Free Agent/Trade/Waiver Thread, 2025-26, part 2

[bfchs123]

If the goal is to reset the lux tax Celtics should trade White. He will be 33 by the time the 2028 playoffs arrive and he's a guy who would return value in a trade. Depending on the trade and who came back Celtics would be in much better shape to tank.

I would only trade white if I new I was getting a top 3 NBA draft pick this year as well as a legit starting center.



Then and only then would I consider it.

A player like white carries insane value.

The issue for me is concerning the luxury tax. If the Celtics are looking to avoid paying luxury tax this year (2026 playoffs) AND next year (2027 playoffs) it tells me they are not serious about winning a title in those seasons. That means the Celtics would not spend to maximize their chances until the 2028 playoffs.

I'm a big fan of Derrick White. He's mostly been phenomenal but he couldn't slow down Brunson last playoffs or Maxey and Edgecomb Wednesday. White is not going to become a better on ball defender as time passes. He's going to lose lateral quickness. How effective will a 33 (very close to 34) year old be at slowing down the opposition?

If the plan is to compete for a title next year I would like to keep Derrick White. If the plan is to avoid the luxury tax next year I would prefer trading him.

They just spent $6 billion buying the team, they aren't breaking up the team to avoid paying the luxury tax...

[jmr07019]

I would only trade white if I new I was getting a top 3 NBA draft pick this year as well as a legit starting center.



Then and only then would I consider it.

A player like white carries insane value.

The issue for me is concerning the luxury tax. If the Celtics are looking to avoid paying luxury tax this year (2026 playoffs) AND next year (2027 playoffs) it tells me they are not serious about winning a title in those seasons. That means the Celtics would not spend to maximize their chances until the 2028 playoffs.

I'm a big fan of Derrick White. He's mostly been phenomenal but he couldn't slow down Brunson last playoffs or Maxey and Edgecomb Wednesday. White is not going to become a better on ball defender as time passes. He's going to lose lateral quickness. How effective will a 33 (very close to 34) year old be at slowing down the opposition?

If the plan is to compete for a title next year I would like to keep Derrick White. If the plan is to avoid the luxury tax next year I would prefer trading him.

They just spent $6 billion buying the team, they aren't breaking up the team to avoid paying the luxury tax...

Good point lol

[Hal14]

Pritchard not looking so good this season so far..seems like he can't handle being a starter.

Probably better as a 6th man.

And Hauser? Good player...can definitely be a top 8 rotation player on a championship team..but too limited..he's a 3&D guy but doesn't give you enough in terms of rebounding, rim protection, ball handling, driving. Too limited in terms of speed, athleticism.

Long term? Pritchard 6th man, Hauser 7th man. Simons a starter - if he can keep being decent on D and signs a team friendly extension.

That leaves a starting lineup of simons, tatum, brown and white..just need to find a 5th starter and we're back to being serious title contenders..once Tatum is back healthy. Maybe we use part of that $22mil porzingis TPE next summer to find that 5th starter.

[Larry_Russell]

Pritchard not looking so good this season so far..seems like he can't handle being a starter.

Probably better as a 6th man.

And Hauser? Good player...can definitely be a top 8 rotation player on a championship team..but too limited..he's a 3&D guy but doesn't give you enough in terms of rebounding, rim protection, ball handling, driving. Too limited in terms of speed, athleticism.

Long term? Pritchard 6th man, Hauser 7th man. Simons a starter - if he can keep being decent on D and signs a team friendly extension.

That leaves a starting lineup of simons, tatum, brown and white..just need to find a 5th starter and we're back to being serious title contenders..once Tatum is back healthy. Maybe we use part of that $22mil porzingis TPE next summer to find that 5th starter.

Thats not a contender.

[cloverleaf]

Pritchard not looking so good this season so far..seems like he can't handle being a starter.

Probably better as a 6th man.

And Hauser? Good player...can definitely be a top 8 rotation player on a championship team..but too limited..he's a 3&D guy but doesn't give you enough in terms of rebounding, rim protection, ball handling, driving. Too limited in terms of speed, athleticism.

Long term? Pritchard 6th man, Hauser 7th man. Simons a starter - if he can keep being decent on D and signs a team friendly extension.

That leaves a starting lineup of simons, tatum, brown and white..just need to find a 5th starter and we're back to being serious title contenders..once Tatum is back healthy. Maybe we use part of that $22mil porzingis TPE next summer to find that 5th starter.

Hauser's a super-from-3 and doesn't-hurt-you-on-D guy.

[cloverleaf]

Pritchard not looking so good this season so far..seems like he can't handle being a starter.

Probably better as a 6th man.

