #1 doesn't apply if you are only trading min players, in which case you can trade 2 min players, (again doesn't apply if the amount of contracts, not necessarily salary, incoming/outgoing are the same?)

Neither Rule 1 nor Rule 2 apply between December 15th and the trade deadline, at which point you can trade as many as you want

Why have rules 1+2 if you are going to have rule 3? Why have rule 3 if you are going to have rules 1+2? Seems unnecessarily complicated. Am I reading this right?

For those that are wondering my source, it's this article in the Athletic that says:

• There will be a cap on how many minimum contracts can be thrown into a deal when that deal is done at any time except for Dec. 15 through the trade deadline. In deals outside that period, if a team is aggregating two or more salaries in a trade and getting at least one player back, and the number of contracts that team is sending out is more than the amount of players it is receiving in return, then that team cannot trade more than one minimum contract. But a team can aggregate two minimum deals if they are the only contracts the team is sending out.

I'm kind of more confused than I was before reading that lol.

[Celts17Pride]

Olynyk, Covington, Batum, Horton-Tucker, PJ Tucker, A Burks, O'Neale, Monte Morris, D. Wright, Thad Young, Otto Porter.

Looking at NBA rosters, these are probably the best the Celtics could hope for in the buyout market. There is no guarantee any of those players will be bought out. You never know what trades will happen by the trade deadline that might make some of those players available. Not a lot of options.

Sixers will be crazy to buy out Covington and Batum. Same with Nets and O'Neale. They're in great spots. Those teams aren't tanking and they're current rotation players.

Covington and Batum might be involved in a trade then bought out by the team that trades for them. Same with O' Neale. Not saying it's going to happen, just saying it could.

[ConstableGeneva]

Olynyk, Covington, Batum, Horton-Tucker, PJ Tucker, A Burks, O'Neale, Monte Morris, D. Wright, Thad Young, Otto Porter.

Looking at NBA rosters, these are probably the best the Celtics could hope for in the buyout market. There is no guarantee any of those players will be bought out. You never know what trades will happen by the trade deadline that might make some of those players available. Not a lot of options.

Sixers will be crazy to buy out Covington and Batum. Same with Nets and O'Neale. They're in great spots. Those teams aren't tanking and they're current rotation players.

Covington and Batum might be involved in a trade then bought out by the team that trades for them.

Okay, gotcha. Sixers trade for a star, uses them as trade ballast? Entirely feasible.

[ConstableGeneva]

Read on Twitter

No NBA team, let alone one with title aspirations, wants him?

[BK_2020]

What even is a beer leopard

[GoCeltics123]

Read on Twitter

Aggressive in LOOKING is what I'd expect. In terms of us making any significant move, I'm less certain of given our constraints. I'm not expecting Caruso at all. But if he finds a way to get him it's time to put Brad's bust in Springfield.

It looks like the priority seems to be upgrading off Kornet. I don’t think another wing would hurt either as well as Hauser has played. Someone else mentioned Tate from Houston but I know they really like him.

Does Tate fit the Grant TPE?

[165bows]

Aggressive in LOOKING is what I'd expect. In terms of us making any significant move, I'm less certain of given our constraints. I'm not expecting Caruso at all. But if he finds a way to get him it's time to put Brad's bust in Springfield.

It looks like the priority seems to be upgrading off Kornet. I don’t think another wing would hurt either as well as Hauser has played. Someone else mentioned Tate from Houston but I know they really like him.

Does Tate fit the Grant TPE?

Just barely not unfortunately lol.
Edit: could do the Backup Wing Trio pretty easily though if that was the direction.

[BK_2020]

Let's just get Alec Burks or Konchar and get this over with.

[playa-hater]

My only 2 cents is that 99.9 pct of these rumors won't happen yet This is still fun for me.

Then again Brad is our POBO so...

[bisme37]

I think I'm in the minority but I strongly dislike the name Beef Stew. That's all I wanted to say about that.

