Would you take Phil Jackson's call?

[jbp126]

If we have the chance to get Melo or another star (elite skill plus reputation) for a package of average assets, we do it in a second. The only asset in that bunch that's could end up better than Melo is the Nets pick and that is extremely slim odds.

To people who think that it's giving up too much, I think that's an incredible overestimation of that group of talent/assets. To people who think Melo's contract is/will be bloated, I'd point to our good financial situation and the rising cap. To people who think he's a one dimensional player, I can't completely deny this, but he is an elite scorer who can put the ball in the hole in multiple ways. To people who say he's on the wrong side of 30, have the most legitimate point. However, he's has size, a good stroke, and hasn't exactly relied on explosive athleticism.

Melo is an elite scorer who wouldn't bring us into championship contention alone, but would be an important first step to making Boston look like a competitive team. I agree with other posters who have brought up Horford as a player who could be intrigued to team up with Anthony.

Bottom line, Melo fills a major need for this team in being a pure scorer.

[PhoSita]

so let me get this straight we get to acquire Melo for a bunch of crap and people are actually hesitating.  Crazy.

That said, as has been mentioned Boston doesn't own both its and Brooklyn's pick in 2017 so it would have to include a pick from another year.

I see Melo as a faux-star, a one-trick pony who's on the wrong side of 30 and doesn't often draw rave reviews for being a team player.

Nonetheless, he's regarded as a star around the league and other guys will give Boston a second look if Melo is here.  Obviously he's not enough on his own to get guys to sign -- just look at the Knicks. 

But that's why we've been cultivating this roster of role players and our boy wonder coach, so that when we finally acquire a star we'll have a full package to offer prospective free agents or stars pushing for a trade.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

so let me get this straight we get to acquire Melo for a bunch of crap and people are actually hesitating.  Crazy.

That said, as has been mentioned Boston doesn't own both its and Brooklyn's pick in 2017 so it would have to include a pick from another year.

I see Melo as a faux-star, a one-trick pony who's on the wrong side of 30 and doesn't often draw rave reviews for being a team player.

Nonetheless, he's regarded as a star around the league and other guys will give Boston a second look if Melo is here.  Obviously he's not enough on his own to get guys to sign -- just look at the Knicks. 

But that's why we've been cultivating this roster of role players and our boy wonder coach, so that when we finally acquire a star we'll have a full package to offer prospective free agents or stars pushing for a trade.

so let me get this straight we get to acquire Melo for a bunch of crap and people are actually hesitating.  Crazy.

That said, as has been mentioned Boston doesn't own both its and Brooklyn's pick in 2017 so it would have to include a pick from another year.

I see Melo as a faux-star, a one-trick pony who's on the wrong side of 30 and doesn't often draw rave reviews for being a team player.

Completely agree, he has been the one cornerstone I have wanted to avoid for years - obv. an ultimate ball-stopper and one-way player. But if he opens the door for guys like Horford and Conley - both of whom would be great pick-ups for a window of contention - that'd be a pretty great situation to be in.

I agree that people around the league are starting to take note of this up-and-coming Celtics squad, and that the addition of Melo would take that forward another step. That's a good thing, and if Melo's acquisition led to the acquisition of other good players (Conley, Horford, etc.), that would also be a good thing.

But I still have serious reservations about adding Melo—when I look at him in a vacuum, AND when I try to envision him as part of a championship squad. I think it would take the perfect combination of players around him for it to work—and I don't know what that combo would be.

But maybe the defense-first, team-first Boston squad would do the trick. I guess I won't close myself off to the possibility.

[tarheelsxxiii]

so let me get this straight we get to acquire Melo for a bunch of crap and people are actually hesitating.  Crazy.

That said, as has been mentioned Boston doesn't own both its and Brooklyn's pick in 2017 so it would have to include a pick from another year.

I see Melo as a faux-star, a one-trick pony who's on the wrong side of 30 and doesn't often draw rave reviews for being a team player.

Nonetheless, he's regarded as a star around the league and other guys will give Boston a second look if Melo is here.  Obviously he's not enough on his own to get guys to sign -- just look at the Knicks. 

But that's why we've been cultivating this roster of role players and our boy wonder coach, so that when we finally acquire a star we'll have a full package to offer prospective free agents or stars pushing for a trade.

so let me get this straight we get to acquire Melo for a bunch of crap and people are actually hesitating.  Crazy.

That said, as has been mentioned Boston doesn't own both its and Brooklyn's pick in 2017 so it would have to include a pick from another year.

I see Melo as a faux-star, a one-trick pony who's on the wrong side of 30 and doesn't often draw rave reviews for being a team player.

Completely agree, he has been the one cornerstone I have wanted to avoid for years - obv. an ultimate ball-stopper and one-way player. But if he opens the door for guys like Horford and Conley - both of whom would be great pick-ups for a window of contention - that'd be a pretty great situation to be in.

I agree that people around the league are starting to take note of this up-and-coming Celtics squad, and that the addition of Melo would take that forward another step. That's a good thing, and if Melo's acquisition led to the acquisition of other good players (Conley, Horford, etc.), that would also be a good thing.

