How to Make a Run at a Championship THIS Year: Adding Cousins & Hayward

[meangreenmachine]

We can compete with Cleveland, Golden State and San Antonio this year. It means getting Cousins AND Hayward WITHOUT sacrificing our core. Here is how we do it:

Trade One (Note: Must occur before trade two for salary cap reasons)

To Boston: Boogie Cousins

To Sacramento: Johnson, Jerebko, Olynyk, Brooklyn '17, All 2nd Round Picks in '17, Brooklyn '18, Boston '19, Memphis '19, Los Angeles '19

Mortgaging the future for a 26 year old center, you say? Well, we have drafted how many first-rounders in the past two years? We will still have a first-round pick in 2018, along with a youthful roster already, so nobody can claim this monster trade is mortgaging the future. And anybody who thinks you can get a player like Cousins without coughing up some serious assets is just not thinking right...

Trade Two (Note: Must occur after trade one for salary cap reasons)

To Boston: Gordon Hayward (AND HIS BIRD RIGHTS!)

To Utah: Jaylen Brown

Yes, perhaps Utah would trade Hayward for Crowder, but if we want to make a run at a championship the next two years I would argue that we are better off having Crowder come off the bench rather than Brown.

Salary Cap Breakdown

This excludes our second round picks (I suspect Jackson will make the team and we will either stash or cut Bentil and/or Nader). I am also assuming we have stashed (or will soon stash) Yabasule and Zizic, although it would appear that we should probably bring Zizic on board this season:

Horford $26,540,100
Cousins $16,784,031
Hayward $16,073,140
Bradley $8,269,663
Thomas $6,587,132
Crowder $6,500,000
Smart $3,578,880
Rozier $1,906,440
Young $1,825,200 
Hunter $1,200,240
Mickey $1,200,000
Total: $90,464,826
Cap: $94,143,000

That is 11 players without considering the likelihood of Jackson making the roster (and possibly Zizic, Bentil and Nader). Perhaps we spend the difference of $3,678,174, less Jackson, on a quality backup PF/C (any ideas?). Since we would clearly become a contender, we should not be surprised if we score one or two quality veterans chasing a ring while agreeing to the minimum. Suggestions?

What do you think?

[hodgy03038]

I like it. I like the effort you put into this calculation. I am a little confused though on why Utah would trade Hayward for Brown (who everyone is bashing on our very blog).

[meangreenmachine]

I like it. I like the effort you put into this calculation. I am a little confused though on why Utah would trade Hayward for Brown (who everyone is bashing on our very blog).

If Hayward is giving them the vibe that he will leave next summer, Utah may agree to ship Hayward in return for the third overall pick, a SF with a rookie contract who can possibly step up as a replacement in a year or two (and their fanbase may not lose a lot of enthusiasm in the process of this move). It's possible Utah thinks highly of Brown just like Ainge. Meanwhile, Utah can already move on from Hayward as is with a combination of Joe Johnson, Jaylen Brown, Joe Ingles and Chris Johnson while making Favors their clear number one guy. Special note: They are paying Joe Johnson $11 million this upcoming season, which is considerable dough for a small market team, so I highly suspect Hayward is going to be moved...

[Lucky17]

How does Hayward for Brown work cap wise? Boston has no way to fit Hayward under the cap.

[meangreenmachine]

How does Hayward for Brown work cap wise? Boston has no way to fit Hayward under the cap.

If we execute the Cousins trade first, I think we can do it (see my salary cap breakdown in the original post; please let me know if I am missing something, which would not be the first time!

I will edit my post to reflect the need to make the Cousins trade first (or hopefully simultaneously, so we can get the promised firewycs!).

[Grindfather]

1. That's very much an overpay for Boogie.
2. Utah is not trading Hayward. He's their best player and they are most definitely gunning for the 4 seed in the West this year.