Hayward to Boston...Really, We Mean It

TheDeuce222

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This is fair. I agree the Celtics are a better bet to win, especially after they add Hayward.

I'm still pretty skeptical that he leaves, as the Jazz are an "up and coming" team even if they're not as shiny as the Celtics. College recruiting was a long time ago.
I have really enjoyed watching Utah the last couple years as an up and coming team. But what is the path for Utah to get better? They traded their first round pick for George Hill last year, so no 2016 pick to wishcast on. They have 24 and 30 this year, but the general belief from Jonathan Givony and others is that the draft drops off markedly after 15 or so, so I wouldn't be getting too excited about the guys they'll get at those spots to improve their team much in the near term.

In order to get Hayward back, they'll in all likelihood have to pay George Hill big money (reports have been that he wants near-max, and that Hayward very much wants him to be there to resign). Then they're totally capped out with Gobert, Hayward and Hill. And their only legitimate hope to improve their team to get to legitimately compete with GS is improvement from Exum (restricted FA next summer and has shown next to nothing in three years), Lyles (looked promising as a rookie and I loved him in college, but stapled to the bench by this postseason), and Hood (has been very promising, but also a restricted FA next summer and has battled injuries). Just don't see the path to a true championship contending team.

So I think Hayward has to look himself in the mirror and ask whether he is okay being an All-Star on a Utah team without any hope of winning a ring any time in the near future, or whether he wants to come to Boston and compete for a championship in the future with his old coach and a group of legitimately exciting young prospects like Brown and Fultz. Unless he and his family just love Utah, I don't think it should be a hard choice.

edit: reading back through the thread, I see that wade boggs chicken dinner already made basically the same points. Totally agree though - it should be a no-brainer basketball wise.
 
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finnVT

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In regards to the financial implications of staying vs going, how much does national spotlight and potential sponsorship dollars factor in? I'm sure he does well locally in Utah, but it doesn't seem like he has much of a national ad presence (though it may just not be targeted to me). Does some of the salary difference disappear if he's playing in Boston vs Salt Lake City? Or is this a very small difference relative to Bird Rights dollars? (just over the first 4 years, since I get the analyses suggesting the difference may wash out on its own after that if he's still a max player)
 

Cesar Crespo

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I wonder how Jaylen will evolve as a rebounder. He showed a surprising nose for the ball (at least to me) in our game one loss. When he's attacking the ball, it's hard to deny him because he's so damn long and athletic. I don't recall that type of effort during the season, so maybe it's just a one time deal that will be lost in time, but it also seems like his confidence has taken off since the Wizards series and he's much more willing to impact the game.
You'll see games where him or Terry Rozier will look like Dennis Rodman because the Celtics are a poor rebounding team and those 2 are the most athletic. Plus that 1 game is hard to take anything from. The Celtics were getting murdered on the glass to start but the Cavs coasted the rest of the way and the Celtics actually only ended up behind 44-40 in the rebounding department. They even had 13 offensive rebounds. Crowder, Al and Jaylen had 4 each. I'm guessing if the game was close, the Cavs would have burned more energy on the glass. After the 1st quarter, they already had 10+ more rebounds than the Celtics.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Is Sullinger finished? He might contribute bench minutes on a veteran's minimum deal, at least.
I think Sully's time has probably passed with Zizic and Yabs on the way (but especially Zizic). It is definitely worth keeping an eye on the veteran minimum possibilities out there to fill in the big shortage*. Maybe Jerebko comes back, or someone else sees the playing time possibilities in the front court on a winning team as a means to score a future bigger deal. Gonna be a fun offseason.

*It really is a shame that Durant didn't sign here, for the obvious reasons but also because it will cost us what little big depth there is to free up the Hayward space. Obviously if they sign a Griffin or Millsap instead that solves it to a degree, though neither option is ideal imo. If KD signed, everyone would be locked in and we could retain whoever we wanted.

Re: Jaylen's rebounding. I think part of it is confidence and part of it is hitting the playoffs and really understanding what it takes to win these games. He's really taken the challenges head on. I don't think he's the most natural rebounder in the world but if he attacks the glass consistently he's going to kill it with his length, hops, and strength.
 