But I still have serious reservations about adding Melo—when I look at him in a vacuum, AND when I try to envision him as part of a championship squad. I think it would take the perfect combination of players around him for it to work—and I don't know what that combo would be.

But maybe the defense-first, team-first Boston squad would do the trick. I guess I won't close myself off to the possibility.

Yep, strongly agree. This is the sole reason I think it could work - our cast could provide the perfect fit for him. I'd also be wary of his willingness to buy into the system. Not sure that would happen unless he becomes hungry enough for a title that he's willing to a) give a hard look at teams that aren't bright-light destinations, and b) mold his game to a system.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Melo isn't going anywhere, he told a troll something along the line of "you're stuck with me for a long time."

[Big333223]

Melo isn't going anywhere, he told a troll something along the line of "you're stuck with me for a long time."

That's most likely true. I think Melo is making a lot of money and his wife is loving New York and he likes living in New York and he doesn't really care about much else. I'm sure he'd love to win a championship but I don't see him as the type of star who starts moving around the league at the end of his career searching for the ring a la Malone, Payton, et al.

[Humble G]

so let me get this straight we get to acquire Melo for a bunch of crap and people are actually hesitating.  Crazy.

That said, as has been mentioned Boston doesn't own both its and Brooklyn's pick in 2017 so it would have to include a pick from another year.

I see Melo as a faux-star, a one-trick pony who's on the wrong side of 30 and doesn't often draw rave reviews for being a team player.

How is he a one trick pony? Compared to lbj he is not much different besides assists (LeBron doubles). LeBron shoots only a couple % better last two years fg and 3'a but Melo better ft shooter and actually  out rebounded lbj per game. Yea he isn't a great team player and doesn't get many assists [altho who was he suppose to pass it to?) But he can create his own shot, shoot well (his 3s were huge in the Olympic games, remember  him being lights out), gets to the line, and rebounds well. Get some guys around him and I imagine his assists would go up as well.......maybe.....lol.....Brad would get him to pass better and play team ball  ........but I really don't see Melo as only being able to do one thing......one trick pony....just my opinion tho #notevenahugemelofan

[ThePoeticWolf]

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

I think this question has a bigger picture.  Next year who would want to play with Carmelo Anthony if we got him.  Also Melo is a small forward so it would be Crowder would still be on our bench where I rather see him.  I think we do resign Sullinger which is in our best interest.

C:  Amir Johnson (non-guaranteed), Mickey, Zeller (If we resign)
PF:  Sullinger (If we resign), Jerebko (non-guaranteed)
SF:  Anthony, Crowder
SG:  Bradley, Hunter
PG:  Smart, IT

Would Melo and this roster make a Kevin Durant want to play in Boston.  I'm not thinking so being same position and Melo not really being a Power Forward and Durant needing the ball.  Or making KD or Melo the starting shooting guard.  Would this make a LeBron James want to play, not going to happen even though they're good friends. 

So we'd have to look at other free agents like a DeMar DeRozan if he opts out.  Would he be a good fit next to Melo at the shooting guard.  Then becomes what to do with Bradley, do we keep or trade him.

Could Dwight Howard be leaving the Rockets, and would he fit next to playing with Melo.  I'm thinking this wouldn't be a good fit either.

Then looking at maybe someone like an Al Hortford.  Would he be a good fit to ad in with Melo, even though Hortford is also aging.

Yes, having Melo would be nice to have a star on the Celtics but would he fit and bring in other players to win a title.  It's not looking like it'd be a good fit.

[ThePoeticWolf]

so let me get this straight we get to acquire Melo for a bunch of crap and people are actually hesitating.  Crazy.

That said, as has been mentioned Boston doesn't own both its and Brooklyn's pick in 2017 so it would have to include a pick from another year.

I see Melo as a faux-star, a one-trick pony who's on the wrong side of 30 and doesn't often draw rave reviews for being a team player.

How is he a one trick pony? Compared to lbj he is not much different besides assists (LeBron doubles). LeBron shoots only a couple % better last two years fg and 3'a but Melo better ft shooter and actually  out rebounded lbj per game. Yea he isn't a great team player and doesn't get many assists [altho who was he suppose to pass it to?) But he can create his own shot, shoot well (his 3s were huge in the Olympic games, remember  him being lights out), gets to the line, and rebounds well. Get some guys around him and I imagine his assists would go up as well.......maybe.....lol.....Brad would get him to pass better and play team ball  ........but I really don't see Melo as only being able to do one thing......one trick pony....just my opinion tho #notevenahugemelofan

MELO PLAYS NO DEFENSE.  LeBron I'm not a fan of but he's an amazing defender.  This is why Melo is a "one trick pony".

[Monkhouse]

so let me get this straight we get to acquire Melo for a bunch of crap and people are actually hesitating.  Crazy.

That said, as has been mentioned Boston doesn't own both its and Brooklyn's pick in 2017 so it would have to include a pick from another year.

I see Melo as a faux-star, a one-trick pony who's on the wrong side of 30 and doesn't often draw rave reviews for being a team player.

