Choose Your Path This Summer

[Phantom255x]

Plan A (Officially Go Into Win-Now Mode):
- Sign a max FA like Hayward or Griffin, or someone else
- Trade 2017 BKN Pick, Bradley, filler for either PG13/Butler (Paul George ONLY if long term commitment is agreed upon)
- Keep one or both of Jerebko/Amir using the MLE or Bi-Annual exceptions
- Let go of KO, Zeller, Mickey

End Result: No BKN Pick, but you add Butler/PG13 + Griffin/Hayward/(?). 2 STARS added to the main core with IT/Horford/Crowder/etc. which makes Boston go into "win now mode" but might harm the future a bit (no 2017 BKN pick, and this is officially the team, afterwards it might be back to a rebuild maybe in 3-5 years). And you lose Bradley likely in the deal (I don't think they deal Crowder with his bargain contract and value to the team going forward). You challenge Lebron in the East for years to come, and even the likes of the Warriors/Spurs. You challenge them NOW.

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Plan B (Keep Improving And Developing The Young Guns):
- Sign Hayward/Griffin or another FA
- No Draft Day Trades - Draft Fultz/Jackson/(?)
- Keep one or both of Amir/Jerebko using MLE/Bi-Annual Exception
- Let go of KO/Zeller/Mickey 

End Result: Hypothetically this allows you to likely keep IT, Smart using their Bird Rights in extensions, while Bradley could be the "odd man out". Meaning no massive luxury tax, while the team continues to improve and develop their younger players as well. Adding the max FA probably makes this a 55-60 win team but likely still not a Finals contender (just yet). Personally, this is what I hope we do and what I predict Ainge does.

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Plan C (Just Draft And "Go With The Flow"):
- Just use the 2017 BKN Pick and Draft Fultz/Jackson/(?)
- No Major FA Signings
- Work on extensions for current players (IT, Smart/Bradley)
- Keep KO w/Bird Rights, possibly Amir/Jerebko using the exceptions

End Result: Build towards 2018 and beyond, keep most of the current core/players while adding a TOP-3 Pick, and pretty much hope Lebron falters a bit (he's obviously going to stay a star for some time, but will he be a superstar at ages 34+ with all the major minutes he's playing now)?

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I apologize if something is wrong here, as I'm no cap expert so maybe you can correct me on some things here I've listed, but this is the gist of it and you guys get the idea. What do you prefer we do this summer? (I know we are all anxious for the playoffs, but not too early to think about this either).

[vgulab]

The real and tough decisions are going to be in 2018. This summer even if trade happen the Nets pick won't be traded. So i don't think there will be "fireworks" this summer, but in my opinion having a top pick is some kind of a fireworks. I choose plan B because i believe that we can keep improving and develop young guys in the same time.

[indeedproceed]

Hard line option B. Sign Hayward, draft Fultz/Ball, bring in Zizic (don't have faith in Yabusele), if you can get Butler or George for the 2018 Nets pick, I'm thinking go for it. If not, don't, and keep that prize for next time.

Punt on IT and Bradley. We're not gonna pay both, we may not pay either, but we can jump off that bridge when we come to it.

[chambers]

Great post. TP.

Good hypotheticals.
The only preferred path for me is if we get the #1 pick and we keep it, draft Fultz. I would trade for Butler if we could somehow keep this years pick and move the 18' pick+Rozier+Grizzlies pick+Bradley or something that would be my preferred route. Although doing that would also mean we can't sign a fourth max free agent (what was already going to be hard to do)..

 If Danny gets the price that he thinks is fair for Jimmy Butler, then whatever he does will be justified for me. He's earned that respect and trust from me and he earned it a long long time ago. With one condition being, he doesn't trade for Butler if the Nets pick is #1 because....

Right now the only thing that will 'annoy' me is if we traded away the #1 pick for one of Butler or PG instead drafting Markelle Fultz. If we get the #1 pick, we MUST draft Markelle Fultz in my opinion.

And I honestly think this is Danny's plan A right now above all else. When Scalabrine describes the front offices' endless dreaming about Fultz I get giddy inside.

Fultz has the ability to me to be a mix between Lilliard and McCollam, but with even greater overall potential as a player because of his size, and especially a defender with that 6'10 wingspan and enormous hands.

To me this should be the only Plan A, unless something drastically changes regarding Fultz health or attitude etc..dude is going to be a monster in the NBA.