Cesar Crespo

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In regards to the financial implications of staying vs going, how much does national spotlight and potential sponsorship dollars factor in? I'm sure he does well locally in Utah, but it doesn't seem like he has much of a national ad presence (though it may just not be targeted to me). Does some of the salary difference disappear if he's playing in Boston vs Salt Lake City? Or is this a very small difference relative to Bird Rights dollars? (just over the first 4 years, since I get the analyses suggesting the difference may wash out on its own after that if he's still a max player)
The difference over the first 3 years (and opting out) for Hayward in Utah vs signing in Boston is $2,727,000. He would make $95,445,000 in Boston over those 3 years. Money is not going to be a determining factor in his decision but I'm guessing he could easily make up that ~3mil in endorsements.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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I wonder how Jaylen will evolve as a rebounder. He showed a surprising nose for the ball (at least to me) in our game one loss. When he's attacking the ball, it's hard to deny him because he's so damn long and athletic. I don't recall that type of effort during the season, so maybe it's just a one time deal that will be lost in time, but it also seems like his confidence has taken off since the Wizards series and he's much more willing to impact the game.
It really depends on who he is guarding. Running around shutting down a Bogdanovich type isn't going to lead to many rebounds. But against CLE, he was matched up against LBJ and sometimes even Thompson (note that he didn't have a ton of success against Thompson at least in game 1) but that puts him in better rebounding position.
 

Cesar Crespo

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And while I want no part of Blake Griffin, the fact he randomly added a 3 point shot to his game halfway into the season scares me. In the last 30 games of the season, he went 37-89 .371 from 3 point land in 3.0 attempts per game. In the first 31 games, he shot 24 3 pointers and that put him on pace for a career high pace for attempts. Before you could just dismiss the possibility because Stevens likes spacing, now you can't. Blake is also a really, really good passer. Pair that up with Horford and the ball movement would be pretty. The rebounding, not so much.

Crazy he is only a year older than Hayward. Too bad he doesn't play D very well and is an injury risk because offensively, he'd fit in well.
 

DJnVa

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The difference over the first 3 years (and opting out) for Hayward in Utah vs signing in Boston is $2,727,000. He would make $95,445,000 in Boston over those 3 years. Money is not going to be a determining factor in his decision but I'm guessing he could easily make up that ~3mil in endorsements.
I'm not sure a white guy in Boston will have too many opportunities.
 

Devizier

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And while I want no part of Blake Griffin, the fact he randomly added a 3 point shot to his game halfway into the season scares me.
Not random, really. He was taking a ton of attempts from >16 feet throughout his career. Stretching his range is a natural evolution.

The missed games is a much bigger red flag.
 

smastroyin

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Since we are in the Hayward thread, I will that that*IF* the C's sign Hayward and draft Fultz, then I would not prioritize offense in any way. I get the appeal of how great the team might look on offense if you could add a gifted in the paint player or another shot creator, and getting better on offense by amount X is just as valuable as getting better on defense by amount X. Still, there are diminishing returns in basketball because there is only one basketball. Think of it this way - you could swap Zaza and Anthony Davis and sure the Warriors would be better, but it's highly unlikely they would be better by as much as the Pelicans would be worse, because getting Davis extra shots means taking them from their other excellent players.

Regardless, for this reason I would probably prioritize Smart of the guards, he can cover 1-2-3 and on offense can work with all of the off-the ball scorers.

Everyone knows I love Crowder but adding Hayward and also wanting to expand Brown's minutes probably makes him expendable if you can find an equal value partner. But, I think he's really useful with a lot of different lineups they could run.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Yeah, I was referring to the person who quoted the Ryan Bernardoni article where he says the supermax didn't make much of a difference. It makes a huge difference. Supermax = Utah. Regular Max = ??? Boston is definitely in play.
No, it really wouldn't have made a difference.
 

Cesar Crespo

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No, it really wouldn't have made a difference.
How do you figure? He already made an extra $7 mil under the supermax scenario with 1 less year played. Any deal he signs will include that extra year of pay and the $7 mil he already profited. In the supermax scenario, he hasn't even signed a contract for 2023-24 and he's already ahead $7 mil. How does that not make a huge difference when his salary that year is going to be more than $50 mil?
 

sox311

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That's what she said.
Everyone knows I love Crowder but adding Hayward and also wanting to expand Brown's minutes probably makes him expendable if you can find an equal value partner. But, I think he's really useful with a lot of different lineups they could run.

