2025 Offseason Trade and Free Agency Thread (The Fun Never Stops Edition)

[Shak_Celts]

Where is LeBore going?

Dallas has already been mentioned...

he will go to whoever is the most favored to win a title.

Going? Without his son? Nowhere.

[Shak_Celts]

Because you'll have a center

Right now our starting center is Queta. We are so cooked if he's our starter. Like just trade Derrick and Jaylen and tank at that point

I could see your point if the centers were actually good — but they’re mediocre at best. Honestly, I’d rather roll with Neemias Queta for a full season than pay Luke Kornet $13 million a year and give up Simons in the process.

Losing a young scorer with upside to overpay Al and Luke makes no sense.

Simons, Sexton, Clarkson, Ivey, Scoot Henderson, Poole, Cam Thomas... What do these guys have in common? Their value comes from high volume scoring. They are all bad to terrible defenders that do very little when they're not scoring. Empty stats guys. They're never feature on a good team.

Least valuable archetype in the league. These guys have almost no trade value around the league yet some people think moving Simons is a sin. If they keep him it's because there are no takers. You'd think that fans of a great team would figure out what impacts winning by now.

Poole is one of the reasons we don’t have two rings, no?

[fallguy]

I think the real problem we're faced with (as we spin and argue about centers and Simons) is that our three best players really preclude us from building a proper team, given their salaries, and the fact that none of them are proper bigs.

Tatum - $58.5M
Brown - $57.1M
White - $30.3M

We're at $145M in 26-27 and jump up to the $157M range in 27-28.

Can you fill out a championship roster with these three as your core?

Look at the salaries for guys like Hartenstein (just to pick an example). A proper center runs you $25M+. And neither Luke nor Al is the longterm answer.

It seems blindingly obvious to me that we cannot keep JT, JB, DW and also add Simons beyond next year (at an absolute minimum of $18M). There's no way you can invest that much in perimeter players.

Which is why I think Simons is toast.

The only exception to that would be if we spin off one of JB or DW for a haul, including a young(ish) big we can slot into the starting lineup for under market salary.

I'm increasingly convinced this is the path, eventually. Whether we like it or not.

[cl2117]

Nurkic could be an option, especially if we're losing both Kornet and Horford.

Nurkic for Simons shaves off $7m and then if you dump Niang for close to nothing we could even try to find a distressed asset of our own to flip (2025's Jaden Springer). Can probably get it all done for 2nds.

Then if there's a raft of big-man injuries maybe we can flip Nurk to a third team and get expirings/2nds back to recoup some of the cost of dumping Simons/Niang.

[cloverleaf]

Nurkic could be an option, especially if we're losing both Kornet and Horford.

Nurkic for Simons shaves off $7m and then if you dump Niang for close to nothing we could even try to find a distressed asset of our own to flip (2025's Jaden Springer). Can probably get it all done for 2nds.

Then if there's a raft of big-man injuries maybe we can flip Nurk to a third team and get expirings/2nds back to recoup some of the cost of dumping Simons/Niang.

https://www.si.com/nba/hornets/news/grade-the-trade-hornets-flip-jusuf-nurki-for-jazz-guard-collin-sexton

[cloverleaf]

I think the real problem we're faced with (as we spin and argue about centers and Simons) is that our three best players really preclude us from building a proper team, given their salaries, and the fact that none of them are proper bigs.

Tatum - $58.5M
Brown - $57.1M
White - $30.3M

We're at $145M in 26-27 and jump up to the $157M range in 27-28.

Can you fill out a championship roster with these three as your core?

Look at the salaries for guys like Hartenstein (just to pick an example). A proper center runs you $25M+. And neither Luke nor Al is the longterm answer.

It seems blindingly obvious to me that we cannot keep JT, JB, DW and also add Simons beyond next year (at an absolute minimum of $18M). There's no way you can invest that much in perimeter players.

Which is why I think Simons is toast.

The only exception to that would be if we spin off one of JB or DW for a haul, including a young(ish) big we can slot into the starting lineup for under market salary.

I'm increasingly convinced this is the path, eventually. Whether we like it or not.

White's not so much the issue...

[chrisab123]

Simons to Bulls for Coby White and Jalen Smith?

Can’t see the Bulls doing that but it would make sense

[fallguy]

I think the real problem we're faced with (as we spin and argue about centers and Simons) is that our three best players really preclude us from building a proper team, given their salaries, and the fact that none of them are proper bigs.

Tatum - $58.5M
Brown - $57.1M
White - $30.3M

We're at $145M in 26-27 and jump up to the $157M range in 27-28.

Can you fill out a championship roster with these three as your core?

Look at the salaries for guys like Hartenstein (just to pick an example). A proper center runs you $25M+. And neither Luke nor Al is the longterm answer.

It seems blindingly obvious to me that we cannot keep JT, JB, DW and also add Simons beyond next year (at an absolute minimum of $18M). There's no way you can invest that much in perimeter players.

Which is why I think Simons is toast.

The only exception to that would be if we spin off one of JB or DW for a haul, including a young(ish) big we can slot into the starting lineup for under market salary.

