What If Valanciunas Becomes Available?

[Big333223]

This is the second trade thread that's coming out of the same Zach Lowe piece, but here it is:

Trading Jonas Valanciunas loomed as the alternate cost-cutting measure, but no one needs a center. The most likely Valanciunas deals would return someone else's unwanted big fella.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19332982/zach-lowe-kyle-lowry-demar-derozan-future-toronto-raptors-nba-playoffs

But the Celtics need a center!

Valanciunas has 2 more years on his deal (plus a player option) at about $16 mil a year (less than what Bismack Biyombo makes). He averaged 12 and 9 in around 26 mpg the last two years but he only just turned 25 three days ago (younger than Kelly).

He's not the "skilled" big that Stevens and Ainge seem to covet but there's not a lot of them out there. If JV is indeed made available as a salary dump and the Celtics don't have a max free agent they want/can get (Griffin and Hayward stay put, Millsap and Ibaka aren't worth it, Paul and Lowry don't fit) how about bringing him in for a couple of second rounders and making him the "free agent signing"?

It's not a cure-all but if it doesn't cost much he would solve some problems for this team, short term.

[Somebody]

No he's a dinosaur, we already have enough problems covering IT on D we don't need another sieve

[slamtheking]

not a horrible idea depending on who Danny can or cannot get via free agency.  the question is what assets we'd have to give up and still have the deal be palatable

[fantankerous]

You pass.  He's a dinosaur.

[obnoxiousmime]

Even getting him at such an unrealistically cheap price, I don't think the Celtics would be interested in spending that money in a traditional C. It probably would be better spent on a stretch 4. We don't know what trade options will be out there this offseason or if Gallinari could be had for a cheaper than expected price.

Let's put it this way, I'm not overly concerned with the Cs need for a traditional big man who can help with rebounding. When their roster becomes more defined long-term, there will always be traditional big men available because there are too many out there right now. The way the league is going teams will not be able to keep that many traditional big men on their roster and the Celts should be able to get someone serviceable, perhaps at a lower deal than what Valanciunas is currently making.

[PhoSita]

Not enough footspeed between him and Horford.

[Who]

I can see San Antonio making a push for Valanciunas. They loved him back during the draft and they are still looking for a starting center to replace Duncan and to shore up their interior defense and rebounding.

I wonder what they could offer. Multiple draft picks I suppose.

[moiso]

I can see San Antonio making a push for Valanciunas. They loved him back during the draft and they are still looking for a starting center to replace Duncan and to shore up their interior defense and rebounding.

I wonder what they could offer. Multiple draft picks I suppose.

A lot of teams probably liked him a few years ago.  As others have said, he's now probably looked at as a dinosaur by most of the league.  I don't think he's going to help anyone's defense.

[celticsclay]

He had to come off the bench at times in the playoffs and is similar to some players like Kanter, Okafor, Monroe that can only thrive in specific matchups and games.

[Eja117]

We all know Raptors are dinosaurs. We all saw Jurassic Park

[Eja117]

I like that Val hits his free throws. I love that he adds length. I don't love that I figure his deal would make it hard to add a major free agent. I feel like it sorta messes up our cap, but maybe I'm wrong with KO and Amir coming off.

I like him better than them.

No more 7 foot soft small forwards please.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

It kinda cracks me up whenever people refer to JV or other traditional centers as "dinosaurs," because that's the type of player that often bludgeons the Celtics.

I'm not sure what some Cs fans want in a big. A guy who shoots threes? We have that in KO. Somebody tougher than KO, you say? You mean like JV? Ah, he's a dinosaur.

So you want the ideal player. I guess we all do. You know who fits that mold? Very few.

I can think of one really good candidate, but Danny passed on him this year. I don't want to say his name, though, because I don't want to send anyone here into a fit of rage. But that's the guy you're all thinking of—a big who can bang down low and shoot outside, and is also a good passer.

Tristan Thompson is another guy whom, I suppose, some would refer to as a dinosaur, because he's not a "stretch" 4. But he kills the Cs every time he plays them. I'd sure love to have that dino and his 9 boards a game on our team. Or JV—a legit 7-footer—and his 12 pts, 9.5 reb, and 20 PER.

But I guess Danny will stick with broken-down guys like Amir, or softies like KO. You'd think Danny never played with two of the best bigs to every lace 'em up.

[PickNRoll]

Valanciunas is very skilled he just doesn't shoot threes.  And 16M is a pretty nice deal IMO.  I'd give up much more than Lowe suggests.

[PickNRoll]

I can see San Antonio making a push for Valanciunas. They loved him back during the draft and they are still looking for a starting center to replace Duncan and to shore up their interior defense and rebounding.

I wonder what they could offer. Multiple draft picks I suppose.

A lot of teams probably liked him a few years ago.  As others have said, he's now probably looked at as a dinosaur by most of the league.  I don't think he's going to help anyone's defense.

He would help OUR defense.  Hard to stop the other team when they get 3 shots on one possession.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I can see San Antonio making a push for Valanciunas. They loved him back during the draft and they are still looking for a starting center to replace Duncan and to shore up their interior defense and rebounding.

I wonder what they could offer. Multiple draft picks I suppose.

A lot of teams probably liked him a few years ago.  As others have said, he's now probably looked at as a dinosaur by most of the league.  I don't think he's going to help anyone's defense.

He would help OUR defense.  Hard to stop the other team when they get 3 shots on one possession.

Yeah, at this point, I'll take anyone who can grab a defensive board more than occasionally.