Jae has a fantastic contract, his performance has plateaued. How uncomfortable, or difficult would it be convince him to take a smaller role? There will be minutes for him. What ever the Celts could get for him wouldn't touch the value of his contract.
 

bakahump

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The only problem I see is if he Opts out after 3 years its probably safe to assume that the Celts wont resign him.

So if your plan (as Haywood) is to come to the Celts, play for Coach opt out and resign and stay here for your career that probably aint happening. Celts will have there own youngsters they want to resign in 3 years.
If he is ok with coming for 3 years, hanging with Coach then uproot in 3 years to get the supermax somewhere else then welcome aboard.
 

Eddie Jurak

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How do you figure? He already made an extra $7 mil under the supermax scenario with 1 less year played. Any deal he signs will include that extra year of pay and the $7 mil he already profited. In the supermax scenario, he hasn't even signed a contract for 2023-24 and he's already ahead $7 mil. How does that not make a huge difference when his salary that year is going to be more than $50 mil?
With Supermax:
  • Hayward is 27yo and just finished season 7. He isn't eligible to sign an All NBA super max starting next season.
  • Instead, he would have had to opt-in to last year of current deal at $16.7M, then sign a 5 year extension, making a 6-year commitment.
  • That would end when he's 33, having made ~$227M, dpending on the exact 2018-19 salary cap.
So:

1. He gets more money front-loaded if he goes the FA route. ~$30 vs ~$17.
2. By year 4, he is better off with the supermax.
3. But under the non-supermax route he's also a UFA again, and eliglible for 35% increases in his new deal. The cap may be higher, too.

The supermax is the better deal for him, financially, if he remians elite and healthy next year, takes the supermax, and is noticeably past his peak at age 30 (when he's be a free agent if he hadn't done the supermax).

Under all other scenarios, max now is the better deal.
 

DJnVa

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The only problem I see is if he Opts out after 3 years its probably safe to assume that the Celts wont resign him.
At that point the Celtics would then be able to offer more money than another team. That's how game is played. Why would we assume they wouldn't resign him?

We can't even assume what's happening now with him, how can we do it 3 years down the road?
 

Cesar Crespo

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I'm not sure why any of that actually matters though. Even after he signs the second max deal at age 30, he ends up making $7 mil less while playing one more season. He gets 7 years 218m in that scenerio or 6 years 227m in the supermax scenario. Even if he sucks by the time the supermax is up, he is already ahead anyway. Anything he signs for that year is a bonus.

Maybe if the 2nd max he signs is for 5 years instead of 4, he would make out better if his career was done after super max. At 8 years, he would make closer to $275 mil. Hayward would have to sign a 2/48 deal at age 33 to make up the difference.
 

DJnVa

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Well, to me, arguing about the Super Max scenario is kind of worthless--it's not an option, so what does it even matter?
 

bakahump

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Wouldnt the smart money be that in 3 years they would be more worried about resigning Brown Fultz and #1 next year?

Even with bird rights (and the multitude of other things I can comprehend about the NBA Cap) we cant sign everyone right?
 

nighthob

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The only problem I see is if he Opts out after 3 years its probably safe to assume that the Celts wont resign him.

So if your plan (as Haywood) is to come to the Celts, play for Coach opt out and resign and stay here for your career that probably aint happening. Celts will have there own youngsters they want to resign in 3 years.
If he is ok with coming for 3 years, hanging with Coach then uproot in 3 years to get the supermax somewhere else then welcome aboard.
The NBA doesn't have a hard cap, Boston can re-sign whomever they want, including Hayward once they've secured his Bird rights.
 

TheRooster

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Jae has a fantastic contract, his performance has plateaued. How uncomfortable, or difficult would it be convince him to take a smaller role? There will be minutes for him. What ever the Celts could get for him wouldn't touch the value of his contract.
Man that would surprise me. One of his keys is his belief that he can be a starter/star. Telling him to take the 15 minutes that Brown/Hayward aren't playing isn't going to go over well. I like (liked?) Jae but his lack of athleticism and length really hurt.
 