How is he a one trick pony? Compared to lbj he is not much different besides assists (LeBron doubles). LeBron shoots only a couple % better last two years fg and 3'a but Melo better ft shooter and actually  out rebounded lbj per game. Yea he isn't a great team player and doesn't get many assists [altho who was he suppose to pass it to?) But he can create his own shot, shoot well (his 3s were huge in the Olympic games, remember  him being lights out), gets to the line, and rebounds well. Get some guys around him and I imagine his assists would go up as well.......maybe.....lol.....Brad would get him to pass better and play team ball  ........but I really don't see Melo as only being able to do one thing......one trick pony....just my opinion tho #notevenahugemelofan

MELO PLAYS NO DEFENSE.  LeBron I'm not a fan of but he's an amazing defender.  This is why Melo is a "one trick pony".

Let me just put this nugget out there.

Melo took a really crappy team of JR Smith, Chauncey Billups, and Kenyon Martin to the WCF.

Melo has taken New York to the playoffs countless times.

He is a very valuable scorer, and has averaged 3.7 APG. I can't seem to find his stat, but he has a great double team assist rate, and can make the right passes, but his team is so bad that they just can't finish it off.

Lee, Rozier, Young, and Lee with two picks may be a lot, but Ainge would still have enough assets and chips to get another star.

I hate how people say Melo can't fit it in any system. If Brad Stevens is a good coach, then he'll be able to at least get Melo on the same page. Any great coach is susceptible to making his players better most of the time.

But if we get Melo, I wouldn't mind bringing Rondo back, and put Smart at the 2.

[chambers]

Yes, I'd do the deal too.
Our own picks aren't going to be great, and we're hoping that the Nets pick will be in the top 10.


Melo is a top 20 NBA player. His playing style is going to help him play at age 33-34 without much hindrance.

If we aren't going to go via the draft, then we absolutely must pounce on opportunities like this.

Just having him as a trade asset, locked up for 4 more years is worth the deal.
eg The Heat would give us Winslow and Whiteside for him, plenty of other teams would give up some very solid talent.
No brainer.

[Ilikesports17]

I, like many, dont view Melo as a golden ticket to the promised land. Selling the farm for Melo would be unwise. The reasons have been covered extensively.

However, selling our 3rd tier assets (Smart plus Brkn '16 are tier 1 and IT, Dallas, Crowder are tier 2 imo) for a star is a wise decision. For me, a no brainer even.

You could add Melo without sacrificing max cap room or our most intriguing assets or even the backbone of our currently constructed team.

You could make a real play for Horford in FA and either lock up Amir or Jerebko or Sully long term or even move the our 2 potentially top 10 picks in exchange for a high level four or worst case scenario we add two top 10 talents and hope one pans out fast enough to elevate us to legit title contention.

[Ilikesports17]

Absolutely.

Add Carmelo without giving up too much talent or future assets (the Celts keep the 2016 and 2018 Nets picks!) well before next summer.

With Melo on board, Smart hopefully developing further, and a quality cast of role players, the Celts might convince a couple of top tier free agents like Al Horford and Mike Conley to consider signing here.

If the team gets a top 10 pick from the Nets next summer on top of it all, they would be in great shape.

Sure, Melo is not a perfect fit and he may only have 3 or 4 years left playing at a high level.  But it'd be worth it because it'd make the Celts relevant and give them a fighting chance at signing some difference makers next summer.  Without a star already on board, the Celts have a slightly higher than zero percent chance of signing anybody who matters.

Agreed 100%

Adding a star without sacrificing the backbone of our team(Crowder Thomas Smart Bradley) or our best assets(Brooklyn and Dallas 1sts and hopefully RJ Hunter enters this group) or even our max cap room this offseason is a dream scenario.

Plus hes a pretty terrific fit in terms of skillset. Isnt a scoring wing our biggest hole outside maybe rim protector?

and guess what? with potentially 2 top 10 picks we could have our cake and eat it too as Philly could feasibly be willing to send us Noel in a package based around those 2 top 10 picks.

[loco_91]

Amazing amount of ambivalence on this trade. You take that in a second, but there is no chance that Phil offers that. Melo is one of the league's most dominant scorers-- I'd actually say he's the #5 most dominant scorer only behind KD, Lebron, Harden and Steph at this point. Who cares if he's a below average defender? Go get a rim protector to back him up, and you have a 2nd-tier team in the East.

[vjcsmoke]

After the initial negative reaction to the trade proposal.  I'd say yes to it, with tweaks on the draft picks offered.  Melo is still a top scorer in the NBA and at age 31, he isn't as old as I thought although he isn't in his prime either.

If we add Melo, that gives us the chance to seriously woo free agents over the summer.  Imagine if we land Al Horford for instance.

5 Al Horford
4 Amir Johnson
3 Melo
2 AB
1 Smart

I think that team could seriously contend in the East.
So if we were taking Melo in a vacuum, then no I don't see the sense of it, but if we can land a premier free agent with Melo a part of the mix, then it makes a lot of sense for us going forward.