Assume the Warriors will be the juggernaut they currently are for the next 4 years. Their contract situation:
- Curry: contract up after this year, but they have Bird rights and I cannot fathom him going anywhere else. 28 years old, should be great for several more years. His shooting skill should last as he ages.
- Durant: contract up after this year, but has a player option for 2017-18. Probably will sign up with GS again. 28 years old, should be great for several more years.
- Thompson: signed through 2018-19. Not sure what happens after that. Just 26 years old, so will be 28 when his contract is up. Will be interesting to see where he goes at that point. Does GS want to give him another huge contract at that point?
- Green: signed through 2019-20. Just 26 years old. Will be 29 when his contract is up.
The other key guys will likely be gone: Iguodala, Zaza, West, McGee. But they'll likely be replaced by younger role players who will be pretty good. GS's window, as I see it, is the next 4 years.
Cleveland will be great through 2019-20. Their key guys (Love, 28, Irving, 25, Thompson, 26, Smith, 31) are all signed through then, except LeBron, who isn't going anywhere.
So the window likely opens in 2020-21. That's 5 seasons from now. So the Celtics ought to be thinking about accomplishing two things: (1) Being very good until then, and (2) building the team to be great right when that window opens.
That means NOT trading for a guy like Butler or George. If they could pry away Anthony Davis, who is just 24, or Towns, who is 21, sure. But they're not getting those guys.
So you draft Fultz. Hope to get a top 2-3 pick stud in next year's draft. Keep Brown. Try to sign a top level FA now to help IT bridge the gap between now and 2020-21. By the time that year arrives:
- Brown will be 24 and just entering his prime.
- Fultz will be 23 and very much on the ascent.
- Next year's Brooklyn pick probably will be 22 or 23 with a couple of years of NBA experience under his belt.
- Zizic will be 24 and have a few years of NBA experience.
- Yabusele will be 25 and just entering his prime.
- Rozier will be 27 and in his prime.
- Smart will be 27 and in his prime.
- Young (if he is still on the team) will be 25 and hopefully much improved.
That is the next great Celtics team, IMO. From now til then, IT and Hayward and the young guys will keep the Celtics very, very competitive and a joy to watch. Nothing at all wrong with that.