Who would you rather have: Smart at #6 in '14 or Mudiay at #7 in '15?

[TheFlex]

Smart: Made All-Rookie 2nd-team (garnering the most votes of any 2nd-team player), Celtics starter during their playoff push and brief playoff existence, starter and defensive anchor for defensively elite 2015-16 Celtics. Age: 21 y.o. Weaknesses: wildly inconsistent offense. Can put up nearly 30 on Russ only to shoot 1-11 against Ty Lawson and James Harden. Biggest question: Can he gain some consistency to his offensive game and average 15 ppg? Runner-up: What guard spot will he succeed best at, and will he necessitate acquiring a backcourt partner that fits uniquely with his game?

Mudiay: Starting and producing for a better-than-expected Nuggets team. Can really score and get to the line, has a respectable jumpshot for a non-jumpshooting rookie, can create for others offensively, has the size and agility to be a defensive playmaker as well. Age: 19 y.o. (almost exactly 2 years younger than Smart). Weaknesses: jumpshot, turnovers, defense. Biggest question: Can he become a respectable long-range jumpshooter? Runner-up: Can he use his physical tools to become a good-to-great defender?

I would expect the answer to this question would be totally different if I asked it after Smart's 26-point outburst against OKC -- or even his dominant defensive showing against Houston -- rather than after a couple of bad games in a row (DAL, BKN) and a subsequent injury.

My answer is Mudiay. He's younger and has less severe issues on any one side of the ball. Smart looks like a legitimate defensive anchor at the guard position, but his offense at 21 in his second season is more concerning than Mudiay's defense is at 19 in his rookie season. Perhaps if Smart was given the offensive liberty over the past 100 or so games that Mudiay has had in his rookie season, we'd have already seen a lot more offensive "flashes" from Smart, like in OKC.

Know this, though: Smart's defense is more impressive than anything Mudiay has shown at the NBA level thus far. If Smart can ever cobble together 15-18 ppg, 5-6 rpg and 4-5 apg to go along with perennial DPOY candidate-level defense, he will go to the All-Star game multiple times and be a legitimate 2nd or 3rd banana on a championship team.

[Who]

Mudiay. Best PG prospect since John Wall.

[PhoSita]

Mudiay's got a higher ceiling, but he's a long way away from helping teams win.

My head says Mudiay, my heart says Smart.

[Who]

Mudiay would be a good trade target to add alongside Smart rather than to replace Smart.

I'd love to put the two of them together in a two PG backcourt.

[PhoSita]

I'd love to put the two of them together in the same backcourt. Mudiay would be a good trade target to add alongside Smart rather than to replace Smart.

Why would Denver be interested in trading him?

[Who]

I'd love to put the two of them together in the same backcourt. Mudiay would be a good trade target to add alongside Smart rather than to replace Smart.

Why would Denver be interested in trading him?

Celtics got good assets with those Nets picks. If miss out on a top 2 pick, trading a 3rd-4th-5th selection for Mudiay could be a good alternative to keeping pick. Or making a trade package based around 2017 Nets pick.

[moiso]

Mudiay. Best PG prospect since John Wall.

Maybe, but if the Nuggets agree with this they aren't trading him for draft picks.  Mudiay would be the guy they build around.

[PhoSita]

I'd love to put the two of them together in the same backcourt. Mudiay would be a good trade target to add alongside Smart rather than to replace Smart.

Why would Denver be interested in trading him?

Celtics got good assets with those Nets picks. If miss out on a top 2 pick, trading a 3rd-4th-5th selection for Mudiay could be a good alternative to keeping pick. Or making a trade package based around 2017 Nets pick.

If I'm Denver, though, I probably stick with the guy I already have on my team, whose strengths and weaknesses I know, and who has shown star potential at the NBA level, rather than take the mystery box of a pick.  They won't be lacking for top picks in the coming years, after all.