Eddie Jurak

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I'm not sure why any of that actually matters though. Even after he signs the second max deal at age 30, he ends up making $7 mil less while playing one more season. He gets 7 years 218m in that scenerio or 6 years 227m in the supermax scenario. Even if he sucks by the time the supermax is up, he is already ahead anyway. Anything he signs for that year is a bonus.

Maybe if the 2nd max he signs is for 5 years instead of 4, he would make out better if his career was done after super max. At 8 years, he would make closer to $275 mil. Hayward would have to sign a 2/48 deal at age 33 to make up the difference.
His best case scenarios, through 6 years, are $227 mil via the supermax route, $220 mil via the Utah max route, and $217 mil via the other team max route. That's through 6 years. However, at that point he's a UFA if he's gone the supermax route. If he goes the other direction he still has a 1-year option for nearly $50 mil on the table.

But the bottom line is that these are all fairly close together - close enough that under any circumstance, he probably goes to the team he most wants to play for.
 

mcpickl

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Best move is to sign Hawyard and draft Fultz and then package Bradley, Crowder and possibly next years first and find some other stud.
This is where I'm at as well. Signing Hayward gives the Celtics incredible flexibility to make another big move.

They could package any/all of Crowder, any of their guards, Brooklyns pick next year, the Euro stashes to consolidate in some kind of 4 for 1 deal.

My first call would be to New Orleans on Anthony Davis. Would an Isaiah, Crowder, Yabusele and Brooklyns #1 offer at least get NO to talk to me about Anthony Davis?

If not, would NY take a lesser package for Porzingis?

I've been on the move Isaiah train for a while, I just don't think you can win with his defensive liabilities. I'd move the train even further down the tracks if they signed Hayward. Having Hayward, and to a lesser extent Fultz, makes the reliance the Celtics have for Isaiahs' scoring much less critical.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Not sure Hayward volunteers to come over this way after tonights performance.
Again, he can stay in the West and just get smashed by the Spurs, Warriors, Clippers, Blazers and even the T-Wolves when they make the leap. In the East, all he has to hope for is a LeBron slip and fall.
 

kazuneko

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And while I want no part of Blake Griffin, the fact he randomly added a 3 point shot to his game halfway into the season scares me. In the last 30 games of the season, he went 37-89 .371 from 3 point land in 3.0 attempts per game. In the first 31 games, he shot 24 3 pointers and that put him on pace for a career high pace for attempts. Before you could just dismiss the possibility because Stevens likes spacing, now you can't. Blake is also a really, really good passer. Pair that up with Horford and the ball movement would be pretty. The rebounding, not so much.

Crazy he is only a year older than Hayward. Too bad he doesn't play D very well and is an injury risk because offensively, he'd fit in well.
I would be interested to hear more about what people think of Blake Griffin and Milsap. With Brown emerging and Crowder already pretty solid it really seems like PF is the far bigger need...
 

benhogan

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I would be interested to hear more about what people think of Blake Griffin and Milsap. With Brown emerging and Crowder already pretty solid it really seems like PF is the far bigger need...
What's Plan B if Gordo stays in Utah?

Both Blake and Millsap will get max deals. If you can get Millsap on a 2-3yr deal or Blake on a 4-5yr deal, its not a bad Plan B.

Looks like we could lose Kelly, Amir, Zeller and Jerebko this off season. Thats four bodies that need replacing with only an untested Zizic in sight and Markelle being the consensus pick. So we need three other bigs? Yabu ready? 2nd round picks will produce youngsters that cant be counted on, does Mickey take one of those 4 slots, or bring back one of the 4?

Besides Blake and Millsap, do we kick the tires on Ibaka and Monroe or some sort of combination of: James Johnson, Patterson, JaMychel Green, Ilyasova, Taj Gibson (1yr deal)?

Maybe swing a trade for: Brook Lopez, Marcus Morris (for Avery?), or a back up like Kyle O'Quinn.

At the right price (cost or trade) I'd consider any of the above players.

Apologies if this is the wrong thread, or the "The Search for Sasquatch (a Big)?" is its own thread.
 
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Jed Zeppelin

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Al Horford signed with Boston after they were beaten pretty handily in the first round by his team, with whom he'd spent his entire career and enjoyed quite a bit of success.

