2 Moves and we become East Favorites...

[Fireworks_Boom!]

1. Sign Blake Griffin (by renouncing all options: Olynyk, Jackson, Green, Zeller, Johnson).

2. Trade Avery Bradley + Jae Crowder + 2019 Memphis Pick (maybe Rozier too if Indy tries to pry Brooklyn '18 or LAL '18/SAC '19)

New Team

PG: Thomas
SG: Smart
SF: George
PF: Griffin
C: Horford

Bench

Brown
Tatum
Rozier (if not included in George trade)
Yabusele
Zizic
Nader
Ojeleye
Vet Min
Vet Min
MLE

[Casperian]

Two unlikely moves and a massive payroll, to become "East Favorites"...

Are we going to hang a banner for that?

[PAOBoston]

I do believe Ainge will make a trade sometime in July but only after he signs someone in FA first, likely Hayward. Griffin's injury history scares me and I think it limits flexibility to CBS' lineups. When other teams go small, the C's will have to sit one of Horford/Griffin.

[Fireworks_Boom!]

Griffin would get 29.7m/year which we would have room for.

George Salary ($19.5) > Crowder ($6. + Bradley ($8. + Rozier ($2)
Delta = Demetrius Jackson ($1.4) + Mickey ($1.3)

I think that team gives as good a shot at hanging a banner as any.

[Fireworks_Boom!]

And I don't get why so many people are hung up on salary cap on this board. Wicked has willingly gone into luxury zone to put a competitive team on the court. My proposed team would be close to cap.

[SHAQATTACK]

First move .....Griffin

Second .......Lebron moves to LA....LoL

 Go get  Drummond ...for the cheap .....He can punk Draymond like a puppy.

[dreamgreen]

I'd be stoked to get PG13 at the right price depending on if he would stay or not.

But I think if we added Griffin with our current team we can give the Cavs a run for their money. Griffin health issues aside could be a 20/10 guy for us. I'm not worried about Griffin's toe or stupid stuff like his hand the important issue is his knee.

[tazzmaniac]

And I don't get why so many people are hung up on salary cap on this board. Wicked has willingly gone into luxury zone to put a competitive team on the court. My proposed team would be close to cap.

Next offseason what are you going to do when Thomas, Smart and George are free agents?  Signing them all would puts us well over the luxury tax. 

[Moranis]

This is basically what I've been suggesting for weeks (except I'd trade Smart instead of Bradley). 

[Fireworks_Boom!]

And I don't get why so many people are hung up on salary cap on this board. Wicked has willingly gone into luxury zone to put a competitive team on the court. My proposed team would be close to cap.

Next offseason what are you going to do when Thomas, Smart and George are free agents?  Signing them all would puts us well over the luxury tax.

You make a decision on one of your expiring max contracts (Thomas or George). Either choice can be justified. Let go of Thomas because of height and defensive deficiencies. Let go of George because of redundancy in roster and draft picks (Tatum, Brown, Porter Jr. could be targeted in 2018 draft with one of either Nets or Lakers pick) and one of them emerges.

Or you could let go of both depending on how our draft picks work out and invest in new max players from the 2018 FA class.

My opinion is you let Thomas walk and either draft or sign a PG. We have two capable ball handlers in Smart/Rozier (assuming neither go in trade for PG13).

[JBcat]

2 starts on a ECF team and a valuable future pick is a lot more than the Lakers offer of Randle and 2 late first round picks.   I don't think we need to go overboard for a possible 1 year rental.

I mentioned in another thread I would do this:

Trade Crowder (and maybe D Jackson?) to clear max cap for a future pick.  I don't think his value will ever be any higher than it is now, and we have a glut of SFs with possibly at least 1 more coming on board.

Sign Griffin

Then use KO in a S&T for George.  KO is going to make his money one way or the other and maybe this can be done as he is RFA.  Then I would feel much more comfortable using the Memphis pick, Clippers pick, one of our picks to trump the Lakers offer and get him. If he leaves after 1 year I won't feel too bad about giving up those assets.

Keep Bradley for now. A huge luxury tax looming in a couple years, but maybe ownership will sign up on it for a 4 or 5 year run.

[BitterJim]

And I don't get why so many people are hung up on salary cap on this board. Wicked has willingly gone into luxury zone to put a competitive team on the court. My proposed team would be close to cap.

Next offseason what are you going to do when Thomas, Smart and George are free agents?  Signing them all would puts us well over the luxury tax.

You make a decision on one of your expiring max contracts (Thomas or George). Either choice can be justified. Let go of Thomas because of height and defensive deficiencies. Let go of George because of redundancy in roster and draft picks (Tatum, Brown, Porter Jr. could be targeted in 2018 draft with one of either Nets or Lakers pick) and one of them emerges.

Or you could let go of both depending on how our draft picks work out and invest in new max players from the 2018 FA class.

My opinion is you let Thomas walk and either draft or sign a PG. We have two capable ball handlers in Smart/Rozier (assuming neither go in trade for PG13).

So we would be trading Bradley, Crowder, and a future pick in order to become "East Favorites" for 1 year? Yeah, no, I think I'll pass.  No point in giving up future assets in deals that won't help us become a real contender either now or down the road

[Fireworks_Boom!]

This is basically what I've been suggesting for weeks (except I'd trade Smart instead of Bradley).

TP

[The Oracle]

This is basically what I've been suggesting for weeks (except I'd trade Smart instead of Bradley).

TP

In the last 15 years the Celtics have payed a combined 47 million in luxury tax.  That team as suggested is staring at a luxury tax bill in excess of 100 million for the 2019 season.....and you have no chance to win a title because your bench is filled almost entirely with inexperienced youth.  Not remotely going to happen.

[Fireworks_Boom!]

And I don't get why so many people are hung up on salary cap on this board. Wicked has willingly gone into luxury zone to put a competitive team on the court. My proposed team would be close to cap.

Next offseason what are you going to do when Thomas, Smart and George are free agents?  Signing them all would puts us well over the luxury tax.

You make a decision on one of your expiring max contracts (Thomas or George). Either choice can be justified. Let go of Thomas because of height and defensive deficiencies. Let go of George because of redundancy in roster and draft picks (Tatum, Brown, Porter Jr. could be targeted in 2018 draft with one of either Nets or Lakers pick) and one of them emerges.

Or you could let go of both depending on how our draft picks work out and invest in new max players from the 2018 FA class.

My opinion is you let Thomas walk and either draft or sign a PG. We have two capable ball handlers in Smart/Rozier (assuming neither go in trade for PG13).

So we would be trading Bradley, Crowder, and a future pick in order to become "East Favorites" for 1 year? Yeah, no, I think I'll pass.  No point in giving up future assets in deals that won't help us become a real contender either now or down the road

I think you can make an easy argument that the team as constructed would compete head-to-head with Golden State quite well:

PG Thomas vs. Curry (Curry, slight edge)
SG: Smart vs. Thompson (Thompson, but Smart can contain him)
SF: George vs. Durant (Durant edge)
PF: Griffin vs. Green (Griffin edge)
C: Horford vs. Pachulia (Horford edge)