Amazing how different this team could look next year. Has a conference regular season champ ever had such aggressive turnover before? The only returning players may be IT, Smart, Horford, Rozier and Brown.
Probably not, and even if there is as much turnover as we're speculating, it is likely that the Exodus From Cleveland coming this time next year will wipe away any record the Celtics can set. If LeBron goes, so do all his bobos, and probably Irving & Love as well, which would effectively be wiping out the entire team.
That said, I think you are underselling exactly how much change is coming/could come because you've got IT as a keeper - and I think that's pretty likely to be wrong. IT is a fabulous offensive player, who needs to dominate the ball to be at his best. With more competent scoring options - George, FA stud (Heyward?), Tatum - there is less need for IT to be the player he had to be in 16-17. Can he be part of a balanced offensive team or does he need the ball as much as possible to be as good as he can be offensively?
Further, he's never going to be better than half-a-great player. He is an elite scorer, who probably can work in concert with others offensively. But nothing will make him better than below-average on defense. He will never be a good defender, simply because of his size and the amount of effort he has to expend to be as great offensively.
So, if the team is moving to several scorers - George, FA, etc. - and IT isn't a seamless fit on that end, and he's a defensive liability for reasons beyond his control, AND he's making significant money and headed to free agency himself - and looking for a big contract extension ... signs are pointing to IT being part of a transaction that facilitates the George & FA transactions.
As I understand the money side, the FA signing happens first, then the George trade involves matching some salary. IT's salary makes that easier. The Pacers could flip him at the deadline for more assets. Including IT makes needing to include Brown or Tatum less likely. Rozier and Smart can fill IT's minutes.
What is a reasonable deal for George that includes IT as part of the return? The Clippers pick, a couple of their own firsts?