I just don't think it really matters what happens here. They still earned a trip to the ECF, still play in a premium market, and still have a max slot available, a description that literally only applies to Boston.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Millsap does a lot of things the Celtics could use, but he's on the back nine career-wise and may command more money than he is worth.

Griffin is another guy who brings some skills that would fit the Celtics very well, but for all that he is injury prone and his rebounding numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years.

But the right question is not "dollar for dollar, is the contract a good value"?

The right question is what is the alternative scenario? There are 2 issues that bear on this:
  1. The "no FA" scenario is: not making the moves and renouncements they need to do to get under the cap. They can re-sign Olynyk, they can no throw overboard everything that isn't nailed down, maybe they can keep Bradley, etc. Call that the baseline against which any FA signing should be compared.
  2. The salary cap is sort of irrelevant. If they don't sign a max (or near max) FA into cap space now, they won't have another opportinity to do so for the foreseeable future (because hanging onto their current guys will push them over the cap). So the binding money constraint isn't the hard salary cap, it is Wyc & co's willingness to pay their own Bird-rights FAs.
So let's say the option on the table is signing Millsap to a 4-year max deal, and that this is going to be an overpay from a value perspective.

It may still be worth doing, if 1) Millsap is better than the baseline option (ie, signing Olynyk, etc), and 2) maxing out Millsap doesn't mean going cheap on the team's other free agents over the next few years.

I think Danny is finally at a point now where he is going to have to commit to some things. Up to now, he's been free to accumulate and hold assets. Now, for the first time, he'll have to start structuring his team, one way or another - choosing which assets to hold and which to move.
 

sox311

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That's what she said.
[*]The salary cap is sort of irrelevant. If they don't sign a max (or near max) FA into cap space now, they won't have another opportinity to do so for the foreseeable future (because hanging onto their current guys will push them over the cap). So the binding money constraint isn't the hard salary cap, it is Wyc & co's willingness to pay their own Bird-rights FAs.

This is something that hasn't been brought up much and will need to be explained a lot if we strike out on Hayward and throw a lot of money as someone none of us were expecting. (Or Milsap or Blake)

This is the year we have to spend that money or be set with what we have. We won't have the option later. And the salary cap doesn't matter, what does is ownerships willingness to pay its current players what the market would demand.

This is the year Danny has to make some decisions.
 

kazuneko

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Millsap does a lot of things the Celtics could use, but he's on the back nine career-wise and may command more money than he is worth.

Griffin is another guy who brings some skills that would fit the Celtics very well, but for all that he is injury prone and his rebounding numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years.

But the right question is not "dollar for dollar, is the contract a good value"?

The right question is what is the alternative scenario? There are 2 issues that bear on this:
  1. The "no FA" scenario is: not making the moves and renouncements they need to do to get under the cap. They can re-sign Olynyk, they can no throw overboard everything that isn't nailed down, maybe they can keep Bradley, etc. Call that the baseline against which any FA signing should be compared.
  2. The salary cap is sort of irrelevant. If they don't sign a max (or near max) FA into cap space now, they won't have another opportinity to do so for the foreseeable future (because hanging onto their current guys will push them over the cap). So the binding money constraint isn't the hard salary cap, it is Wyc & co's willingness to pay their own Bird-rights FAs.
So let's say the option on the table is signing Millsap to a 4-year max deal, and that this is going to be an overpay from a value perspective.

It may still be worth doing, if 1) Millsap is better than the baseline option (ie, signing Olynyk, etc), and 2) maxing out Millsap doesn't mean going cheap on the team's other free agents over the next few years.

