Boston.com Analyzes A Potential Cousins Trade (Warning: It's Scary)

[Moranis]

Curious how you guys rank those 4 assets (Smart, Jaylen, 2017 Brooklyn pick, 2018 Brooklyn pick) in terms of trade value.

I'd say the 2017 Brooklyn pick has the most trade value by far.

I'd be fine with giving up any 2 of these 3 assets for Cousins:  Smart, Jaylen, 2018 Brooklyn pick... but I'd be very hesitant to move that 2017 pick unless it's straight-up for a star.

BKN 17




BKN 28
Brown

Smart

spacing is intentional.  If Smart starts shooting better he goes higher, but we are now over a month into year 3 and he still can't hit the broad side of a barn.

[PhoSita]

Giving up Smart, Brown, and both BRK picks is too much considering

(a) Cousins is a troubled asset given his off-court issues;

(b) He has one year on his contract after this one;

(c) He is likely to test FA;

(d) Our coach probably isn't keen on coaching him.


Cousins is a great talent, but I would be very uneasy about completely emptying the cupboard for him.


My goal in any Cousins trade discussion would be to keep one of the BRK picks, one of Bradley and Crowder, and one of Smart and Brown.  You obviously have to give up a lot of pieces to trade for a talent like Cousins.  But you can't give up everything.

The Celts need to hold onto IT, AB/Crowder, Horford, and at least a couple younger assets to keep the cupboard stocked for the next few years.

And honestly, I think you would have to be very careful trading away either of AB and Crowder, considering how crucial those guys are to the current culture of the team.


I would try to structure a deal along the lines of:


Cousins + Casspi

for

Amir + Brown + Rozier + BRK (17 OR 18) + Non-BRK 1st


That's a top 3 prospect, a 1st round prospect, a veteran expiring role player, a likely top 5 pick, and another 1st round pick.

[green_bballers13]

Curious how you guys rank those 4 assets (Smart, Jaylen, 2017 Brooklyn pick, 2018 Brooklyn pick) in terms of trade value.

I'd say the 2017 Brooklyn pick has the most trade value by far.

I'd be fine with giving up any 2 of these 3 assets for Cousins:  Smart, Jaylen, 2018 Brooklyn pick... but I'd be very hesitant to move that 2017 pick unless it's straight-up for a star.

Your view of the 2017 pick seems to focus on the prospect of getting the #1 pick. I'm not a stats guy, but I would imagine its likely that Brooklyn is a bottom 6 team. If I were a GM, I might predict its worth a #3 or #4 pick.

I am familiarizing myself with some of the freshmen phenoms. After watching some of the projected top picks, and I think I'm only amazed by Fultz and Giles. There hasn't been a ton of college tape yet, so I'm sure this will change.

[Roy H.]

I'd probably let them have three of Brown, Smart, and the two Brooklyn picks. It's a tough pill to swallow, but a Boogie in hand is worth three prospects...

[number_n9ne]

I really feel like these are high prices. What about:

To Boston:
Cousins $16,957,900
Temple $8,000,00
Casspi $2,936,814

total=27,894,714

To Sacramento:
Johnson $12,000,000
Zeller $8,000,000
Olynyk $3,094,014
Rozier $1,906,440
Mickey $1,223,653
2017 BKN swap
2018 BOS 1st
2019 LA 1st
2019 MEM 1st

total=$26,493,770

We roll the dice on Cousins (who could leave in 1.5 seasons), take back the long term salary in Temple, and take a flyer on Casspi. Sacramento gets the young PG they've been looking for in Rozier, Olynyk to stretch the floor next to WCS, a young prospect in Mickey, arguably our best pick from BKN, 3 other 1st round picks, and expiring salary. We get to keep Smart, Brown and the BKN 2018 pick.

This is a case where I see SAC saying yes, but Ainge saying "HELL NO". That decimates our bench honestly. Also we keep the 2018 Brooklyn Pick, but not many future picks left to grow with, and Casspi is purely a rental.

So you think Ainge says no to getting Cousins without giving up our core, Smart, Brown, or BKN 18? That's nonsense.

Hey, I WOULD make the deal. However... Ainge might not be willing to do the deal.

I would LOVE to add Cousins while keeping Horford, IT, Smart, Bradley, Brown.

But what's our bench exactly?

The bench would be Smart, Brown, Green, Jackson, Young, Temple, Casspi, AND the Swedish Larry Bird. Plus you have 2 open roster spots to pick up a backup center somewhere.