In my opinion, I really can't see how he will be anything less than  a Damian Lilliard caliber star, and that would be the very low end of what to expect from him. He's a can't miss basketball player. At worst he's Lilliard, at best he's a top 5 or 10 player. We're talking about a guy with one of the most complete offensive repertoires  we've ever seen, and better yet, he's 6'4" with a 6'10 wingspan and very, very good athleticism and IQ.

[PAOBoston]

Plan B. No doubt. It makes you better in the term and gives you time to develop you lottery tickets
(Brown and whoever they draft this year, hopefully Futlz).

[Darío SpanishFan]

Two little suggestions:
1. Don't think Brooklyn pick and Avery are enough to get Butler, except it being number 1-2 and so we would keep it in any case (well, Anthony Davis or KAT  )
2. I'd choose Path B, but also propose Path D as a possible outcome if our playoff run is disappointing:

We draft Fultz or Ball, if we are lucky regarding the lottery.
We sign a big FA, and I think Hayward may be closer than others think if Utah doesn't get into WCF.
We make a big trade using IT to round the roster with an inside presence. I've proposed here to Indy for Myles Turner and picks or Philly for Saric and pick, as Indy needs something to extend PG13 and Philly has another problem of roster balance.
We extend Bradley and Smart, keep Amir with the minimum.

We lose IT (and the burden of having to pay him 200 million) and minor pieces such as Olynyk or Jerebko.
We have a young frontcourt addition (Saric, Turner or similar), Fultz/Ball to run the show for 15 years, Hayward, Zizic and Bradley/Smart locked up, so 2018 summer is no longer a problem.
I think in this case we are upgrading the team, even with our best player going out.

[chambers]

Two little suggestions:
1. Don't think Brooklyn pick and Avery are enough to get Butler, except it being number 1-2 and so we would keep it in any case (well, Anthony Davis or KAT  )
2. I'd choose Path B, but also propose Path D as a possible outcome if our playoff run is disappointing:

We draft Fultz or Ball, if we are lucky regarding the lottery.
We sign a big FA, and I think Hayward may be closer than others think if Utah doesn't get into WCF.
We make a big trade using IT to round the roster with an inside presence. I've proposed here to Indy for Myles Turner and picks or Philly for Saric and pick, as Indy needs something to extend PG13 and Philly has another problem of roster balance.
We extend Bradley and Smart, keep Amir with the minimum.

We lose IT (and the burden of having to pay him 200 million) and minor pieces such as Olynyk or Jerebko.
We have a young frontcourt addition (Saric, Turner or similar), Fultz/Ball to run the show for 15 years, Hayward, Zizic and Bradley/Smart locked up, so 2018 summer is no longer a problem.
I think in this case we are upgrading the team, even with our best player going out.

I don't think we have to pay him 200 million because we didn't draft him? Although I could be wrong... I think he is looking at 150-180 million (still huge amount).

[Phantom255x]

Lol wow, Plan B is killing it right now. 

[Phantom255x]

Two little suggestions:
1. Don't think Brooklyn pick and Avery are enough to get Butler, except it being number 1-2 and so we would keep it in any case (well, Anthony Davis or KAT  )
2. I'd choose Path B, but also propose Path D as a possible outcome if our playoff run is disappointing:

We draft Fultz or Ball, if we are lucky regarding the lottery.
We sign a big FA, and I think Hayward may be closer than others think if Utah doesn't get into WCF.
We make a big trade using IT to round the roster with an inside presence. I've proposed here to Indy for Myles Turner and picks or Philly for Saric and pick, as Indy needs something to extend PG13 and Philly has another problem of roster balance.
We extend Bradley and Smart, keep Amir with the minimum.

We lose IT (and the burden of having to pay him 200 million) and minor pieces such as Olynyk or Jerebko.
We have a young frontcourt addition (Saric, Turner or similar), Fultz/Ball to run the show for 15 years, Hayward, Zizic and Bradley/Smart locked up, so 2018 summer is no longer a problem.
I think in this case we are upgrading the team, even with our best player going out.

It might be enough in the sense that if CHI misses the playoffs and they decide to rebuild... they need to trade Butler for chips and if the pick is top-2, I think they'd consider it.

But yeah, it's likely Ainge keeps the pick.

Also, we don't have another legitimate scorer. Even if we add Hayward, you still need someone else, and Fultz/Ball aren't going to light it up in their rookie year.

So you can have a #1 or #2 seed in the East turn into a middle of the pack team next year.

And doubt IT gets you a Saric or Turner (note that he is an expiring this summer to other teams since next year is his last year of his contract).