I think Danny is finally at a point now where he is going to have to commit to some things. Up to now, he's been free to accumulate and hold assets. Now, for the first time, he'll have to start structuring his team, one way or another - choosing which assets to hold and which to move.
In looking at the available, big name free agents it really feels like that if we were only concerned about next season, Millsap would be the choice that best fits this team needs. Millsap is a good defender who can create his own shot and fills the biggest positional need on the team (PF). With Brown beginning to look like he might emerge quickly, do the Cs really want to block him by committing long-term to Hayward, when they could instead use that money to fill a much more pressing need? The concern of course is Millsap's age. Millsap is 31 and would presumably require at least a 3 year and probably a 4 year commitment. Not sure how DA goes about assessing such factors, but Millsap has been a durable player who at least thus far has aged well. Ainge certainly didn't hesitate to trade for KG (admittedly a very different player) when he was the same age (31). Heck, even the insurmountable barrier to a championship otherwise known as LeBron James is more than a year older than Millsap. Alternately, if the Cs can't land Millsap or decide he is too old, Griffin would be a choice that would again seem to be a better fit than Heyward. Griffin's primary issues would seemingly be his injury concerns - which makes him similarly risky to Millsap. In the last three seasons he's missed nearly a full season of games, and yet for the Cs to win a championship anytime soon they will need top tier talent and to get that they will need to take some risks.
 
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the moops

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The Celtics are still very, very unlikely to win a championship in the next few years regardless of who they get this offseason. Thus, I think you do not worry about fit as much as just getting the best damn player possible
 

kazuneko

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The Celtics are still very, very unlikely to win a championship in the next few years regardless of who they get this offseason. Thus, I think you do not worry about fit as much as just getting the best damn player possible
I would agree with you if one of the options available in free agency had the potential of being a top 5 player in the league but I don't think anyone sees any of these guys (Heyward included) as being that type of player. I also think that development time for Brown is important for this team's future, and unless Heyward is going to be a true difference maker I don't want to block him. You could sign a Millsap or a Griffin and maybe in a couple of years Brown is as good as Heyward. If you instead sign Heyward, not only does the giant hole at PF remain but I'm not sure how Brown ever reaches his potential in a Cs uniform..
 

nighthob

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Heighwode isn't blocking anyone. This is going to be Boston's last foray into the free agent pool for a long time thanks to all these high lottery picks. So they're going to sign an all star, if for no other reason than to guarantee that their kids break in on a team that makes annual playoff runs,

As it is a lot of guys on the roster right now are going to be cleared out because, long term, they don't fit Boston's payroll plans. One of those guys is going to be Bradley, he's going to command near max money in the summer of '18 and they have other options at the SG spot. Including Jaylen Brown.
 

sezwho

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The Celtics are still very, very unlikely to win a championship in the next few years regardless of who they get this offseason. Thus, I think you do not worry about fit as much as just getting the best damn player possible
With respect, I believe this is the first offseason of this roster iteration where you are wrong. I mean technically you could argue that every team is unlikely to win a championship in the next few years, with GSW and the Bronettes just slightly less so, but I don't think that's what you are getting at. The Celtics have a foundation of talent in place with a pipeline behind it, and just adding another SG for example because you want good assets creates more problems at this point.

Kicking the can down the road again and waiting for the end of the Lebron era is defeatist as we do need to optimize/shape the assets into a proper team and build in a direction. Sure, if a top 5 player presents, then make the move and let the chips fall where they may, but bottom line is that we are out of the 'Trust the Process' phase of Celtic roster development. Apologies for raising my voice.

Perhaps this next bit belongs in the Title Contention thread, but I reject the idea that the Celtics are no where near competing with the 3 elite teams even after watching the Cavs games. Here are a couple players who (when coupled with a healthy IT, an older JB plus Fultz) could tip the scales closer to even: Brow, Gobert, Kat, Greek, maybe even next years Zinger. I understand these players aren't walking through that door, but as a thought experiment I wanted to test whether a single addition could swing my perception. And yes, with apologies to @nighthob, getting one of these players could mean playing Al at the 4 :)
 

Eddie Jurak

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I would agree with you if one of the options available in free agency had the potential of being a top 5 player in the league but I don't think anyone sees any of these guys (Heyward included) as being that type of player. I also think that development time for Brown is important for this team's future, and unless Heyward is going to be a true difference maker I don't want to block him. You could sign a Millsap or a Griffin and maybe in a couple of years Brown is as good as Heyward. If you instead sign Heyward, not only does the giant hole at PF remain but I'm not sure how Brown ever reaches his potential in a Cs uniform..
I'd prioritize Hayward because he is the best of the lot right now. It would leave them thin in the frontcourt but that is something they could address through other moves.

