2017 Celtics offseason

[brI'd deal Brown for George with Tatum now here.

You are asking the right questions about the wrong player.   After they got Horford it changed everything.   Your questions are more suited towards Horford than Thomas.  There's a reason why Danny has gone out of his way to preserve the ability to get max cap space this year.   After this offseason you just can't get max cap space again.  So assume we get Griffin  or Hayward.  We are maxed out.  We most likely add a couple more free agents, so we are well over the cap.  So next year, giving Thomas a max deal does nothing but push us further over the cap.  We wouldn't be using cap space, but his bird rights to sign him.

Now assume no max free agent.  If I had to guess we still sign free agents like KO.  Assume we don't,  we want to preserve cap space for 2018.  It doesn't work, the first round picks we have will eat up our cap space,  so you can't sign a max guy unless you trade them.  All 3-4 of them, depending on Lakers pick.  See what happens?  No max cap space.  You might be able to get max space by letting Bradley, Thomas and Smart leave.  Then not getting the Lakers pick.  The thing is Thomas is the draw, what max free agent wants to come and play with Horford, Crowder and a bunch of young players?

So the decision is really easy in my book.   Horford is the guy you should have questioned giving max money.

How bad was the Miami pick?