I'm increasingly convinced this is the path, eventually. Whether we like it or not.

White's not so much the issue...

Yeah, he's well-priced. But he's also super valuable in the market, so he's part of the calculus here.

[cloverleaf]

If you're trading Simons just to bring back Al and Luke, then what's the actual plan? I love Horford — he's probably one of my favorite Celtics ever — and Luke is a great teammate and a dependable backup big. But given where the Celtics are right now, is bringing back two aging role players at the expense of a young, high-upside scorer really the right move?

Essentially, we’d be running it back without Jrue and KP. That might be fine if Horford or Kornet had any real upside left, but they don’t — they're solid, not game-changers. So what's the long-term value here?

It all depends on what you can get for Simons. But if they end up flipping him in a pure salary dump just to re-sign Luke and Al, I’ll be really disappointed.

Because you'll have a center

Right now our starting center is Queta. We are so cooked if he's our starter. Like just trade Derrick and Jaylen and tank at that point

Cooked WITH Kornet.

Brad's got to ratchet down a couple of turns for at least one of these trades. He's not nearly done.
Brad needed to get a center in return of dealing Jrue amd Kristaps...not a grossly undersized guard

[cloverleaf]

Just trade Hauser and use that money to sign Luke.

Niang and Baylor are enough shooters.

Luke's gonna take more than $3M a year. (The Nets are unlikely to help here.)

Love Luke, but he's not a starting NBA Center.

So if Luke asks for more than 8m per year, let him walk.

Ya can't squeeze $8M out of a Hauser trade.

[cl2117]

Nurkic could be an option, especially if we're losing both Kornet and Horford.

Nurkic for Simons shaves off $7m and then if you dump Niang for close to nothing we could even try to find a distressed asset of our own to flip (2025's Jaden Springer). Can probably get it all done for 2nds.

Then if there's a raft of big-man injuries maybe we can flip Nurk to a third team and get expirings/2nds back to recoup some of the cost of dumping Simons/Niang.

https://www.si.com/nba/hornets/news/grade-the-trade-hornets-flip-jusuf-nurki-for-jazz-guard-collin-sexton

I meant from Utah. Nurk doesn't really make sense for them unless they're moving Kessler. Could flip him to us and get a 2nd back to offset what they sent with Sexton.

[fallguy]

I'd still be nosing around on Lively if I were Boston.

[klemen44]

Boston an keep all 3 of jb, jt and white because Prichard has cobtract for only 7-8 million for next 3 years.

You flip Simmons and picks if necesary for a center... That is the way to go.

You can affird 25million center as long as you have Prichard as starting point guard for 8 million.

[fallguy]

In retrospect, the 08 Celtics were a brilliant piece of roster construction. Three star players, all at very different, highly complementary positions, supported by a mix of young guys who could contribute in the playoffs and a couple of vets.

[fallguy]

Boston an keep all 3 of jb, jt and white because Prichard has cobtract for only 7-8 million for next 3 years.

You flip Simmons and picks if necesary for a center... That is the way to go.

You can affird 25million center as long as you have Prichard as starting point guard for 8 million.

I think this is maybe the most or second most likely outcome. The right center would be worth 1-2 picks.

[cl2117]

Simons to Bulls for Coby White and Jalen Smith?

Can’t see the Bulls doing that but it would make sense

Vuc would be the better target. They've got Zach Collins and Jalen Smith, Vuc is 35 and not part of their future he's only temporarily propping them up. Simons makes more sense for their timeline.

They also have a big TPE and could eat Niang or Hauser and still be WAY under the tax.

Possibly Patrick Williams' long-term money instead of Vuc if they're looking to get off that train at the earliest station possible. $18m per year is ugly for Pat Will but it's flat each year so at least it gets slightly better. He seems like a classic reclamation project that likely won't work out but I can talk myself into it if they take Niang as well we're out of the tax this year.

[Celts17Pride]

Still talking JB trade?

They will until opening day

[chrisab123]

Simons to Bulls for Coby White and Jalen Smith?

Can’t see the Bulls doing that but it would make sense

Vuc would be the better target. They've got Zach Collins and Jalen Smith, Vuc is 35 and not part of their future he's only temporarily propping them up. Simons makes more sense for their timeline.

They also have a big TPE and could eat Niang or Hauser and still be WAY under the tax.

Possibly Patrick Williams' long-term money instead of Vuc if they're looking to get off that train at the earliest station possible. $18m per year is ugly for Pat Will but it's flat each year so at least it gets slightly better. He seems like a classic reclamation project that likely won't work out but I can talk myself into it if they take Niang as well we're out of the tax this year.

Vuc is terrible. I really don’t want to see him on this team. Especially at his current contract.

[phincsfan]

Just trade Hauser and use that money to sign Luke.

Niang and Baylor are enough shooters.

Luke will have no trade value. Keep Sam, let him have a solid year and he can get the C's a 1st rd pick next draft.

[phincsfan]

Maybe Amari Williams will be better than Queta.

Celtics have until February deadline to get a Center.

It does not need to be right now.

Wolves declined Luka Garza's option. C's should kick the tires like they did with Neems.