Failing Hayward, I'd be happy to land either Millsap or Griffin. Both address the weakness up front, both bring different skills that Stevens can find a way to use, even though neither is the perfect fit.
 

mcpickl

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I think people are still underestimating Gordon Hayward.

He made the Western Conference all star team.
Over the last 3 seasons, he's averaged 20 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast on the slowest pace team.
He can shoot it from 3.
He can bring the ball up.
He can pass.
He can initiate your offense.
He can create his own shot.
He gets to the line and hits at a high %.
He's a good defender.
He can play multiple positions.
He's worked to get better every year.
He's familiar with your system.
You'd be signing him for his age 27-30 seasons(assuming 4 year deal with opt out)

If you can get him, you pump your fist at your good fortune, sign him, and worry about building your roster around him later.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Perhaps this next bit belongs in the Title Contention thread, but I reject the idea that the Celtics are no where near competing with the 3 elite teams even after watching the Cavs games. Here are a couple players who (when coupled with a healthy IT, an older JB plus Fultz) could tip the scales closer to even: Brow, Gobert, Kat, Greek, maybe even next years Zinger. I understand these players aren't walking through that door, but as a thought experiment I wanted to test whether a single addition could swing my perception. And yes, with apologies to @nighthob, getting one of these players could mean playing Al at the 4 :)
Great post and this paragraph in particular. That said, HeyWord isn't blocking anyone because Brown is really a positionless player and that is the beauty of him. The thing about Heywurd is that he can create his own shot - something this team needs badly aside from another impact interior player.

Regarding the guys you mentioned as difference makers, Gobert aside (as much as I love him he isn't in the same class with Davis, Towns or the Giannis), there is little chance the C's could snag one of those guys. To your point, however, you don't refrain from improving because there is always the possiblity that one of those guys becomes available.

The thing about Heywood is that he only costs money.
 
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Jed Zeppelin

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Great post and this paragraph in particular. That said, HeyWord isn't blocking anyone because Brown is really a positionless player and that is the beauty of him. The thing about Heywurd is that he can create his own shot - something this team needs badly aside from another impact interior player.

Regarding the guys you mentioned as difference makers, Gobert aside (as much as I love him he isn't in the same class with Davis, Towns or the Giannis), there is little chance the C's could snag one of those guys. To your point, however, you don't refrain from improving because there is always a chance that one of those guys becomes available.

The thing about Heywood is that he only costs money.
Yup, you slot in HeyWarddon'tyouthinkyouwerealittlehardontheBeaver for 30+ minutes at the 3 and thank your lucky stars. Brown can credibly play 2-4 depending on matchups, though even that matchup-dependent requirement may be in doubt given some of what he has shown already in these playoffs battling Wall and Beal and even denying Gortat in the post on switches.

Add some veteran savvy and strength (he's already quite strong for his age) and you'll be able to stick him in any lineup you want. If you think about it, it's crazy that a lot of his minutes in the playoffs have come because he was needed on defense.

Landing the 1 really opened things up, because Fultz is also a multi-positional player, but one who won't infringe on the Brown/Crowder/Hayward group as Josh Jackson might have.
 

the moops

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With respect, I believe this is the first offseason of this roster iteration where you are wrong. I mean technically you could argue that every team is unlikely to win a championship in the next few years, with GSW and the Bronettes just slightly less so, but I don't think that's what you are getting at. The Celtics have a foundation of talent in place with a pipeline behind it, and just adding another SG for example because you want good assets creates more problems at this point.
My point was that you can't get picky when it comes to securing a superstar, for there are so few of them. So, if BOS has the opportunity to get Hayword, or Butler, or George, or Klay Thompson, or whoever you deem a superstar, there should only be consideration given to their position played if BOS has a choice amongst them.
 

lovegtm

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Man, winning a game that way against the Cavs, without Isaiah, really makes Heduardo's decision tough. Stevens has shown so much ability to get a lot out of very limited rosters, while also enabling star players, that it's really hard to be like "yeah, it's cool, I'll stick with Quin Snyder".

Aside from Gobert and inertia, is there ANY good reason for Heighdwaard to stay in SLC? The 5th year is pretty meaningless in a league where Wesley Matthews gets paid $70M right after a torn achilles, and 8% vs 5% raises is a pretty negligible difference.

