2020 Celtics Offseason

I'll move on from the Walker talk. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it's Irving 2.0. Hoping to make the talent fit, rather than a player that truly fits. I fell for it, Walker sounded like such an upgrade over Rozier on paper. A team first lite version of Irving. A year later I'd take Rozier in two seconds, he fits better long-term.

Kanter opting out isn't a huge surprise. The difference between his contract and the Veteran minimum is like 2.5 million. He signed thinking he's a starter and was third string by end of the year. If he opts in good chance he's traded, so opting out allows him to pick his team. That's what I would do over $2.5 million at his point in his career with his career earnings. Heck maybe he gets lucky and gets a bi annual exception.

Gets you to 11 contracts including Theis because that's a no brainer. Doesn't include Semi or Green, nor Falls or Waters. Only Waters is in play for me. Also doesn't include Wannamaker.

Get rid of VP, gives you five spots plus the two two-way contracts left. Which isn't bad at all. Kanter really helps in this regard, yet you also need another big now. Now you have options in free agency, yet only one Ibaka who's a perfect fit. You likely aren't getting him for tax paying mid level. At the same time you could use all three first round picks if you wanted to.

A quick look at my current board based on current mocks. This would obviously change if they do.

14. Cole Anthony and frankly it's not close if mocks play out the way they currently are. He's like a more skilled Rozier for me. Maxey, Terry, Achiuloua, Hampton and yes Bane round out my list.

26 and 30- This really depends on who falls and that's tricky in this draft. Seeing the value left at PG makes me question what we should do at 14, yet the value at 14 outside one guy is also guards. I'd obviously take anyone from the top group that dropped. Yet will focus on a big here because they are likely gone. Carey, Tillman, Oturu, Zeke and Woodard. Going to take Woodard as a new age small ball five. I don't really want to, yet he fits the system and a need. He's basically a better version of Grant Williams, more athletic, much better wingspan and 3 point shot. This assumes the combine confirms he's a very good athlete. A so-so showing would change my mind.

Next pick if they actually make it could be literally 10 different players. Yet given the roster and the good chance that Carey, Zeke and Oturu are sitting there. I'd have a hard time passing on Carey. Put him on the Perkins plan and get him from 270 to 250. That will allow him to be more explosive. Yet this pick is more about adding a legit scoring big that can bang down low. He's just a guy who I think is being highly undervalued. He's not Kanter, not even close he's much more athletic. Yet this is a projection pick in that you get him to lose weight and he develops his shooting and ball handling more. So he needs to be highly coachable. If he's not I pass, gamble on Oturu or Zeke.

47- Would take Riller or Stanley in a second if they are there. If not Ashton Haggans is the pick. Perfect two way guy for this team. He's a jump shot away from being a starter quality NBA PG.

If I had to guess what Danny does?

14 Hampton- He's exactly what Danny loves, easily one of the highest ceiling in the draft. His size and athletic ability would allow the Celtics to form one of the better defenses in modern history.

26 Bolmaro- A guy he stashes for a few years. Maybe Bane if he's there, Woodard fits again. Josh Green if he falls fits.

30 Isiah Joe or Grant Riller. Heck maybe Dotson. Go for the raw upside guy, then go for the more ready guards, help next year guys. Have to mention Paul Reed because he's another guy who fits the system, even if there seems like better options. Yet this feels like a trade for a future 1st, trade down for two seconds type spot.

47 Hagans fits, yet Udoka Azubuike has to be mentioned when talking about guys Danny likes. Monster defensive center with a 7'6" wingspan who's athletic and a monster on D.

Again combine will be huge, yet zero information is being leaked and it runs into November. Heck we might not even get that information this year.

On a recent Duncan-Hollinger Podcast, John Hollinger doubled down on his theory that Boston is gonna trade out of the 14th pick in this draft and into the first round next year and use one of the firsts to get out of Kanter and Poirier’s contracts.

I'd just point out the podcast was the same day he did the article.

I did find interesting Duncan thinks it's worst draft ever and Hollinger said it was a good draft to be drafting at 14.

Edit; He did mention the picks he wanted to trade for, a future top ten protected pick from a mid tier team and like pick 48 in the Kanter Poirer deal. Which is going to be totally different if Kanter opts out.

www.celticsblog.com/2020/10/13/21507815/celticsblog-offseason-roundtable-setting-the-table-for-the-draft-and-free-agency

They talk about just about everything.

Let's look at a few plans, Hollinger is use mid-level, fill out rest of bench with veteran minimum guys, second round picks, guys like Waters, Green, Falls, etc. If you can't get Clarkson that plan looks horrible. It looks like a bad free agent class, now maybe teams are gun shy because of Covid. Maybe you get a better or equal type guy. Maybe an Avery Bradley opts out giving you more options. Not a lot there as of right now. If Danny can get a really good player for the mini mid-level it will be a tremendous job done by him in this market.

Then there's your typical approach. Most include moving VP, not making all picks or drafting an international guy. Along with adding some free agents. Say bring back Wannamaker, sign Giles say 3 years 9 million basically as a we are 100% committed to Tatum measure, add one of two draft picks, maybe Veteran minimum guy, maybe Waters. This is a much more realistic avenue. Maybe make a trade.

Can't you also do a third were you make all picks? Call this the what's the best use of those picks option. I just think you have to have this option or you could be forced to make bad trades or take the next Yabu because you don't have roster spaces or money available. I'm not saying you should do this, just that it should be an option.

