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

[Parliament10]

I think it's probable (i.e., >75% probability) that we'll be a top-4 seed and will get Tatum back. If so, I can see Brad doing a deal, and Zubac would be a good target. However, I'm skeptical that Zubac will be traded.

Gotta wait until the 12/15/2025 date.
It's doable, with Picks and so forth. We'll see.

Getting Zubac and Lopez would be great. Lopez is mostly cooked but can kind of still shoot.

Also, Lopez has a Team option for next year.
We don't have to pick it up.

[31to6]

I also think a big that can shoot the 3 should be an option.

Mazzulla-Ball thrives when the Center can make 3s.

Vucevic comes to mind.

I've repped for Vuc for years, but really

Watch on YouTube

[Celts17Pride]

B Lopez and Vucevic are both old and cooked. Garza plays better defense than Vucevic. Hard pass on both of those players. Absolutely serves no purpose. Rather give the minutes to Amari Williams and I'm not huge on him.

[Dogen]

Gotta wait until the 12/15/2025 date.
It's doable, with Picks and so forth. We'll see.

Getting Zubac and Lopez would be great. Lopez is mostly cooked but can kind of still shoot.

Also, Lopez has a Team option for next year.
We don't have to pick it up.

Chris Paul could have been included in this trade, with Garza going to Clippers as a young, affordable big since they will be depleted this year with that trade. LA would really be blowing it up and looking to FA next season, plus whatever picks they get.

Zubac/Lopez/Paul for Simons/Garza still works in Spotrac but I guess the Paul situation has not been updated yet.

I understand that people may not want Paul, but he's expiring, affordable, and dang, whatever you think of him he deserves to go out better than this. a good organization should pick him up. At the very least he'd be in that player/coach role for Boston this season.

And if things keep trending and JT back by March?

Zubac/Tatum/Walsh/Brown/White
Queta/Minott/Hauser/González/Pritchard
Lopez/Tillman/Boucher/Scheierman/Paul

Absolutely stacked roster and cuts 1M off the cap. Celtics may not make it all the way this year, but that roster makes them cream of the East, with good blend of star, vet and young role payers.

Is Paul technically still under Clipper's rights? This trade could happen on Dec 15.

[bucknersrevenge]

I also think a big that can shoot the 3 should be an option.

Mazzulla-Ball thrives when the Center can make 3s.

Vucevic comes to mind.

I'm still baffled by how Boucher can't grab any of these minutes. I don't know what happened to him. Minnott has been terrific but you're telling me the combo of Minnott and Boucher with all that energy, length, and athleticism (and shooting) Couldn't help? Does he not understand the defense? I feel like at the end of the season something weird is gonna come out that explains why Boucher hasn't played.

[Fierce1]

I also think a big that can shoot the 3 should be an option.

Mazzulla-Ball thrives when the Center can make 3s.

Vucevic comes to mind.

I'm still baffled by how Boucher can't grab any of these minutes. I don't know what happened to him. Minnott has been terrific but you're telling me the combo of Minnott and Boucher with all that energy, length, and athleticism (and shooting) Couldn't help? Does he not understand the defense? I feel like at the end of the season something weird is gonna come out that explains why Boucher hasn't played.

Agree.

Boucher was playing well in preseason.

I don't know what's going on.

[celticgreenie]

I also think a big that can shoot the 3 should be an option.

Mazzulla-Ball thrives when the Center can make 3s.

Vucevic comes to mind.

I'm still baffled by how Boucher can't grab any of these minutes. I don't know what happened to him. Minnott has been terrific but you're telling me the combo of Minnott and Boucher with all that energy, length, and athleticism (and shooting) Couldn't help? Does he not understand the defense? I feel like at the end of the season something weird is gonna come out that explains why Boucher hasn't played.

Agree.

Boucher was playing well in preseason.

I don't know what's going on.

He's only on a one year contract. Sadly I think there is some politics involved with contracts that happens here just like any other franchise. Why I also think Simon's hasn't been even given a short opportunity to start. Joe may like to act like his rotations are super unpredictable but the starting lineup when healthy has been mostly predictable except Walsh took the place of Minott.

[Parasite]

Is trading Simons the only pathway to landing Zubac? I have always been a Simons fan and I’d like him to stay. Any other realistic way to get Zubac?

[redslastlaugh]

Is trading Simons the only pathway to landing Zubac? I have always been a Simons fan and I’d like him to stay. Any other realistic way to get Zubac?

