Trade Nesmith, Schroder or Langford to get under lux tax??

[Jammer]

The Celtics are around $2.8 million over the luxury tax line. The easiest way to get under that threshold, and thus lessen the repeater tax in future years, is to trade one of Aaron Nesmith, Dennis Schroder or Romeo Langford. There are pros and cons of each of the above 3 possibilities.

OKC is listed as the destination for either Nesmith or Langford because:
- OKC is about $22 Million below Minimum Team Salary (= 90% of Salary Cap)
- OKC has 18 1rst Round Picks over the next 7 Years
- OKC has 17 2nd Round Picks over the next 7 Years
- OKC could give up one (Nesmith) or two (Langford) 2nd Round Picks and would still have over $18 million in cap space to rent to other teams to collect more picks with

Aaron Nesmith: Has not PROVED himself himself to be rotation worthy (a Top 60 player) at his position. Yet, has a history of outstanding shooting at the college level. OKC could give up one of their 17 2nd Round picks and still have over $18 million in cap space to rent out to other teams for additional future draft picks. On the other hand, if Nesmith ever starts making shots with regularity, he'd be a valuable shooter off the bench, but he has yet to demonstrate that in a game situation. However, although a 2nd year player, it can take players 3 or 4 years to get their NBA range from 3 in all 30 arenas.

Schroder is clearly the 2nd best PG on the Celtics, offensively and defensively better than Pritchard thus far. Will Schroder command much more than $7 million next year? Maybe the Celtics can re-sign him, if they decide to keep him and don't find someone in the draft who they feel is better. Schroder could even help win some playoff games, and even playoff series, this year.

Langford is a 3rd year player who will need to be re-signed after the 2023 season. He is clearly a superior defensive player, and although doubtful he could warrant a 1rst Round Pick there is a good chance he'd command two 2nd Rounders. OKC wouldn't miss 2 of their 17 2nd Rounders, especially with 18 1rst Rounders over the next 7 seasons. If Langford ever develops consistency on offense to go with his defense he'd be an impactful rotation player.

Note: The Celtics traded away their 2nd Round Picks in 2024, 2025, 2027 and 2028 to acquire the nearly expired Gordon Hayward Trade Exception and Evan Fournier Trade Exceptions.

[BillessuR6]

With Brown not making the all star team and thus not reaching incentives in his contract, it is enough to trade Bruno or Dozier etc.

[Jammer]

With Brown not making the all star team and thus not reaching incentives in his contract, it is enough to trade Bruno or Dozier etc.

The Celtics would have to give up an asset (future 2nd Rounder) to move Bruno or Dozier, or at least pay their remaining salary plus a transaction fee to the receiving team. As the Celtics traded away their 2nd Round Picks in 4 of the next 7 years (gave up 2024, 2025, 2027 and 2028) to acquire the nearly expired Gordon Hayward Trade Exception and Evan Fournier Trade Exceptions picking up an additional 2nd Round Pick in one or two of the 4 barren years could be valueable down the line.

[BK_2020]

Why would OKC trade for other teams' prospects that haven't yet panned out when they have a million of them they need to develop, plus a million picks they can't even roster.

[Jammer]

Why would OKC trade for other teams' prospects that haven't yet panned out when they have a million of them they need to develop, plus a million picks they can't even roster.

The logic would be that Nesmith is a better prospect than a typical 2nd Round pick. OKC would be investing an excess of wealth (OKC had an average of 5 draft picks per year for the next 7 years).

[BK_2020]

OKC can't add more players to the roster so the solution is to trade for Nesmith to sit behind SGA, Dort, Giddey and compete with their several other young wings and 2022 FRPs for scrap minutes? How does that make sense to you?

[Jammer]

OKC can't add more players to the roster so the solution is to trade for Nesmith to sit behind SGA, Dort, Giddey and compete with their several other young wings and 2022 FRPs for scrap minutes? How does that make sense to you?

With $22 Million in cap space OKC could waive a bum and not have to worry about cost since they are below minimum salary at present.

[timpiker]

How's about making this team a championship contender and quit the luxury tax nonsense?

[Celts17Pride]

You have Bol, Freedom, Dozier and Fernando to trade away to get under the tax.

No way do you move Nesmith or Langford as a tax saving move.

[Joshyjess]

Trade Schroder for whatever they can get (or nothing if necessary).

[gocelts]

It’s all about value.

Langford and Naismith have ZERO value outside of Boston. 2nd round picks or swaps for other underdeveloped players are all we will get.

The player to move is Richardson along with Schroder. They are both serviceable vets and one is on a nice contract. We should get a good player back in addition to opening up playing time for the aforementioned young players.

[sam_I_am]

It’s all about value.

Langford and Naismith have ZERO value outside of Boston. 2nd round picks or swaps for other underdeveloped players are all we will get.

The player to move is Richardson along with Schroder. They are both serviceable vets and one is on a nice contract. We should get a good player back in addition to opening up playing time for the aforementioned young players.

Nesmith and Langford were drafted at end of lottery and neither has that value but I wouldn’t say no value. There are plenty of examples of talented players like them that many here would love to get …. Bagley for example. We just wouldn’t give up anything valuable to get them. When Nesmith and Langford contracts are up there will be plenty of teams that will want to take a flyer on them. Teams without cap space might even give up a second rounder to get them. We just can’t expect to get a player we really want - like Fox or McCollum by trading them. For that reason it is still better to hope they develop the way Terry Rozier did who similarly had little to no value at this point in his 3rd season in NBA.

