They're coming off a 60-win season and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance and they've gotten the "farthest" they'll get because every single one of their starters and a key reserve were suffering from a variety of injures in the playoffs? Uhhh, okay.
Yeah, if anything I think it's more likely they flip their #15 pick for a proven vet. They need depth.
Isaiah Thomas for Dennis Schroder and #15. Let's do it.
Not entirely joking. The Hawks definitely missed having a Lou Williams type player in the playoffs this year.
While not completely opposed to dealing IT for a mid-high first rounder this year, I'd want someone back that can provide some offense off the bench or would step in as a starter. Schroder doesn't fit that need.
I'm not as concerned about the Celtics being better, or even any good, next season. I think Schroder has shown he can be a valuable bench scorer, and I think he has potential to become a quality starter long term. A better defender than IT off the bat, and a better ball-handler and playmaker than Smart, too, in the short and long term.
It would be a downgrade in the short term but it would improve the team long term. Sounds like the right kind of move given where this team is at.
After all, the reason the Celts acquired IT is because they felt he was being undervalued at the time and could be a valuable trade asset. If a deal like the one I mentioned is available, they should take it.
I like watching IT a lot. He's the most entertaining player on the roster right now, by far. But he's not a core piece; he's a sixth man who is out of his depth operating as the #1 option, which is what he is on the Celtics.