The Celtics have better assets, a better market, better fans, better coach, better GM, and probably a better roster. Utah has Gobert, familiarity and some nice skiing.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Man, winning a game that way against the Cavs, without Isaiah, really makes Heduardo's decision tough. Stevens has shown so much ability to get a lot out of very limited rosters, while also enabling star players, that it's really hard to be like "yeah, it's cool, I'll stick with Quin Snyder".

Aside from Gobert and inertia, is there ANY good reason for Heighdwaard to stay in SLC? The 5th year is pretty meaningless in a league where Wesley Matthews gets paid $70M right after a torn achilles, and 8% vs 5% raises is a pretty negligible difference.

The Celtics have better assets, a better market, better fans, better coach, better GM, and probably a better roster. Utah has Gobert, familiarity and some nice skiing.
Quin Snyder isn't Brad Stevens but he is pretty damn good.

The real question for Highward is whether he thinks the Cs have a better chance to get past the Cavs, Bucks, Wizards, Raptors and a likely process enhanced Sixer team over the next few seasons versus the Jazz vs the WC powers.
 

lovegtm

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Quin Snyder isn't Brad Stevens but he is pretty damn good.

The real question for Highward is whether he thinks the Cs have a better chance to get past the Cavs, Bucks, Wizards, Raptors and a likely process enhanced Sixer team over the next few seasons versus the Jazz vs the WC powers.
Yeah, I should rephrase that, since I think Snyder is quite a good coach.

What I meant is that, when you mention all of those up-and-coming teams, and then add in the ones in the West, it's very clear that the talent level in the NBA is really high right now, and there's a good chance that there won't be an easy path to the Finals in either conference.

In that landscape, coaching quality shifts from being a minor consideration (players' league!), to being a potentially major decisive factor in the playoffs.

And if that's the world we're living in, I'd prefer to have Brad Stevens or Greg Popovich as my coach, even if there are some other really talented coaches out there.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Yeah, I should rephrase that, since I think Snyder is quite a good coach.

What I meant is that, when you mention all of those up-and-coming teams, and then add in the ones in the West, it's very clear that the talent level in the NBA is really high right now, and there's a good chance that there won't be an easy path to the Finals in either conference.

In that landscape, coaching quality shifts from being a minor consideration (players' league!), to being a potentially major decisive factor in the playoffs.

And if that's the world we're living in, I'd prefer to have Brad Stevens or Greg Popovich as my coach, even if there are some other really talented coaches out there.
I agree with you completely. I don't know if Cheywurd will buy that line of thinking but I strongly suspect he, at least, kicks the Celtics tires a bit during the free agency period. Stevens is an alpha generator in a league where that quality can, occasionally, steal you wins.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Tonight probably clinched it. Gordon Hayford is going to be a Celtic.
I was adamant that the previous losses did little to nothing to hurt our chances with Angry Hardwood (Al did sign after his Hawks beat us down in round 1, after all), but on the flip side I definitely think it would be tough to look at last night's game as a FA and not think "Hmm." That's before even considering the Stevens factor.

If I'm Gordon Bombayward, I look at the West and see a minefield, but I look at the East and see a single bomb that's complicated but possible to defuse with the right tools.
 

InstaFace

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After last night, Ironhead Heyward will sign with Boston just to play with the legend that is Marcus Smart.
And lo, the day after the Celtics rose from the dead on the courts of Cleave-land, Brad Stevens went unto the grave of Ironhead Heyward, and spake to his tombstone, bidding him rise. And he cast aside the weight of having played for the Browns, and liberated himself from the earth, and followed Stevens, and played a mean Small Forward, and required only minimal compensation in the form of braaaaaaainnnsss.

And the people did feast upon the lambs, and the sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and...

---

In my view, this series hasn't changed Heywode's decision one bit. The question is and has always been, can Boston free up enough cap room to make him an offer credibly near max? And to answer that, Ainge needs to decide which skilled, valuable players on-the-rise he will give up to do so. Last night makes us as fans not want to see Smart or Bradley go (nor KO after Game 7), but realistically speaking, two out of the three of them would almost certainly have to get tossed aside in order to do so.
 

DJnVa

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There's no chance the Celtics, if they want him, won't have the cap space available. None.