The latest rumors/news after today's signings

[Captain_Caveman]

I think what I'm saying is it didn't come to that. Harden wanted a bigger role and his own team, he wasn't sticking around either way.

Let's not totally revise history here. Harden was a restricted free agent who your team didn't keep because they were lux tax hardliners. There's no way you give up 4-5 years control of an All-Star caliber guy otherwise. And make no mistake that you did in fact have in control of him at a market rate.

I'm not revising anything. Having control is not the same as having a player who is willingl and desires to play there. He wanted out.

He was a restricted free agent who had no say in the matter provided you either offered a max extension or matched a max offer sheet the next season. End of story.

They traded him because they couldn't have stayed out the lux tax while fielding a viable team going forward.

[the sea duck]

Source just told me:

"It helps a lot that Ainge has great relationships with both Doc and Presti. He and Doc are still really close. He's worked several deals with Presti. And Presti openly admits that he owes Ainge one for eating Perry Jones deal last year. He doesn't owe him Westbrook as a gift big, but taking a little off the price could be in play."

I knew Perry Jones would pay off!!

[Bill Lumbergh]

Wow...that's not bad assuming that's not 2017 Brooklyn pick. I hate losing Rozier but no AB OR CROWDER!?!

There is zero chance that the Clippers give up the best player in the deal for our scrubs and an unknown lottery pick.
This is way off.

You ignored the part that has been stated over and over that Doc loves Rudy Gay. And he LOVED the way they played when they went small with Mbah a Moute at PF. And Amir Johnson is far from a scrub.

Gay, Johnson, and a BRK pick is a pretty nice return for a guy who has a questionable future in LA.

And I'm guessing that Doc would then flip that BRK pick for a pretty good win now player. He's about winning now.

[Fencer reregistered]

Westbrook was gone in a year even before KD left. Now that KD left, they have to get a return on him. Have to. As with other teams that have had stars leave, the biggest part of that return may simply be tanking with their own draft pick next year. That's just their reality right now.

With Presti at the helm, it's not a terrible plan.

Trade Westbrook for a top 10ish pick, and a couple of other prospects/picks, then tank for a top 5.

Right back in it within two years.

OKC, as others have pointed out, wouldn't necessarily be bad enough to tank that hard, and small market teams can be afraid to tank anyway.

[the sea duck]

If the Celtics get Westbrook and Griffin it will kind of awkward having two superteams in the same division.

[DK-All Day]

If the Celtics get Westbrook and Griffin it will kind of awkward having two superteams in the same division.

Lol.

[KGboss]

Just when i think im out....

....they pull me back in

[Smitty731]

With Presti at the helm, it's not a terrible plan.

Trade Westbrook for a top 10ish pick, and a couple of other prospects/picks, then tank for a top 5.

Right back in it within two years.

OKC, as others have pointed out, wouldn't necessarily be bad enough to tank that hard, and small market teams can be afraid to tank anyway.

They would be pretty bad. Their best guy would be Oladipo who just led the awful Magic. Adams is good, but how much a defense-first center winning you games?

And small market teams can take for a year or two. Orlando has done it. Portland tried. San Antonio did it for a year. You just can't take it to extremes. But small market teams also have the advantage of often being the only game in town. No one is going anywhere.

[Captain_Caveman]

With Presti at the helm, it's not a terrible plan.

Trade Westbrook for a top 10ish pick, and a couple of other prospects/picks, then tank for a top 5.

Right back in it within two years.

OKC, as others have pointed out, wouldn't necessarily be bad enough to tank that hard, and small market teams can be afraid to tank anyway.

Without Westbrook? They'd win 30 games at most even if they tried.

And they sure seemed to do a fine job of tanking building their team in the first place. There's also revenue sharing for smaller markets, who have lower requirements for making money, and lower operating costs.

Or they can just do it a year from now against their will and have to spend longer doing it, I guess?

[tbceltics34]

And I am back in to refreshing this forum for the next 10 or so days! I appreciate the info Smitty. I always am curious to hear what kind of information you are getting and this would be awesome.

