Lakers get Davis

[HuskyHawk]

Take that Celtic roster (Tatum, Smart and Irving gone, Davis in, everyone else remains) and compare it to the Pelicans roster when Davis was still there. I'm a Celtic homer since the Aurebach era, but don't see that great a difference in the remaining Celtics supporting Davis and the support Davis had in NO. IMHO definitely don't see that hypothetical Celtic team even making the finals never mind winning the title.

Too many unknowns. Hayward next year is likely better than anybody he had with him in NO. But who's the PG on that team? Is Rozier back? Otherwise you have Brad Wannamaker and zero other ball handlers.

All I can say is that this is going to be an interesting off season. Lots of moves from Boston and many other teams still to come.

 

[the Q]

Too many unknowns. Hayward next year is likely better than anybody he had with him in NO. But who's the PG on that team? Is Rozier back? Otherwise you have Brad Wannamaker and zero other ball handlers.

All I can say is that this is going to be an interesting off season. Lots of moves from Boston and many other teams still to come.

Probably Not better than a healthy cousins, but those guys are clearly the two best players he’s played with.

 

[husky429]

Lol, you don't think Ainge and the Celtics are getting torched?

You're using a red herring here. Why trade all that for ONE YEAR of Davis. The trade would have happened but Davis wants LA. You haven't answered that yet.

Boston isn't a free agent destination because of things unrelated to basketball. Everything else spiraled. That's all this came down to.

 

[superjohn]

You're using a red herring here. Why trade all that for ONE YEAR of Davis. The trade would have happened but Davis wants LA. You haven't answered that yet.

Boston isn't a free agent destination because of things unrelated to basketball. Everything else spiraled. That's all this came down to.

Why would Ainge not make moves for years, not bringing in veterans who could have helped them compete for a championship all to gain assets for a free agent who wouldn't come there?

 

[husky429]

Why would Ainge not make moves for years, not bringing in veterans who could have helped them compete for a championship all to gain assets for a free agent who wouldn't come there?

Because it was years ago and he didn't know..you're acting like GMs can read minds

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Free agents go where they can win. Oakland and San Antonio are hardly big draws. James went back to Cleveland because it's his hometown and Irving was there. He went to Miami for D-Wade. Lakers are always a draw, but the Clippers have the same location and have never made a final. NO, OKC, Memphis and even Denver never got there.

Boston has history and good fan support, and is more attractive than most teams in the league. Players will go there if they think they can win and like the other guys that are there. I'm not sure how you can complain about paying Hayward $30M and in the same post say him leaving is an issue. That's Giannis' FA year I believe. What the Celtics are lacking right now more than anything, is a leader. They need a Kevin Garnett type personality. Brown may turn into that.

All that is true and yet Boston still isn't a destination organization for free agents. Their hopes rest on Kyrie returning, if the even want him back. Name 4 tier 1 Free Agents who chose Boston. Hell, name three.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why would Ainge not make moves for years, not bringing in veterans who could have helped them compete for a championship all to gain assets for a free agent who wouldn't come there?

What "years" are you even talking about? He knew Pierce and Garnett were expiring assets and traded them for picks. That was in 2013. It was a rebuild. He traded away Rondo in Dec 2014. He traded for IT in Jan 2015 on a deal that was a great win for Boston and it sped up the rebuild. He signed Horford to a 4 year deal in 2016. In 2017 he signed Gordon Hayward and traded for Irving. When was he not "making moves"?

I don't buy it. He's much smarter than to have all his eggs in one basket. I have no doubt that the move to get Irving was Plan A to lure Davis. I have no doubt that he had all along, a Plan B, Plan C etc. We will find out what those are. He's still loaded with chips right now.

 

[HuskyHawk]

All that is true and yet Boston still isn't a destination organization for free agents. Their hopes rest on Kyrie returning, if the even want him back. Name 4 tier 1 Free Agents who chose Boston. Hell, name three.

Name 4 tier one free agents that chose any team other than the Lakers in this century. Horford and Hayward signed with Boston. Who else has landed anybody? GS got Durant. Lebron went to Miami and then Cleveland and then LA. Shaq to LA. Bosh to Miami. Chris Paul to the Clippers I guess. Who else?