[KillahGhostface]

Ahem

[GoCeltics123]

What about Plumlee? He's coming from injury soon but Theis might've Wally Pipp'd him. He's a $5mil expiring too so he fits the Grant TPE

[jfs1000d]

My Beef Stew attempt:

Celtics in: Beef Stew, John Konchar, Derrick Rose
Celtics out: Pritchard, Kornet, Svi, Banton

C's upgrade their frontcourt depth with Stewart, who can be the ultimately successor to Horford for the team. Konchar has been described as a poor man's Derrick White, basically a guy who fills the space well between much more talented players, which is perfect for our roster (he was already rumored as a potential target of ours). Rose becomes the emergency PG depth behind Jrue/White.

Money works by taking Konchar/Rose into the Grant TPE. Keep a roster spot open for a last minute playoff push addition (possibly promote JD if you're desperate for guard depth).

Pistons in: Kornet, Banton, Celtics 2024 first unprotected and 2nds from Boston (possibly another first instead)
Pistons out: Beef Stew

Pistons cash out on Stewart and get some guys for their tank. I assume they ask for 2 firsts, but I'm not sure if any other teams would be willing to pay that price. Kick the tires on Banton.

Grizzlies in: Pritchard, Svi
Grizzlies out: Konchar, Rose

Grizz have always been a team that struggled with spacing and here they get 2 great shooters. They've got the defense that can support a guy like Pritchard with JJJ/Smart. Konchar doesn't fit with their squad and Rose is old injured, so this is a solid upgrade for them.

I think the Grizz get a good deal here so hopefully they kick in a 2nd or two to help us pay Detroit for Stewart. Could also see them swapping Laravia for Kornet for frontcourt depth (Laravia apparently was a potential cut instead of Kenneth Lofton Jr.).

The above weirdly works in the Fanspo trade machine, but when I tried it just with Detroit and without Memphis it fails. Not sure what the deal is there. Stevens or Oshea might need to go out as well, but I'd be fine with that.

They arent gonna give up pritchard.

[cl2117]

They arent gonna give up pritchard.

Well if they're genuinely interested in Stewart, he's gotta go unless you're trading Horford, which I'd say is FAR less likely than moving Pritchard.

I don't think they trade Pritchard, but Stewart wouldn't be a bad target if they were going to (especially if they intend to eventually extend both Jrue and White).

[GoCeltics123]

They arent gonna give up pritchard.

Well if they're genuinely interested in Stewart, he's gotta go unless you're trading Horford, which I'd say is FAR less likely than moving Pritchard.

I don't think they trade Pritchard, but Stewart wouldn't be a bad target if they were going to (especially if they intend to eventually extend both Jrue and White).

It sounds like the Stewart interest was before the extension he signed FWIW

Tbh, looking at the landscape of players who fit the TPE, I think Plumlee has a lot higher chance of ending up here just based on how Brad's operated in the past and the landscape of the league. Clips aren't going to want to pay $5 mil for a 3rd center when they're so deep in the second apron and they've played a lot better with Theis, and Plumlee's fit on this team is really good.

I could see Precious Achiuwa or Jalen Smith too

[MaxwellSmart]

Stevens ain't trading Pritchard right now.

[Dogen]

Yeah not sure how realistic it is to trade for Stew with that contract situation. But he would be great here. Love his toughness, physicality. We could use an enforcer type like that. And he has continued to improve his shooting.

If we got someone like him or Caruso, jeesh, just hand the title over to us.

Yep, at least one enforcer/instigator to give the team that extra "something something" for those Butler/Adebayo/Giannis/Embiid alpha moments when you want to get them out of their comfort zone. Someone who's presence can be felt, a bit of an edge, uncertainty. Celtics really have no players like that on the roster at this point. Maybe Lamar or Queta can be that role but don't have the rep yet.

It's not the way of Brad and Joe's philosophy, but those PJ Tucker type of guys seem to come in handy in the playoffs and can shift the tide when needed.