I don't think Danny would do any deal for AD without Kyrie committing long-term and I think knowing AD is coming I don't think Kyrie would want to leave. But in your scenario that has AD leaving, I would include one of Tatum or Brown(probably will take Tatum), Hayward, filler, and 2 1sts. I'd make a run for a year then yes it would get worse. But, you'd have Hayward's contract off the books and possibly Horford's too then AD's salary is off the books after the year. That would be a ton of cap space in which to chase the next stars that are out there.Really? For one year of AD? When you say whatever it takes, does that mean you'd move Tatum and Brown?
Where's that leave you in 2021, when AD heads off to LA? Kyrie ain't signing no long term deal in July, if AD isn't committed long term. Maybe Kyrie gives us 2 years, so he can make a run with AD for a year, but I think that's best case scenario.
I truly believe if we trade for AD, and he says he's not signing a contract, Kyrie is either going to bolt, or he's signing a 1 and done, or maybe 2 year deal.
So you're going to give up Tatum and/or Brown (plus whatever else we toss in) for a year of AD, maybe Kyrie, Horford, Gordon, Smart? And then in 2020, we've got a 35 year old Horford, no AD, maybe no Kyrie, no Tatum and/or no Brown. It's basically Smart/Gordon/TimeLord.
We could basically go from a team that was one game from the NBA finals in 2017, then added GH and Kyrie in 2018, and by 2021, we're a lottery team again?
That's what scares me about this whole AD situation. I don't want anything to do with him if he's not signing long term and/or we don't already have a commitment from Kyrie, but the timing is the problem. We can't re-sign Kyrie until July 1st, but the NBA draft is June 20th, so any real trades involving AD, etc. will have already happened. If at that moment, Kyrie is still waffling, uggh....
Danny has to be so careful here or he could undo everything he built in about a 3 week period. I almost want AD to get traded before the deadline now, so we don't have to worry about this come summer. Let this group of guys focus on this season, go and make a deep run in the playoffs and convince Kyrie that the decision he made in October was the right one, and he commits to sticking around.
If you don't trade for AD and Kyrie walks, are you still even a serious contender or just a middle seed in the East going nowhere? Horford is going to opt out and leave in free agency to chase a ring and Morris is gone too. Rozier would probably get an offer sheet Danny wouldn't match. That leaves the Celtics with a core of Tatum/Brown/Smart/Hayward. Not bad, but it might be in the dead zone of too good to be in the lottery and not good enough to win a championship. That is exactly not the place you want to be.
I just think Danny and the rest of the organization can sell AD on Boston being the best place long-term for him. All of this Kyrie stuff is noise and he'll be back.