Not if LAC want cap relief. You could trade Derrick to a 3rd team and Zubac to us and expirings to LAC but I think the front office wants to add Zubac to the Jays and D White. Simons is our only expring contract

[Parasite]

Is trading Simons the only pathway to landing Zubac? I have always been a Simons fan and I’d like him to stay. Any other realistic way to get Zubac?

Not if LAC want cap relief. You could trade Derrick to a 3rd team and Zubac to us and expirings to LAC but I think the front office wants to add Zubac to the Jays and D White. Simons is our only expring contract

I suspected as much. In that case I guess I’d deal Simons. A rotation of

Pritchard
White
Brown
Tatum
Zubac
Walsh
Queta
Hauser
Minott
Gonzalez

definitely competes in the East and is more well rounded than keeping Simons and not having Zubac

[fallguy]

Is there actual intel that the front office wants Zubac?

[redslastlaugh]

Is trading Simons the only pathway to landing Zubac? I have always been a Simons fan and I’d like him to stay. Any other realistic way to get Zubac?

Not if LAC want cap relief. You could trade Derrick to a 3rd team and Zubac to us and expirings to LAC but I think the front office wants to add Zubac to the Jays and D White. Simons is our only expring contract

I suspected as much. In that case I guess I’d deal Simons. A rotation of

definitely competes in the East and is more well rounded than keeping Simons and not having Zubac

well, i mean, the other way to get the money to match is to build a package around Hauser and our young guys, but a deal of Hauser + Boucher + TWO of our young assets (Hugo/Walsh/Minott) & would be giving up too much of our young guns with favorable contracts, and I don't think Brad would be interested in going down that road...

so, if you are looking at the realistic options, I think Simons has to go out in any trade that brings back Zubac

[playa-hater]

Is there actual intel that the front office wants Zubac?

Thought somebody posted on X Boston as one of the teams rumored to be interested. I guess it would depend on a credibility of whoever put that out there.

[redslastlaugh]

Is there actual intel that the front office wants Zubac?

Thought somebody posted on X Boston as one of the teams rumored to be interested. I guess it would depend on a credibility of whoever put that out there.

I think also Brett Siegel, a reporter for clutchpoints, also mentioned some heat around Celts interest in Zubac and Siegel is not Shams/Scotto but he is a reporter working for an outlet who has been referenced in the past...

[colincb]

[... deleted for brevity.}

Is Paul technically still under Clipper's rights?

Yes. LAC cannot cut Paul outright because they don't have enough free cap left to fill his 14th spot. They could cut a deal with him where he doesn't take all of the guranteed money so they could sign the required 14th player, but why would he do that now? Or they can trade him on the 15th.

[Dogen]

[... deleted for brevity.}

Is Paul technically still under Clipper's rights?

Yes. LAC cannot cut Paul outright because they don't have enough free cap left to fill his 14th spot. They could cut a deal with him where he doesn't take all of the guranteed money so they could sign the required 14th player, but why would he do that now? Or they can trade him on the 15th.

In that case, the Zubac/Lopez/Paul for Simons/Garza deal I proposed (after Dec. 15) is possible, unless they are still a player short from 14 and don't have the cap space to sign a 2 Way guy.

I don't know what is going on with Clippers FO, but seems like they might want to save face after this debacle. But then again, it's the Clippers so who knows?

[ryan in Maine]

How about sending out Boucher for Jay Huff?

[Fencer reregistered]

In a Zubac trade, wouldn't it make sense for the Clips to ask for a prospect or two? E.g., one of Hugo/Walsh/Minott? (Minott makes the most sense to actually be dealt in that scenario, as he's the only one we don't have full Bird rights on.)

[Celts17Pride]

In a Zubac trade, wouldn't it make sense for the Clips to ask for a prospect or two? E.g., one of Hugo/Walsh/Minott? (Minott makes the most sense to actually be dealt in that scenario, as he's the only one we don't have full Bird rights on.)

Clippers have had interest in Simons for awhile

[Fencer reregistered]

In a Zubac trade, wouldn't it make sense for the Clips to ask for a prospect or two? E.g., one of Hugo/Walsh/Minott? (Minott makes the most sense to actually be dealt in that scenario, as he's the only one we don't have full Bird rights on.)

Clippers have had interest in Simons for awhile

Even so. Simons' contract has little value -- he's overpaid for its remaining (short) duration, which can be offset against the convenience of later (soon) having his Bird rights.

Zubac's is claimed by the Clippers to have more.

So it's assumed the Celtics need to send value along with Simons.