To show that this particular hypo isn't unique, here's a version using Philly instead of Atlanta.
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=jqwdkjkSixers give:
NoelSixers get: BRK '18 1st, DAL '16 1st, PHI '16 2nd, Rozier, Hunter, Mickey
Jazz give:
HaywardJazz get: MEM '17+ 1st, BOS '18 1st, BOS '20 1st, MIN '16 2nd, Turner, Young, Jerebko
Clippers give:
GriffinClippers get: BRK '16 1st, BOS '16 1st, Sullinger, Zeller, Lee
Celtics give: BRK '16 1st, BRK '18 1st, DAL '16 1st, BOS '16 1st, BOS '18 1st, BOS '20 1st, MEM '17+ 1st, PHI '16 2nd, MIN '16 2nd, Sullinger, Turner, Zeller, Jerebko, Lee, Hunter, Rozier, Mickey, Young
Celtics get:
Griffin,
Hayward,
NoelIsaiah/Smart
Hayward/Bradley
Crowder
Griffin/Amir
Noel/Olynyk
Here, the Celtics even get to hold onto Amir, haha. Just like the original one where LA would probably want to involve a third team to convert pick value into player value, here Utah would want the same re: Hayward since they aren't getting Teague now.
So, is each team getting enough value?
I'm now worried Utah isn't.
This hypo four-way better captures the amazing asset situation, I think, since it truly uses
all of the Celtics' best tradeable assets, all while sacrificing almost
zero usefulness from the current roster. There'd almost be too much usefulness, lol. Also the big difference is that there is now much less long-term risk. None of the nine players on the C's expire. The risk of Horford leaving or declining is instead replaced by Noel's upside and hometown pull.
Hayward gets to play for Stevens, Noel gets to play in Boston, Doc gets to deal his problematic star to a friendly franchise. Celtics improve on their already elite defense, maintain their elite depth and actually improve the quality of it, turn from subpar to above average on the glass, and have one of the league's better offenses led by three 20+ ppg scorers.
It's no longer an "HGH" return, but it's even more of the equivalent of HGH for the roster.
Whoosh, from the middle class to title contention, instant. Moreover, the average age of the team would stay about the same! I think that lineup and bench could beat the Warriors, Spurs, and Cavs.
And we'd
still have a '17 1st with the right to swap with Brooklyn, i.e., a likely top 5-10 pick a year and a half from now. And,
amazingly, Ainge would then still have about 9 million in cap space this summer, which could become 21 million if he chooses to move Amir for picks or cut him, so...enough to sign a near-max free agent. The
full max (i.e., Durant) if he also then moved one of Smart/Bradley for picks. A starting lineup of Isaiah, Hayward, Durant, Griffin, and Noel would be possible, with Smart-or-Bradley, Crowder, and Olynyk off the bench...
Isaiah/Smart-or-Bradley
HaywardDurant/Crowder
GriffinNoel/Olynyk
...if you keep
that core of eight players together,
plus a top 5-10 pick in 2017, you might make and win the Finals every year the rest of the decade. That might be the
The Maximum that Ainge could convert this team's total assets into, over the space of the next six months, using only targets plausibly available right now.
The possibilities are unreal, though.
[Ainge-gasm]