Sounds like IT wants a max. "Keeping options open"

[libermaniac]

If we sign IT to a max, I just feel like that would impede the progress of players like Smart, Jaylen and Fultz/Ball/Jackson.

IT has the ball in his hand 75% of the game.

Max money to a munchkin( who knows yow long he can keep this up) taking playing time away from high lottery picks wouldn't be the way I choose to go if I'm Danny.

This is a) ridiculous hyperbole, and b) completely devoid of context.

Isaiah Thomas is a star PG.  Therefore, he touches the ball more than any player on the Celtics, because that's how NBA basketball works.  He possesses the ball an average of 6.8 minutes per game, which is closer to 15% than 75%.  This is 11th in the league in time possessed, which sounds like a lot, but the top 10 are also all PGs, as are numbers #12-17.  Then it's LeBron, followed by 9 more PGs.  IT is relatively middle-of-pack when it comes to holding the ball for PGs.

If you look at seconds per touch (does the ball stop in IT's hands?), he drops down to 21st.  The 20 ahead of him are all PGs.

Please take up a new line of criticism.

Mic drop!  TP saltlover.

[slightly biased bias fan]

I'd have no problem giving Thomas the max but we may have to send Horford away as he's the weak link in our salary cap.

[jpotter33]

Unless Ainge makes a big move in the offseason, paying IT MAX would be a big mistake when we're two stars away.  Tying up 60M of cap space in Thomas and Horford would make us a perennial pretender.

Pretty much this. Unless we sign Griffin or Hayward + an upgrade to the bigs rotation via trade, I have no interest in maxing out IT. I'd rather shop IT and Horford at the deadline next year and commit fully to the young core than run this same basic team with no real upgrades the next couple of years.

I'd also rather commit to Bradley and Smart long-term in that scenario, too. A Smart, Bradley, Fultz/Ball, Brown, Zizic, Yabu, and 2018 Brooklyn pick core is much more desirable to build around than this same basic unit that will absolutely max out as a high second round/low conference finals team.

[jambr380]

Just imagine if IT makes an All-NBA team (absolutely possible). Would anybody feel comfortable committing over $40M/yr to IT over 5 years using the super-max?

It's hard not to like IT and how he has helped the Cs, but if George or Butler were offered in [essentially] a straight-up deal this summer for him, I would have a hard time saying no.

[KG Living Legend]

Unless Ainge makes a big move in the offseason, paying IT MAX would be a big mistake when we're two stars away.  Tying up 60M of cap space in Thomas and Horford would make us a perennial pretender.

Pretty much this. Unless we sign Griffin or Hayward + an upgrade to the bigs rotation via trade, I have no interest in maxing out IT. I'd rather shop IT and Horford at the deadline next year and commit fully to the young core than run this same basic team with no real upgrades the next couple of years.

I'd also rather commit to Bradley and Smart long-term in that scenario, too. A Smart, Bradley, Fultz/Ball, Brown, Zizic, Yabu, and 2018 Brooklyn pick core is much more desirable to build around than this same basic unit that will absolutely max out as a high second round/low conference finals team.

 Interesting Take Potter. Although I'm scared of the thought of the offense without Thomas.

 Ideally I'd like to sign Thomas to a 2 year Max deal with a team option for the third year.

 Not sure he would sign that, but he's be set for life with that contract if he's smart, and we can convince him we are a title contender.

 Plus he owes us a solid for turning him into a superstar and MVP canadate.

[slightly biased bias fan]

Unless Ainge makes a big move in the offseason, paying IT MAX would be a big mistake when we're two stars away.  Tying up 60M of cap space in Thomas and Horford would make us a perennial pretender.

Pretty much this. Unless we sign Griffin or Hayward + an upgrade to the bigs rotation via trade, I have no interest in maxing out IT. I'd rather shop IT and Horford at the deadline next year and commit fully to the young core than run this same basic team with no real upgrades the next couple of years.

I'd also rather commit to Bradley and Smart long-term in that scenario, too. A Smart, Bradley, Fultz/Ball, Brown, Zizic, Yabu, and 2018 Brooklyn pick core is much more desirable to build around than this same basic unit that will absolutely max out as a high second round/low conference finals team.

 Interesting Take Potter. Although I'm scared of the thought of the offense without Thomas.

 Ideally I'd like to sign Thomas to a 2 year Max deal with a team option for the third year.

 Not sure he would sign that, but he's be set for life with that contract if he's smart, and we can convince him we are a title contender.

 Plus he owes us a solid for turning him into a superstar and MVP canadate.

The thing that scares me about Thomas, Bradley & Crowder is they are all horribly underpaid...and they know it. I think it is no surprise that they are our three best performers as they have felt slighted for being under appreciated (Bradley has fired his previous agent). So I am worried that all three are going to insist they are overpaid when their current deals are up.

[chambers]

He is the #2 scorer in the NBA.
He is getting the max, from us.

[chambers]

Just imagine if IT makes an All-NBA team (absolutely possible). Would anybody feel comfortable committing over $40M/yr to IT over 5 years using the super-max?

It's hard not to like IT and how he has helped the Cs, but if George or Butler were offered in [essentially] a straight-up deal this summer for him, I would have a hard time saying no.

I dont think hes eligible because I think to get the $40 mill you have to make an all nba team while playing for the team that drafted you.

[jmen788]

Here is the quote from what I just said in another similar thread on this subject:

"I was in the camp of thinking we must trade IT and not max him out, but it's impossible because he is now the face of the franchise and we'd look awful doing that... but now that he's running his mouth in the media saying he wants to keep his options open & he would love to play for the Lakers... let's just trade him this offseason."

[jambr380]

Just imagine if IT makes an All-NBA team (absolutely possible). Would anybody feel comfortable committing over $40M/yr to IT over 5 years using the super-max?

It's hard not to like IT and how he has helped the Cs, but if George or Butler were offered in [essentially] a straight-up deal this summer for him, I would have a hard time saying no.

I dont think hes eligible because I think to get the $40 mill you have to make an all nba team while playing for the team that drafted you.

Oops - yep, that's right - TP. He is still scheduled to get a lot of money even without the super-max. Sorry for my stupid mistake - I hate when people post wrong things on here.

[nickagneta]

He absolutely deserves the max.

This is a lottery team without him.

I think that second sentence is the goal of a lot of fans. Why have stars when you can have a 25% shot at a complete unknown who, if everything breaks exactly correctly, might some day become as good as Thomas?

100% agree. There is a large section of this blog that believes the only way to #18 is through 19 year olds who might become great. Might. The calls to trade players for more picks in this draft, the calls to let IT and other excellent vets go because we need to build with players Smart's age and younger, the reluctance to not trade picks for the right type of stars is baffling to me.

[Cman]

A max for IT? Fine by me.

[Sketch5]

I think it will come down to how he plays in the playoffs. If he disappears, or gets man handled this year, I think it will hurt his chances.

Max guys should be at least as good as they were in the regular season during the playoffs, if not better. But I'm a bit old school that way, things are different now, he should at the very lest get near max money.

[Darío SpanishFan]

If we get Hayward/Griffin this summer (give it the likeliness you want), there is no way we spend 90+ million per year in Horford + Thomas + Hayward/Griffin. We have to sign our top-4 pick this year and pay Smart, even Bradley or Olynyk.

If we can't land a top free agent, there is a chance to keep IT with a max deal. However, given his characteristics, I wouldn't offer him more than three years in any case.

[Phantom255x]

Man I can't wait to see all these same posters complain about our "lack of scoring" when IT is traded...