 

[superjohn]

What "years" are you even talking about? He knew Pierce and Garnett were expiring assets and traded them for picks. That was in 2013. It was a rebuild. He traded away Rondo in Dec 2014. He traded for IT in Jan 2015 on a deal that was a great win for Boston and it sped up the rebuild. He signed Horford to a 4 year deal in 2016. In 2017 he signed Gordon Hayward and traded for Irving. When was he not "making moves"?

I don't buy it. He's much smarter than to have all his eggs in one basket. I have no doubt that the move to get Irving was Plan A to lure Davis. I have no doubt that he had all along, a Plan B, Plan C etc. We will find out what those are. He's still loaded with chips right now.

Yes, Ainge did a great job in the past getting players and assets but he hasn't converted any of those assets into obtaining stars. Irving was pissed about Ainge holding onto all the assets and not using them for veteran help for the playoffs.

 

[Walker11]

I'm gonna have to disagree with the take that San Francisco isn't an appealing free agent destination. Or rather, that it only is because of the quality team.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I think it’s funny people are like “do the lakers need to use the rest of their cap space to get a third superstar or a few other guys that are mid-level?”

Considering they traded 4:1 and the 4th pick in the draft I think they need to get a few more guys.

 

[Walker11]

I think it’s funny people are like “do the lakers need to use the rest of their cap space to get a third superstar or a few other guys that are mid-level?”

Considering they traded 4:1 and the 4th pick in the draft I think they need to get a few more guys.

That's not really the point. They can either get one near Max guy or two solid rotation players. Everything else is going to be rookies and veteran minimums, besides whatever room exception they have available.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Name 4 tier one free agents that chose any team other than the Lakers in this century. Horford and Hayward signed with Boston. Who else has landed anybody? GS got Durant. Lebron went to Miami and then Cleveland and then LA. Shaq to LA. Bosh to Miami. Chris Paul to the Clippers I guess. Who else?

Horford and Hayward? Ok....if you think Boston will land top free agents, you may be right. History doesn't agree with you. At worst, they are the second best franchise in the sport historically. But they built that legacy through the draft and key trades. There is no other recipe for them.

 

[nomar]

It's tough to say who would win it all but they would certainly be right there and maybe in the driver's seat. I don't see them as any sort of contender as it stands.

Ainge accumulated the most assets and put all his eggs in one basket and has nothing to show for it. This is when first team all NBA guys Kawhi, AD, Durant, and Paul George are available which is rare.

What would the odds be? I guess we can have a difference of opinion on how worth it it is to destroy your future to go from a 20-1 likelihood to a 5-1 likelihood. (Just pulling those numbers out of thin air.)

The Paul George thing is a non-starter. It was a rising, healthy Hayward, plus Tatum, plus Brown, plus whatever else Indiana would have taken -- or Paul George. (In fact, that's not even correct because Ainge was actually trying to get both GH and PG, but he needed to lock in GH first.)

Ainge did his best to get KD.

The team that is currently a non-contender is a more seasoned version of the team that went to the ECF last year. And it's not like Ainge is done. Obviously I'm not expecting to contend for a title this season but we'll see what happens. I'm certainly not pleased at recent events but sometimes circumstances are to blame.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Horford and Hayward? Ok....if you think Boston will land top free agents, you may be right. History doesn't agree with you. At worst, they are the second best franchise in the sport historically. But they built that legacy through the draft and key trades. There is no other recipe for them.

I'd argue there is no other recipe for any NBA franchise. Miami pulled it off, but Wade was drafted. Cleveland with Lebron because they had drafted Kyrie and had traded for Love. But he was a hometown guy.

Drafting and trades are how you create teams in the NBA. Many big name FAs never amount to much. And most of them move to teams who built a core through the draft or trades. GS built via the draft. So did San Antonio. Where has it worked? You can't have more than two max FAs on a roster, realistically. You have to draft well and get the right pieces via a trade. Then that FA is just what puts you over the top.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think it’s funny people are like “do the lakers need to use the rest of their cap space to get a third superstar or a few other guys that are mid-level?”