Not sold on Edwards or Waters? Think you can get a better player at 26 or 30? Trade one of them, with VP, plus money equal to his salary. That opens up more roster spaces giving you the ability to add rookies and veterans. A team not in the tax can just waive VP and it cost them nothing. Gets your roster spots down to 9, giving you three spots if you add three rookies.

It's also why I'm leaning towards more NBA ready types at 14 like Anthony and Maxey. Guys I believe can play a decent size role next year, compared to Hampton who is years away. A guy like Woodard can take Semi's role and a guy like Isiah Joe is just a shooter for the bench. Joe or a guy like Bane should have an easier time in the NBA than Edwards. They don't need the ball and both have much better size than Edwards. So that seems to make some sense, Edwards is trying to learn how to play off the ball which is the hardest thing for a guy who always had it in College. You can add in a bunch of other guys like Riller, etc. There's more shooting in this draft than in free agency.

Also why is no one talking about simply trading the 30th pick for a future first? I can see a team like the Rockets trading a future first to add a guy. Say 2022 first that's lottery protected. Some GM would likely do it.

Danny is darn good at making picks and Steven's is darn good at developing players. We might be title contenders, yet our core is still crazy young. You don't want to go full on Cavs, stop developing young guys and preparing for the future for maybe a slight increase for a few years. I feel guys like Anthony and Maxey could be as good as any free agent you bring in. Those guys are in your rotation next year. Million different ways to built teams, we should be open to all of them. This is the perfect draft to pick out need frankly. There's so little difference between so many players it actually makes sense, let need help you pick the guys. We have a massive long-term need at PG, this is the deepest PG draft in recent memory. We need shooting this draft is loaded with it. We need another big, this draft has 15 different kinds of bigs and currently many are projected to be there late first.

Let's not pull a 2016 draft where we picked Yabu so we could stash him and didn't pick Beasley, LeVert, Siakam, Murray, Zubac or Brogdon. That was another draft people called weak after the top two players and it's turned into a very solid if not very good draft.

I could see them not using their midlevel or splitting it up and saving most of it for the buyout market later in the year as a way to be more competitive for a guy then and to save money. It’s not sexy, but it’s certainly possible.

I certainly wouldn't save the money for the buyout market, most years those are so-so players.

If reports were right they were like 17 million over, you just saved 8.5 million. Yet I'm not sure those numbers account for the cap being 109 and not 115 million. Anyway you slice it, the 6 million exception is going to cost much more than that. So it needs to be a darn good player. Yet if you can't find that, either draft guys to fill needs or make a trade. Build your team in the off-season, not waiting for deadline or the buyout market. Danny values chemistry and the buyout market rarely has impactful players in it.

I do find it funny how many Celtics fans think Turner is a bad fit. You can certainly debate how we get him, yet I don't see the fit issue at all. He's by far and away the best option for today's NBA and this team. He's the rare combo of elite shot blocking and three point shooting. I'm not talking this board, other ones.

That's the #1 need, a shot blocker who can score and preferably from three point land. Which is also incredibly rare. A guy who can guard the NBA best bigs, yet also provide spacing for Tatum, Brown and Walker. They just left Theis wide open because he can't shoot. If I'm Theis the one thing I work on all off-season is my three point shooting.

Killian Hayes is the one guy I would trade up for. Maybe Okongwu or Vassell but in the Okongwu instance, would rather grab a ready role big (Xavier Tillman or Killian Tillie) with a late pick, plus a solid PG.

What's your tier levels? To do a trade up like that you have to think you're going into a new tier right? I wouldn't trade two first round picks to move up in the same tier.

Part of the problem for me is I think Mocks are low on Anthony and Maxey with most showing both there and I think everyone giving you a chance at one. Reminds me of last year and all the guys we talked about like Washington and Herro. They all went off the board.

Haliburton has very good size, he's quick, he plays hard, his shooting numbers look great. Yet he's also supper skinny for his size and his shot form is horrible. He's releasing the ball crazy low, he's like Lonzo Ball. He's going to have major trouble with that shot in the NBA. He's a second year guy, just something to point out, he wasn't good at a freshman. He doesn't get to the line like you'd expect from a guy that's quick and goes to the basket because he avoids contact given his body. I like him, yet have some big worries about how he fits long-term in the NBA. He's rated so highly because of his shooting, he takes more threes than two pointers. Yet while it goes in a ton, it's ugly as hell and more important crazy low. He's a very hard guy to rank, call him the Smith of PGs. I'd also point out based on tape he was just a piece. He was there best guy, yet third in FG attempts by a wide margin, he's closer to 4th and 5th than the top two guys. Take that as he's good at playing in the system or he doesn't have the I can take over games and lead a team to victory trait. Can he create offense for himself in the NBA or do others need to do it for him?

What's better Anthony trying to lead a crappy team to wins and being inefficient or a guy who's very efficient, yet doesn't take them over?

Also, I shouldn’t have sad “dream” scenario. I’m all over the place in this draft. I do like Haliburton though, I think he’s a good fit and I think the shot will translate. It’s lower, but he’s taller and it’s a super quick release.

The more I think about Vassell the more I can see a fit especially if you’re either trading or moving on from Hayward.

I am biased against Anthony so I won’t be as big a fan as others. UNC guy and all.

Who says no first?

Rockets receive: Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Romeo Langford, Robert Williams, 14th, 26th picks in the 2020 draft, 2021 Celtics 1st

Celtics receive: James Harden, PJ Tucker, Austin Rivers and Ben Mclemore (to make the money work)


Edit: trade machine approved

Wait, what? Westbrook can't shoot and he's a fundamentally poor defender. That doesn't help us, that makes us worse. And Danny is NOT trading Kemba. He's not trading Brown either FWIW.