And Hauser? Good player...can definitely be a top 8 rotation player on a championship team..but too limited..he's a 3&D guy but doesn't give you enough in terms of rebounding, rim protection, ball handling, driving. Too limited in terms of speed, athleticism.

Long term? Pritchard 6th man, Hauser 7th man. Simons a starter - if he can keep being decent on D and signs a team friendly extension.

That leaves a starting lineup of simons, tatum, brown and white..just need to find a 5th starter and we're back to being serious title contenders..once Tatum is back healthy. Maybe we use part of that $22mil porzingis TPE next summer to find that 5th starter.

Thats not a contender.

If Wemby's the 5th starter maybe...

[Hal14]

Pritchard not looking so good this season so far..seems like he can't handle being a starter.

Probably better as a 6th man.

And Hauser? Good player...can definitely be a top 8 rotation player on a championship team..but too limited..he's a 3&D guy but doesn't give you enough in terms of rebounding, rim protection, ball handling, driving. Too limited in terms of speed, athleticism.

Long term? Pritchard 6th man, Hauser 7th man. Simons a starter - if he can keep being decent on D and signs a team friendly extension.

That leaves a starting lineup of simons, tatum, brown and white..just need to find a 5th starter and we're back to being serious title contenders..once Tatum is back healthy. Maybe we use part of that $22mil porzingis TPE next summer to find that 5th starter.

Hauser's a super-from-3 and doesn't-hurt-you-on-D guy.

Excellent 7th man. Idk about a starter on a contender..

[Hal14]

Pritchard not looking so good this season so far..seems like he can't handle being a starter.

Probably better as a 6th man.

And Hauser? Good player...can definitely be a top 8 rotation player on a championship team..but too limited..he's a 3&D guy but doesn't give you enough in terms of rebounding, rim protection, ball handling, driving. Too limited in terms of speed, athleticism.

Long term? Pritchard 6th man, Hauser 7th man. Simons a starter - if he can keep being decent on D and signs a team friendly extension.

That leaves a starting lineup of simons, tatum, brown and white..just need to find a 5th starter and we're back to being serious title contenders..once Tatum is back healthy. Maybe we use part of that $22mil porzingis TPE next summer to find that 5th starter.

Thats not a contender.

If Wemby's the 5th starter maybe...

Any team with Tatum/Brown/White healthy and in their prime is a contender.

Remember, last season Indy was in the NBA finals with Haliburton/Siakam/Nembhard..

[Fierce1]

Hauser can be a starter on a loaded roster like the 2024 and 2025 Celtics.

But Hauser can't be a starter on a team with limited firepower.

Sam just has too many flaws that can't be offset by great shooting.

[31to6]

Bassey signs 10-day with MEM
tough night in the 31to6 household
(Brad doesn't want to plug the hole at center anyway, that's my new worldview)

[Fierce1]

Bassey signs 10-day with MEM
tough night in the 31to6 household
(Brad doesn't want to plug the hole at center anyway, that's my new worldview)

Even if Brad plugs the hole at Center, if the Cs are playing 3 guards with JB then the Cs will still get outrebounded most of the time because of the 3 small guards.

Good things happened when Mynot was in there with a big man.

It was only when Joe put Sam and PP back in the game that the Pistons got separation again.

The rebounding issue is more about the whole team than just a hole at Center.

[31to6]

Bassey signs 10-day with MEM
tough night in the 31to6 household
(Brad doesn't want to plug the hole at center anyway, that's my new worldview)

Even if Brad plugs the hole at Center, if the Cs are playing 3 guards with JB then the Cs will still get outrebounded most of the time because of the 3 small guards.

Good things happened when Mynot was in there with a big man.

It was only when Joe put Sam and PP back in the game that the Pistons got separation again.

The rebounding issue is more about the whole team than just a hole at Center.

I agree. The Cs have a hole in the frontcourt largely -- but not only -- because they have a hole at center.

In other news, I am going to try to get you to spell "Minott" correctly. It is not that long and I believe you can learn it!

I think the only Celtic name I have NOT learned how to spell was Svi. Svi Miklskfhaukylky. It wasn't worth the time. But Minott is a keepah!

[Parliament10]

Bassey signs 10-day with MEM
tough night in the 31to6 household
(Brad doesn't want to plug the hole at center anyway, that's my new worldview)

Read on Twitter

IDK what's wrong with Brad.
Why not sign Bassey to a Vet minimum?

[redslastlaugh]

who is looking good this season? Hugo?

