Free Agent, Trade, Buyout, Extension & Conversion Thread, 2025 con't

[winsomme2]

I think Brad Stevens and the Celtics strategy is going to be try to stay competitive in 2025/2026 while reducing payroll but make sure the "books" are pretty clear for 2026/2027 when the 1st apron is projected to be $216 million and the 2nd apron projected to be $229 million. That means moving off of Holiday and Hauser's long term deals by acquiring expiring contracts or draft capital. They may keep KP at least until the trade deadline next year.

In 2026/2027 the Celtics could have a core of players Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, Scheierman, Kornet, Queta, (2) 1st round draft picks for about $175 million.

Brad Stevens would have a lot room to add to that core and may even extend players like Gafford, Washington if they ever came over in a Holiday trade. I think the Celtics would love to get below the 2nd apron next year but I'm not sure it's a priority. I think it's a priority for 2026/2027 and the way you do it is moving Holiday and Hauser.

Just one person's opinion.

This is a pretty logical rational take that makes a lot of sense. If you can have expiring by next year you can hopefully retool around a good core. The 2 big questions we don't have answers to complicating this whole thing:

1. How long will it take Tatum to get back to the player he was, if at all?

2. How concerning is it that we still don't know what's going on with Jaylen's knee and no decision has yet been made on whether he will have surgery or not?

There is a world in which BOTH our cornerstones come back from injury a lesser version of themselves. That's just reality. But we're not at the point I think where can give up on them. I'd take it easy with Jaylen next year. Play lots of Scheierman. Pritchard, and maybe even see what we have in Davison.

I think it’s a sensible approach but not sure about a legit contender.

Brad really is going to have work some magic here to juggle the cap AND get better because OKC is gonna be a wagon.

On the positive side, the EC continues to look pretty wide open. So with a little good fortune on the health front (which we deserve!) and a couple of masterful moves by Brad. We could be back in the Finals next year…

[Fierce1]

Difference between Tatum and Giannis is Giannis is a finished product.

Tatum has not reached his ceiling yet.

If Tatum improves and becomes a more efficient player, he'll win MVP.

Giannis can't shoot.

That's always going to be a problem.

Even FTs is a struggle for Giannis.

[snowman]

just pitching ideas, but if the rape rumors against Zion turn out to be false, what about this?

Zion for Brown straight up. Boston could move Tatum, when he returns, to SF, start Zion at PF, and save 13 mil off the bottom line. Then we move Jrue for wherever we can save enough to get us under the 2nd apron enough to resign Horford and Kornet and our draft picks.

Not crazy about this but just an idea.

[Shak_Celts]

Difference between Tatum and Giannis is Giannis is a finished product.

Tatum has not reached his ceiling yet.

If Tatum improves and becomes a more efficient player, he'll win MVP.

Giannis can't shoot.

That's always going to be a problem.

Even FTs is a struggle for Giannis.

I would still go for Giannis.

Edit: still agree with what you’re saying, but it’s moot anyway.

[Fierce1]

just pitching ideas, but if the rape rumors against Zion turn out to be false, what about this?

Zion for Brown straight up. Boston could move Tatum, when he returns, to SF, start Zion at PF, and save 13 mil off the bottom line. Then we move Jrue for wherever we can save enough to get us under the 2nd apron enough to resign Horford and Kornet and our draft picks.

Not crazy about this but just an idea.

Zion is a disaster waiting to happen.

He's worse than KP when it comes to durability.

A player that heavy and jumps like he's on a trampoline is going to get injured sooner than later.

[Bill Lumbergh]

Moving Jaylen is a dark horse. Possible for a haul. My guess is we get off of Jrue and Sam. Probably cost a pick to get off Jrue. KP may go, but there's no urgency there. Worst case is we just let him walk after next year. Best case, he recovers from the plague and looks good next year and we maybe return something (less expensive) of value for him.

[neno]

The 1st overall pick next year will probably get us Jokic. I hope he doesn't forget to mention R.O.Y. Yam Madar in his finals mvp speech.

[Fierce1]

Moving Jaylen is a dark horse. Possible for a haul. My guess is we get off of Jrue and Sam. Probably cost a pick to get off Jrue. KP may go, but there's no urgency there. Worst case is we just let him walk after next year. Best case, he recovers from the plague and looks good next year and we maybe return something (less expensive) of value for him.

There are reports where multiple teams are interested in Jrue.

So no need for the Cs to spend a pick to move Jrue.

[Bill Lumbergh]

Moving Jaylen is a dark horse. Possible for a haul. My guess is we get off of Jrue and Sam. Probably cost a pick to get off Jrue. KP may go, but there's no urgency there. Worst case is we just let him walk after next year. Best case, he recovers from the plague and looks good next year and we maybe return something (less expensive) of value for him.

There are reports where multiple teams are interested in Jrue.

So no need for the Cs to spend a pick to move Jrue.

We'll see. Right now, my guess is that it's more likely than not to take a pick to move off him. His contract is pretty brutal at his age.

[Hal14]

Let's go get Giannis!

My vision is next season is still a bridge year. Don't rush Tatum back. Sit him the whole season.

Since we're basically punting the season, let's trade for Giannis but do some big time load management with him..like he'll barely play next season. Just enough to stay in shape, learn our system, schemes, get used to playing here, get used to playing with his teammates.

Also do big time load management with Al (let's sign him to 2 year deal, 2nd year being a player option) but the goal is to have Al barely play next season, so he has enough gas left in the tank to play 1 final season in 26-27..which is the season Tatum will be back healthy and we're going all out in 26-27 to send Al off with another ring.

We should have about 4 years with Giannis where he's still stud. The fist season is the punt year. Then the next 3 seasons (2026 - 2029) we're going for a title in each of those 3 seasons. The goal is to win at least 1 title with Tatum/Giannis during that 3 year span, hopefully more than 1.