Thomas/Smart/Jackson
Bradley/Green/Temple
Crowder/Brown/Young
Horford/Jerebko/Casspi
Cousins/(vet min)/(Zizic)

[TrueFan]

I'd probably let them have three of Brown, Smart, and the two Brooklyn picks. It's a tough pill to swallow, but a Boogie in hand is worth three prospects...

He is worth it. The trade is fair. I just don't think we should cash in those picks unless it's a bargain and we aren't giving up much more then the pick itself.

[Sixth Man]

If you're giving up Smart, Jaylen, Brooklyn 2017 and Brooklyn 2018 ... our two players with theoretical star potential and our only two picks that have a legitimate shot at landing a star... You're basically saying, "Ok, this move is the one that's going to legitimately make us a champion". 

And unfortunately as good as Cousins is, merely adding him to this team probably still doesn't make us as good as the true contenders in this league. 

At some point you need to weigh the impact of Cousins (whether it makes us as good as the Golden State Globetrotters) with the potential impact of signing a star via free agency and the hope that 1 or more of Smart, Jaylen and the Brooklyn picks develop into stars.

Agree 100% with this.  TP and thanks for posting. 

[Sixth Man]

Curious how you guys rank those 4 assets (Smart, Jaylen, 2017 Brooklyn pick, 2018 Brooklyn pick) in terms of trade value.

I'd say the 2017 Brooklyn pick has the most trade value by far.

I'd be fine with giving up any 2 of these 3 assets for Cousins:  Smart, Jaylen, 2018 Brooklyn pick... but I'd be very hesitant to move that 2017 pick unless it's straight-up for a star.

2017
Smart
Jaylen
2018.

[PhoSita]

I'd probably let them have three of Brown, Smart, and the two Brooklyn picks. It's a tough pill to swallow, but a Boogie in hand is worth three prospects...

Honestly, I'm just not convinced he gets the Celts to the Finals this year or next, and I'm not convinced he stays beyond summer 2018.

If the Celts kept one of the BRK picks and traded the other three pieces, I could live with the risk, however.

[alldaboston]

Curious how you guys rank those 4 assets (Smart, Jaylen, 2017 Brooklyn pick, 2018 Brooklyn pick) in terms of trade value.

I'd say the 2017 Brooklyn pick has the most trade value by far.

I'd be fine with giving up any 2 of these 3 assets for Cousins:  Smart, Jaylen, 2018 Brooklyn pick... but I'd be very hesitant to move that 2017 pick unless it's straight-up for a star.

'17 pick
Brown
'18 pick
Smart

[dreamgreen]

Option #1 is crazy talk, basically 4 lottery picks for a bone head? LOL

[JBcat]

I would like to see KO go on a nice run to increase his trade value.  I don't trust he is tough enough for playoff basketball.  Maybe then you get to keep Smart or Brown or perhaps both. 

Maybe KO, Brown, 2018 Nets pick, and Amir for Boogie.  Maybe put Rozier in and take another piece out if you can.  Then trade  Zeller and a couple second rounders for Bogut.  Ha

[tazzmaniac]

Curious how you guys rank those 4 assets (Smart, Jaylen, 2017 Brooklyn pick, 2018 Brooklyn pick) in terms of trade value.

I'd say the 2017 Brooklyn pick has the most trade value by far.

I'd be fine with giving up any 2 of these 3 assets for Cousins:  Smart, Jaylen, 2018 Brooklyn pick... but I'd be very hesitant to move that 2017 pick unless it's straight-up for a star.

No one is going to trade you a Cousins level star straight up for a single 1st rounder especially when the star hasn't even asked to be traded.  There's no guarantee that the Nets will have the worst record and even if they do that only gives a 25% chance at the #1 pick.  The 2017 draft should be a very good, very deep draft but it is not clear that it will have any franchise caliber stars. 

[More Banners]

It would be good to split the top assets so we could get 2 big league players. I think the 17 pick is tops, then Jalen, 2018 BKN.  I think the 18 pick could rise in value as it gets closer. But including both 17 and Jaylen in an offer would mean not much more going out, and a heck of a player coming in. Cousins fits.

I think KO has value. I could see a Smart/Olynyk/17-centered package gathering interest. But they ask for Jalen always.

[jaketwice]

I don't want Cousins at any price. He hasn't shown he can act with a dignity befitting the history of
Our franchise. No.