Considering they traded 4:1 and the 4th pick in the draft I think they need to get a few more guys.

SuperJohn thinks they can play 2 on 5 and win.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I disagree about Boston not being a destination city for free agents. I get that Miami, New York and LA are, but after that, I don't think there is a huge difference between the cities themselves in terms of free agent appeal unless a particular player has some connection to the city. The Bucks have a superstar that grew up in Athens that is willing to spend the rest of his career in Milwaukee if the Bucks put the right team around him.

 

[navery12]

I disagree about Boston not being a destination city for free agents. I get that Miami, New York and LA are, but after that, I don't think there is a huge difference between the cities themselves in terms of free agent appeal unless a particular player has some connection to the city. The Bucks have a superstar that grew up in Athens that is willing to spend the rest of his career in Milwaukee if the Bucks put the right team around him.

Don't tell the rest of the board that, from the sounds of it Giannis is all but going to Boston already once that Hayward salary is gone

 

[Pudge]

Lonzo, Ingram, Hart and three first rounders including this year’s number 4. Sounds good for NO if they were losing Davis anyway.

And Swin Cash

 

[HuskyHawk]

Don't tell the rest of the board that, from the sounds of it Giannis is all but going to Boston already once that Hayward salary is gone

That’s your takeaway from my post? I think they may be in position to take a run at him. Milwaukee can pay more. If he likes his team and chance of winning he’ll probably stay with the Bucks. Who knows what that roster will look like then?

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I'd argue there is no other recipe for any NBA franchise. Miami pulled it off, but Wade was drafted. Cleveland with Lebron because they had drafted Kyrie and had traded for Love. But he was a hometown guy.

Drafting and trades are how you create teams in the NBA. Many big name FAs never amount to much. And most of them move to teams who built a core through the draft or trades. GS built via the draft. So did San Antonio. Where has it worked? You can't have more than two max FAs on a roster, realistically. You have to draft well and get the right pieces via a trade. Then that FA is just what puts you over the top.

Totally agree. My point, Ainge had the right plan, but he missed. The point of all those assets was giving the ability to land two top guys. Right now, it looks like he missed.

 

[superjohn]

What would the odds be? I guess we can have a difference of opinion on how worth it it is to destroy your future to go from a 20-1 likelihood to a 5-1 likelihood. (Just pulling those numbers out of thin air.)

The Paul George thing is a non-starter. It was a rising, healthy Hayward, plus Tatum, plus Brown, plus whatever else Indiana would have taken -- or Paul George. (In fact, that's not even correct because Ainge was actually trying to get both GH and PG, but he needed to lock in GH first.)

Ainge did his best to get KD.

The team that is currently a non-contender is a more seasoned version of the team that went to the ECF last year. And it's not like Ainge is done. Obviously I'm not expecting to contend for a title this season but we'll see what happens. I'm certainly not pleased at recent events but sometimes circumstances are to blame.

I honestly do like Ainge and while the Celtics aren't my team I've always liked them. Bird is one of my three favorite NBA players of all-time along with Drexler and Dirk and I turn into an enormous Celtics fan when they're going up against the Lakers. Through bad luck, tunnel vision, not willing to pull the trigger, whatever you want to call it the Lakers got way better and the Celtics didn't.

Bucks, Raptors, and Sixers also got way better since the Celtics were in the Eastern Conference finals.

 

[navery12]

That’s your takeaway from my post? I think they may be in position to take a run at him. Milwaukee can pay more. If he likes his team and chance of winning he’ll probably stay with the Bucks. Who knows what that roster will look like then?

Not just your post, and probably shouldn't have said this board because it's all over. But Celtics fans I know seem to think it's just a matter of time

 

[superjohn]

Not just your post, and probably shouldn't have said this board because it's all over. But Celtics fans I know seem to think it's just a matter of time

Waylon thinks the Lakers are only going to have 2 basketball players on their team. There are a lot of people who talk nonsense.

 

[husky429]

Not just your post, and probably shouldn't have said this board because it's all over. But Celtics fans I know seem to think it's just a matter of time

I mean, people said the same thing about AD.