May hurt to give all that stuff up but that is why you build up your assests! When you have a chance to not only get one but possibly two superstars, you have to pull the trigger. With this team and being able to keep Crowder and Bradley, I easily think we could contend for the Championship next year! Here is to hoping Danny can pull this off!!

[fallguy]

Is it too early to start tallying up the veteran ring chasers waiting around for this to happen?

[CollegeToPros]

You're the man Smitty. Like I said no team has a more fun offseason than us.

OKC is progressive. They will not get burned by Westbrook. This is the perfect time for them to tank.

I just can't see Doc trading Blake. Doc is traditional and stubborn. Unless he is sure Blake is gone next season, he won't do it.

I have no sources. Just reading history and trends.

So just for fun....

Westbrook/Isaiah/Jackson
Avery/Gerald
Crowder/Pierce
Blake/ ?
Horford/ ? Larry sanders? /Zeller

Lol at the Celtics generations merging on the bench. IT4, G-Money, The Truth. Can we trade a 2nd for KG?


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[Smitty731]

Is it too early to start tallying up the veteran ring chasers waiting around for this to happen?

That list is pretty bare at this point.

[tbceltics34]

And even though I may be a Duke homer, but if we do get Singler back as well, that is a solid shooter to come in from the bench and hopefully knock down some 3's

[ConstableGeneva]

Ok another source called me back, I confirmed the trade I posted and he said he's heard slight variations, but the basics are there. He said Boston would follow that up with an offer to OKC that is:

Jerebko, Smart, Zeller (in an adjusted deal as a S&T where only year 1 is guaranteed), rights to Brown and the 2017 BRK pick, the future MEM pick, and maybe another pick for Westbrook.

Shouldn't this deal come before the Griffin trade if Westbrook agrees to a renegotiation-and-extension?

Add Hunter or Mickey to the deal and Cs clear enough space for Westbrook's extension. If they upped Zeller's 1st year from originally reported $8M, then throwing in Hunter/Mickey might no longer be necessary.

[ConstableGeneva]

If Westbrook trade is executed a month after Jackson signing, Zeller + Jonas + Jackson + Young + Hunter/Mickey + Brown for Westbrook works too, numbers-wise to clear enough space for Westbrook's extension. If we need to eat Singler's contract, then extension becomes harder to pull off.

[Chris4Vikes]

It's really amazing that the Cs have enough assets to pull this off. Think about it.

Those Nets picks are gold for rebuilding teams - or any team for that matter. How can OKC do better than the 2017 Nets pick plus their own tank job? Thank you Brooklyn! Not to mention all the good players on the roster and all the young players recently drafted.

[Smitty731]

And even though I may be a Duke homer, but if we do get Singler back as well, that is a solid shooter to come in from the bench and hopefully knock down some 3's

I try not to call people homers, but Singler stinks. He's not good at all. Meh for an end of bench guy, but he makes more money than his role. Boston would just be eating that contract.

[Smitty731]

If Westbrook trade is executed a month after Jackson signing, Zeller + Jonas + Jackson + Young + Hunter/Mickey + Brown for Westbrook works too, numbers-wise to clear enough space for Westbrook's extension. If we need to eat Singler's contract, then extension becomes harder to pull off.

I'm struggling to see how they create enough room. I might be missing something, but he is only at $17 million. That is a pretty big amount to clear to get him to his max for even this year. The Celtics would have to bring him in and get to $8+ million under to make it happen. Not sure I can see that.

[sully00]

Ok another source called me back, I confirmed the trade I posted and he said he's heard slight variations, but the basics are there. He said Boston would follow that up with an offer to OKC that is:

Jerebko, Smart, Zeller (in an adjusted deal as a S&T where only year 1 is guaranteed), rights to Brown and the 2017 BRK pick, the future MEM pick, and maybe another pick for Westbrook.

Shouldn't this deal come before the Griffin trade if Westbrook agrees to a renegotiation-and-extension?

Add Hunter or Mickey to the deal and Cs clear enough space for Westbrook's extension. If they upped Zeller's 1st year from originally reported $8M, then throwing in Hunter/Mickey might no longer be necessary.

Not to be a downer but..

A contract cannot be renegotiated in conjunction with a trade.