Leftover Kristaps Porzingis-Marcus Smart trade thoughts

It has been a number of days since Marcus Good was traded for Kristaps Porzingis and the mud continues to be selecting that deal. There’s only a lot to course of past the emotional “love and belief is gone” side.

The Boston Celtics won’t be “operating it again” with the identical core group. Brad Stevens determined that we wanted a special look and was as soon as once more decisive in making a daring transfer and I’ve a number of leftover ideas to get down on “paper” earlier than we transfer on to free company.

As many analysts have identified, the Celtics acquired the man most imagine to be the most effective participant within the commerce and nonetheless acquired two first rounders out of it. That’s a “win” in most individuals’s eyes from a pure asset perspective.

I do assume it’s price noting the extra transferring items, too. The Celtics traded Good, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and the quantity 35 choose in trade for Porzingis, a Warriors protected 2024 first rounder, and the twenty fifth choose on this 12 months’s draft. They moved 25 for a number of 2nd rounders and used a kind of to pick Jordan Walsh (who they might have picked with the thirty fifth choose). All instructed, that’s worth plus plus.

Photograph by Omar Rawlings/Getty Photos

The opposite shoe that should drop is Grant Williams. It very a lot seems that he’s out of the image now. We simply don’t know the way he’ll be leaving and what choices which will go away the Celtics with going ahead. NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg summarizes it like this:

The Celtics are now not in place the place they will simply afford to splurge to retain Williams (at the least not with out first transferring Brogdon’s wage). The truth is that if head coach Joe Mazzulla was reluctant to play Williams at occasions final season — together with within the postseason — the workforce can not afford to pay $12-plus million for a depth piece.

Boston might help a workforce land Williams by facilitating a possible sign-and-trade, however don’t count on a lot of a return. A workforce with cap area doesn’t essentially want the Celtics’ help. What’s extra, Williams’ standing as a base-year compensation participant complicates sign-and-trade offers.

On paper, the Celtics roster is extra properly balanced now. They’ve three ball handlers in Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard. Behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they now have each Sam Hauser and Jordan Walsh who might present a situational offense/protection platoon. And naturally, the bigs at the moment are Porzingis, Al Horford, and Robert Williams III, every of whom is an damage danger in his personal approach (however there’s nonetheless Luke Kornet round to sop up minutes within the common season).

With that mentioned, it doesn’t really feel like Brad Stevens is finished but. I’m not saying that he’s going to make any extra trades on the extent of the Good deal. I very a lot assume Jaylen Brown is sticking round on the supermax. However everybody on this planet is aware of that Brogdon was minutes away from being traded and I’m nonetheless not offered that Pritchard is content material staying in Boston. One thing has to occur with Grant, even when which means getting one other 2nd rounder and a TPE (that doubtless gained’t be used).

I’m additionally absolutely anticipating to listen to a few Porzingis two-year extension introduced within the first day of free company. He and his agent certainly knew that there was curiosity across the league (the Jazz, apparently) and used that leverage to pressure the Celtics hand earlier than the deadline to select up his provide.

Then comes the superior stage calculus that hurts my head. If the Celtics lock up Jaylen with a supermax and lengthen Porzingis, we’re taking a look at a really costly workforce long run. They’ll have Tatum, Brown, White, Porzingis, and perhaps Brogdon underneath contract for a number of years and little or no wiggle room underneath the 2nd apron. Or in the event that they resolve to go all in and provides Grant a contract and blow by way of the apron, they’ll be placing themselves squarely within the sights of the brand new CBA (particularly designed to punish groups like that). If Wyc needs to put in writing the examine for that, who am I to inform him to not? I simply fear that there’s numerous damage danger there and no good outs if issues don’t go completely subsequent season.

Clearly, there’s so much left to work out right here. Fortunately, I usually belief Brad Stevens and Mike Zarren to have this mapped out properly past something I might consider. Issues are altering shortly within the NBA lately (oh look, John Collins lastly acquired traded). The groups that can thrive would be the ones that may adapt the quickest. So, we’re going to be taught so much right here within the subsequent week or so.