[cl2117]

If it's true that moving Bruno or Dozier or Bol (or any combo of the three) gets you under the tax instead, that's what I'd do. Even if that means attaching a second round pick, but I'd hope given how small the salaries are that cash would suffice.

If I had to choose out of those 3 I'd go with Schroder followed by Langford.

I still have hopes for this team to be a sneaky tough playoff team if healthy, but I'm not under the illusion that we're competing for anything serious this season. So Schroder is the obvious choice. I think he gets a lot of unnecessary (although occasionally very necessary) hate. He's solid for what he is, but he just doesn't fit this team's needs and he's unlikely to be around after the season. If there are other alternatives to ducking the tax then I'm not trading him just to trade him. You get the ancillary benefit that it'll put Pritchard in a more prominent role potentially giving him room for development (and possible the other two as well).

Nesmith and Langford both look like second contract guys. They're not going to pan out on their rookie scale deals, but they've still got some potential. Romeo for me is the obvious one to move first. I think JRich makes him redundant, Nesmith has the extra year on the deal and longer shelf life and Romeo's struggled with injuries constantly that could always derail things again. At this stage I'd be open to any sort of decent value coming back our way or another similar prospect who hasn't worked out either.

Still though I'm not trading them to duck the tax if I don't have.

[BK_2020]

You have Bol, Freedom, Dozier and Fernando to trade away to get under the tax.

No way do you move Nesmith or Langford as a tax saving move.

It'd be really hard to cut salary by trading away Bol or any other minimum to basically minimum salary guys unless the Cs want to go with 14 dudes on the roster. I think Schroder has to go.

[hugepatsfan]

You have Bol, Freedom, Dozier and Fernando to trade away to get under the tax.

No way do you move Nesmith or Langford as a tax saving move.

It'd be really hard to cut salary by trading away Bol or any other minimum to basically minimum salary guys unless the Cs want to go with 14 dudes on the roster. I think Schroder has to go.

The guy they sign to replace only counts at the pro-rated minimum. So if they dumped Bol Bol, you clear his full $2.2M off the tax calc's. Then the pro-rated minimum guy you sign only counts at half the $1.7M minimum, so about $850K if we just say half the season for round numbers. That's enough to get below the tax if Jaylen doesn't hit incentives.

[darylbe]

Nesmith doesn't make shots because the weasel coach only plays him 5 minutes a game.

[threrf23]

Schroeder is most obviously expendable IMO (if we are talking long term). I would make Romeo expendable too, just b/c I don't see where he fits. Nesmith gives us an energy guy off the bench, in the mold of Matt Barnes perhaps. Romeo doesn't really excel enough in any one capacity or any one role to make a particularly valuable role player, and unless we are trading one of the Jays the extra depth isn't so valuable to us.

[darylbe]

Schroeder is most obviously expendable IMO (if we are talking long term). I would make Romeo expendable too, just b/c I don't see where he fits. Nesmith gives us an energy guy off the bench, in the mold of Matt Barnes perhaps. Romeo doesn't really excel enough in any one capacity or any one role to make a particularly valuable role player, and unless we are trading one of the Jays the extra depth isn't so valuable to us.

Langford has been given opportunity blindlessly, and has failed every time. It happens. There will be another undersized injury prone guard to draft in the future. Eyes of the prize, when all of the degenerate max contract $ is off the books once and for all. Try and get the best supplemental pieces together and meshing well before then. My eye- someone over 6'10" that can hit the 3, and a guard that can dish the ball and play defense.

That's when we add our final piece and get a trophy.

[gocelts]

It’s all about value.

Langford and Naismith have ZERO value outside of Boston. 2nd round picks or swaps for other underdeveloped players are all we will get.

The player to move is Richardson along with Schroder. They are both serviceable vets and one is on a nice contract. We should get a good player back in addition to opening up playing time for the aforementioned young players.

Nesmith and Langford were drafted at end of lottery and neither has that value but I wouldn’t say no value. There are plenty of examples of talented players like them that many here would love to get …. Bagley for example. We just wouldn’t give up anything valuable to get them. When Nesmith and Langford contracts are up there will be plenty of teams that will want to take a flyer on them. Teams without cap space might even give up a second rounder to get them. We just can’t expect to get a player we really want - like Fox or McCollum by trading them. For that reason it is still better to hope they develop the way Terry Rozier did who similarly had little to no value at this point in his 3rd season in NBA.

You're right. That was harsh...they have that "throw in" value but not "centerpiece" value. I think some may be expecting to get that 4 starter player...and that just isn't likely. We're better off just playing either Niesmith or Langford and seeing what happens like with Rob.

[Jammer]

Clarification regarding OKC:

OKC is about $21.6 Million below MINIMUM TEAM SALARY, which is 90% of the cap. So, if OKC doesn't add $21.6 Million in salaries they simply prorate that amount over their existing players and pay it on top of their existing player salaries. Not Likely. More profitable to take on salary for picks or prospects with potential. And allows them the room to waive existing players if they so choose.

OKC is about 33 Million below the Salary Cap, but they would have to be well compensated to offset their profit by the extra 11 million over minimum salary that they could also absorb.

Easy to see why OKC averages 5 draft picks per year for the NEXT 7 YEARS (normal is 2).