I think Queta is looking good, still fouling too much and still missing boards, but overall looking good imo

Who is NOT looking so good?
White is averaging 18pt/4asts which is okay for him not great, but only shooting 32% FG and 29% 3PT
Boucher looks awful, Simons looks lousy, Hauser is making shots but looks lost.

nobody is looking their best right now, maybe Neemi

Pritchard not looking so good this season so far..seems like he can't handle being a starter.

Probably better as a 6th man.

[Jakeopp]

If we're going to suck, at least make things entertaining. Bol Bol is a FA and better than anyone else we have at the 4/5. Richaun Holmes, Moses Brown and Christian Wood are FAs and they'd be infinitely better rebounders than anyone else on the roster. Quit wasting roster spots on guys like Jordan Walsh and fill a need.

[Fierce1]

Bassey signs 10-day with MEM
tough night in the 31to6 household
(Brad doesn't want to plug the hole at center anyway, that's my new worldview)

Even if Brad plugs the hole at Center, if the Cs are playing 3 guards with JB then the Cs will still get outrebounded most of the time because of the 3 small guards.

Good things happened when Mynot was in there with a big man.

It was only when Joe put Sam and PP back in the game that the Pistons got separation again.

The rebounding issue is more about the whole team than just a hole at Center.

I agree. The Cs have a hole in the frontcourt largely -- but not only -- because they have a hole at center.

In other news, I am going to try to get you to spell "Minott" correctly. It is not that long and I believe you can learn it!

I think the only Celtic name I have NOT learned how to spell was Svi. Svi Miklskfhaukylky. It wasn't worth the time. But Minott is a keepah!

Yeah, Mynot is a keeper.

When he was in there in that 4th qtr. run, he scored 10 points in 12 minutes.

Cs cut the Detroit lead to 4 points.

But when Joe brought back Sam and PP, Detroit once again scored on putbacks.
That gave the Pistons a cushion and game over for the Cs.

[djFan71]

This one was tough cuz they actually kinda played well for what they are and still lost. Im not sure there’s another level. Sure, guys will get more comfortable, rotations will settle and shots will fall, but there isn’t some deep well of untapped potential to unlock here.


Edit:wrong thread. Meant for the DET post game. I also contain no well of untapped potential.

[Fierce1]

This one was tough cuz they actually kinda played well for what they are and still lost. Im not sure there’s another level. Sure, guys will get more comfortable, rotations will settle and shots will fall, but there isn’t some deep well of untapped potential to unlock here.

It doesn't have to be a deep well.
Joe just needs to play Boucher and Mynot more and Sam Hauser less.

Whether we like it or not, size matters in basketball.

Cs got clobbered on the boards because the Pistons were big and athletic.

The Cs were small and unathletic.

Guys like Hugo, Mynot, and Boucher deserve more minutes.

[djFan71]

This one was tough cuz they actually kinda played well for what they are and still lost. Im not sure there’s another level. Sure, guys will get more comfortable, rotations will settle and shots will fall, but there isn’t some deep well of untapped potential to unlock here.

It doesn't have to be a deep well.
Joe just needs to play Boucher and Mynot more and Sam Hauser less.

Whether we like it or not, size matters in basketball.

Cs got clobbered on the boards because the Pistons were big and athletic.

The Cs were small and unathletic.

Guys like Hugo, Mynot, and Boucher deserve more minutes.

I agree with the PT ideas, that’s why I wanted Simons gone (to have wing minutes) and would have kept Kornet and flipped Sam. But, no matter how Joe runs guys out there, it’s gonna be a rough sled. Main goal is keep the standard and see who is worth keeping around for when JT is back.

[Fierce1]

This one was tough cuz they actually kinda played well for what they are and still lost. Im not sure there’s another level. Sure, guys will get more comfortable, rotations will settle and shots will fall, but there isn’t some deep well of untapped potential to unlock here.

It doesn't have to be a deep well.
Joe just needs to play Boucher and Mynot more and Sam Hauser less.

Whether we like it or not, size matters in basketball.

Cs got clobbered on the boards because the Pistons were big and athletic.

The Cs were small and unathletic.

Guys like Hugo, Mynot, and Boucher deserve more minutes.

I agree with the PT ideas, that’s why I wanted Simons gone (to have wing minutes) and would have kept Kornet and flipped Sam. But, no matter how Joe runs guys out there, it’s gonna be a rough sled. Main goal is keep the standard and see who is worth keeping around for when JT is back.

Simons will play better if Joe will let him loose.

Right now Simons is behind PP on the depth chart and Joe trying to make Simons a team player instead of maximizing Simons' scoring ability.

So like what I said in the summer, let's have a look-see then make a move if it doesn't work out.

Right now Joe insisting PP having seniority over Simons means Simons is the odd man out must be traded for a bigger player with a smaller salary.