[nickagneta]

You can not use the MLE or BAE when you have cap space and then sign a player up to the salary cap, so you might want to re-do your options.

[Darío SpanishFan]

Two little suggestions:
1. Don't think Brooklyn pick and Avery are enough to get Butler, except it being number 1-2 and so we would keep it in any case (well, Anthony Davis or KAT  )
2. I'd choose Path B, but also propose Path D as a possible outcome if our playoff run is disappointing:

We draft Fultz or Ball, if we are lucky regarding the lottery.
We sign a big FA, and I think Hayward may be closer than others think if Utah doesn't get into WCF.
We make a big trade using IT to round the roster with an inside presence. I've proposed here to Indy for Myles Turner and picks or Philly for Saric and pick, as Indy needs something to extend PG13 and Philly has another problem of roster balance.
We extend Bradley and Smart, keep Amir with the minimum.

We lose IT (and the burden of having to pay him 200 million) and minor pieces such as Olynyk or Jerebko.
We have a young frontcourt addition (Saric, Turner or similar), Fultz/Ball to run the show for 15 years, Hayward, Zizic and Bradley/Smart locked up, so 2018 summer is no longer a problem.
I think in this case we are upgrading the team, even with our best player going out.

I don't think we have to pay him 200 million because we didn't draft him? Although I could be wrong... I think he is looking at 150-180 million (still huge amount).

Right, anyway 35 million per, along with +30 from Horford, is a lot of money. And I don't think you can get a ring with Isaiah and Horford as your two best players (70 million paid only for them).

Phantom: Whenever I've suggested the Saric/Turner trade for IT, there are people telling this is insane for us and others telling Philly/Indy wouldn't do it. I don't know what to think. And about Butler, maybe it would be enough (I don't think so), but other teams would also try to acquire him and the price will rise. All in all, Bradley is also an expiring.

[Phantom255x]

You can not use the MLE or BAE when you have cap space and then sign a player up to the salary cap, so you might want to re-do your options.

Oh really? I didn't know that.

Well all that really means is Amir and Jerebko are gone too.

I did say "possibly" in the options.

[LilRip]

As likable as this team is, I can't see it staying together for very long given that almost the entire core group is underpaid. I'm cool with either A or B even if it means blowing the team up a little. I'd hate to see C come to pass.

[chambers]

Two little suggestions:
1. Don't think Brooklyn pick and Avery are enough to get Butler, except it being number 1-2 and so we would keep it in any case (well, Anthony Davis or KAT  )
2. I'd choose Path B, but also propose Path D as a possible outcome if our playoff run is disappointing:

We draft Fultz or Ball, if we are lucky regarding the lottery.
We sign a big FA, and I think Hayward may be closer than others think if Utah doesn't get into WCF.
We make a big trade using IT to round the roster with an inside presence. I've proposed here to Indy for Myles Turner and picks or Philly for Saric and pick, as Indy needs something to extend PG13 and Philly has another problem of roster balance.
We extend Bradley and Smart, keep Amir with the minimum.

We lose IT (and the burden of having to pay him 200 million) and minor pieces such as Olynyk or Jerebko.
We have a young frontcourt addition (Saric, Turner or similar), Fultz/Ball to run the show for 15 years, Hayward, Zizic and Bradley/Smart locked up, so 2018 summer is no longer a problem.
I think in this case we are upgrading the team, even with our best player going out.

I don't think we have to pay him 200 million because we didn't draft him? Although I could be wrong... I think he is looking at 150-180 million (still huge amount).

Right, anyway 35 million per, along with +30 from Horford, is a lot of money. And I don't think you can get a ring with Isaiah and Horford as your two best players (70 million paid only for them).

Phantom: Whenever I've suggested the Saric/Turner trade for IT, there are people telling this is insane for us and others telling Philly/Indy wouldn't do it. I don't know what to think. And about Butler, maybe it would be enough (I don't think so), but other teams would also try to acquire him and the price will rise. All in all, Bradley is also an expiring.

We could actually sign Hayward and add one of Butler or PG13 via trade if we dump Bradley and Olynyk too i believe.
So we could have 4 max players with some luxury tax.

[Darío SpanishFan]

Chambers:

I thought about that, but even with Butler/George having an "old" max of about 20 million, that means 110 million paid for only four players, I think. We have to fill the roster with 11 more players, among them possibly Crowder (7-8 M more) and some high rookie scaled players such as Smart or Brown.

It would be very very difficult, so I don't anticipate such an outcome. Even with three max players it wouldn't be an easy task.

Saltlover, help us