For the Celtics, I think I'd rather take a chance that one of the top 5 guys who fits a position of need -- e.g. Jaylen Brown, Brandan Ingram, Dragan Bender, etc. -- can help me more than acquiring another point guard prospect with some glaring flaws.


If the Celts think Mudiay is in a different tier from the prospects available at their spot in the draft, though, then I'd be OK with it, but in that case I doubt Denver would consider it.

[mysteryMrE]

Mudiay. Best PG prospect since John Wall.

Maybe, but if the Nuggets agree with this they aren't trading him for draft picks.  Mudiay would be the guy they build around.

Exactly. Zero chance Denver trades him, even if the Net's pick ends up being as good as it looks now.

[TheFlex]

Not to reorient the discussion as we've only gotten a few responses to the original question, but regarding trade negotiations with the Nuggets...

As others have said, no reason for Denver to trade Mudiay and I doubt they have an irrational desire to do so.

I'm not sure the Nuggets are an ideal trade partner for us. At least not with respect to a deal that would significantly alter either franchise's path. We have a lot of good-but-not-great players, some good-to-great prospects, and a lot of picks. They have much of the same. Each franchise is probably looking at deals that would allow them to cash in those assets for a single, greater quality piece. Unlikely something would come together in which they like, for example, Sullinger and Bradley more than they do Faried and Gary Harris, and we like Faried and Harris more than Sullinger and Bradley.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Man that's a tough one.  Mudiay puts up numbers but Smart puts up wins. 

[alldaboston]

I'd probably have little hesitation in this one. Mudiay actually tries to score, unlike Smart. Smart's defense is good and all, but if he cannot take the next step offensively, he's going to be stuck as Tony Allen 2.0, except that Smart can't even get to the rim.

Mudiay for me.

[Csfan1984]

With IT on this team Smart. Take IT out of the equation then I'd probably go Mudiay but it's tough. Mudiay on offense seems to be what Smart is on defense, special. If there are a ton of scorers that can create on the team or PG guards like IT/Curry/Rose or say Sgs like Martin/Middelton/Korver then I want Smart. It all depends on how the team is made up for me.

[TheFlex]

With IT on this team Smart. Take IT out of the equation then I'd probably go Mudiay but it's tough. Mudiay on offense seems to be what Smart is on defense, special. If there are a ton of scorers that can create on the team or PG guards like IT/Curry/Rose or say Sgs like Martin/Middelton/Korver then I want Smart. It all depends on how the team is made up for me.

I think that's a good start to answering one of the questions I posed. Is Smart one of those guys like Rondo that, for his game to be maximized, needs a roster assembled around him? I don't think Mudiay is one of those guys unless he never develops any semblance of a jumpshot (which it seems he's already started doing) and never puts his physical ability to work on the defensive end. Mudiay seems to be a universal fit. That's a really underrated attribute.

[Endless Paradise]

I'd love to put the two of them together in the same backcourt. Mudiay would be a good trade target to add alongside Smart rather than to replace Smart.

Why would Denver be interested in trading him?

Celtics got good assets with those Nets picks. If miss out on a top 2 pick, trading a 3rd-4th-5th selection for Mudiay could be a good alternative to keeping pick. Or making a trade package based around 2017 Nets pick.

If I'm Denver, though, I probably stick with the guy I already have on my team, whose strengths and weaknesses I know, and who has shown star potential at the NBA level, rather than take the mystery box of a pick.  They won't be lacking for top picks in the coming years, after all.


For the Celtics, I think I'd rather take a chance that one of the top 5 guys who fits a position of need -- e.g. Jaylen Brown, Brandan Ingram, Dragan Bender, etc. -- can help me more than acquiring another point guard prospect with some glaring flaws.


If the Celts think Mudiay is in a different tier from the prospects available at their spot in the draft, though, then I'd be OK with it, but in that case I doubt Denver would consider it.

Exactly. The point of trading for draft picks is to draft guys like Mudiay. It makes no sense for Denver to trade him away.