You put the best supporting cast around them as you can. Still trying to duck under the 2nd apron though, so JB is gone in the Giannis trade. And we're also moving Jrue and KP this summer. The Big 3 is hopefully gonna be Tatum/Giannis/White. With Tatum/Giannis as the dynamic duo. Pritchard still here. Al for 2 more years, retiring in 2027. Probably also moving Hauser to duck under the 2nd apron. And Brad tries to fill out the rest of the roster as best he can. We should be able to get 1 or 2 decent players back in the Jrue/KP/Hauser trades to help solidify the rotation.

Would love to get PJ Washington in a deal sending Jrue to Dallas. Then our 2027 championship team could be Tatum/Giannis/White/Washington/Pritchard/Al with maybe Scheierman as the 8th man and find some other vet to be the 7th man.

[Hal14]

Yes, do this..then flip JB for Giannis.

Read on Twitter

[Fierce1]

Jrue + KP = 63.1m

PJ + Gafford = 28.4m

That solves the tax problem.

But if we're dealing with the Nets, I prefer Cam Johnson over PJ Washington.

[Celts17Pride]

The only trade I can see the Nets doing with the Celtics is to take Porzingis and move Claxton to a third team like the Lakers so the Nets can get off that hideous contract and get back KP and more draft capital. The Nets then would move Porzingis again at the midseason trade deadline for more assets.

The Nets are not in business to help the Celtics.

[Fierce1]

The only trade I can see the Nets doing with the Celtics is to take Porzingis and move Claxton to a third team like the Lakers so the Nets can get off that hideous contract and get back KP and more draft capital. The Nets then would move Porzingis again at the midseason trade deadline for more assets.

The Nets are not in business to help the Celtics.

Ainge would disagree.

The Nets gave the Celtics Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, right?

[Celts17Pride]

The only trade I can see the Nets doing with the Celtics is to take Porzingis and move Claxton to a third team like the Lakers so the Nets can get off that hideous contract and get back KP and more draft capital. The Nets then would move Porzingis again at the midseason trade deadline for more assets.

The Nets are not in business to help the Celtics.

Ainge would disagree.

The Nets gave the Celtics Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, right?

Which is all the more reason the Nets are not doing the Celtics any favors.

[Fierce1]

The only trade I can see the Nets doing with the Celtics is to take Porzingis and move Claxton to a third team like the Lakers so the Nets can get off that hideous contract and get back KP and more draft capital. The Nets then would move Porzingis again at the midseason trade deadline for more assets.

The Nets are not in business to help the Celtics.

Ainge would disagree.

The Nets gave the Celtics Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, right?

Which is all the more reason the Nets are not doing the Celtics any favors.

We'll see.

Maybe the Nets just can't help it.

[Celts17Pride]

Celtics get: Vincent (expiring), couple of 2nd round picks
Nets get: Porzingis
Lakers get Claxton
Hawks get Hachimura

Celtics cut $19.2 million, Hawks get a good player for nothing using one of their TPEs

Celtics move Hauser for nothing. Keep Holiday and resign Horford and Kornet

[keevsnick1]

The Giannis to the Celtics stuff doesn't make much sense to me, for a number of reasons:

1) They'd have to get under the 2nd apron to make the money work in a Brown-Giannis trade, which would mean flat dumping either KP or Jrue for little or nothing back. That will not being easy, it may costs assets just to dump one of them. Even if they do that then....
2) Why would the Bucks want to do a Giannis-Brown trade? If they are trading Giannis its to rebuild, not to get back a lesser player who's not their franchise legend and only two years younger and paid the same. And if your response to this is "well, they could flip Brown" then sure, but they could also just skip that middle part and trade Giannis for assets. Speaking of which....
3) A Brown-Giannis swap would take more assets from the C's, but their first-round picks with Giannis would suck. The Bucks own so few of their own firsts that any Giannis trade really would have to get high quality firsts back in return, that's why SAS, OKC or HOU make so much sense. They all have OTHER TEAM's picks to trade. Boston has nothing like that to offer. But...
4) Even if they did would Giannis really want to burn one of his last prime years (age 31 next year) waiting for Tatum's Achilles to heal? This idea made more sense before Tatum went down for the year. If Giannis is forcing his way out its hard to believe its so he can essentially take a gap year.

TLDR: The financials, the lack of the right sort of assets and both teams' situation moving forward make this trade seem very, very, unlikely.

[keevsnick1]

To me by far the most likely outcome of this offseason is moving Jrue Holiday. The three years left on his deal might make moving him tougher than moving the expiring of KP, but getting that money off the books would also really fix up their cap situation moving forward. Waiting another year risks him turning into a pumpkin and becoming completely immovable. He also happens to be the most positionally redundant of their big money guys. There's been enough rumored interest in him to make you think the Celtics may not have to give up a ton of assets to move him. Meanwhile with KP it sort of feels like you're selling at his lowest point. And even if he sucks or is injured again next year at least he then expires. Plus, you'll probably need his offense with Tatum out all year.

[NotAKnicksFan]

I think any giannis trade has to start with giannus wanting to be traded, and naming boston as one lets say 3-4 trade destinations. That then eliminates many teams in looking to trade for him.


From there you search and make trade
Ideas 3 team - 4 team trade ideas

Thats how it would start, we have seen players do it for decades now. The hope would be boston is one of the teams he would be willing to be traded too

Who would miami, brooklyn , get to make a championship team around giannis, with whats left from aquiring him?

Boston could literally just trade there whole team and besides tatum and youd have those two, you can fill that team with a bunch of free agents mid level tier players and would still be a threat - top 3 team in east and contender

But most likely youd still have good pieces after getting giannis