Imagine that you're Danny Ainge. It's at the end of September. Pre-season is about to start and we don't know much more about our players than we do at present. Out of the blue, Phil Jackson calls to tell you the following: Carmelo Anthony has agreed to waive his no trade clause for a handful of teams including the Celtics. The Knicks have made take it or leave it offers to several teams, including the Lakers and the Heat. Whoever accepts first gets Carmelo. The non-negotiable offer is as follows:
Celtics get: Carmelo
NY gets: David Lee, KO, Terry Rozier, James Young and the Nets and Celtics picks in 2017.
Why the Knicks do it: They get a solid starter in Lee who is well suited for the triangle, a young big in KO who also fits their system and two young guys who could potentially develop. Additionally they get a potential lottery pick from the Nets and another first rounder from the Celts.
Why the Celtics do it: They finally get a star player and someone who can close out games. Although Carmelo isn't a great teammate and doesn't play much defense, they surround him with a gritty defensive first unit, where no one else needs to dominate the ball. They also pare down the roster considerably, allowing for more minutes and thus better development for their players.
Celtics Rotation would be:
Center: Amir Johnson, Zeller, Mickey
PF: Carmelo Anthony, Sullinger, Jerebko
SF: Crowder, Turner, Perry Jones
SG: Bradley, Hunter
PG, Smart, IT